Controversy remains in the forefront in regards to the increasing daily horrors resulting from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. Whether theses horrors result from mass killings, bombings, beheadings, threats, or released propaganda, the militant group uses the religion of Islam to further their endeavors. The militant group poses grave dangers to the world as a whole as seen through events such as the attacks in Paris and Belgium. It is vital for society to recognize the fundamentals of the Islamic State so that they can be eradicated and stopped for good.  

The Islamic State's major aspirations and goals all wrap around aspects derived from the Islamic religion. Max Fisher, a Vox News contributor compiles their relationship with Islam (to initiate Armageddon, or the end of time and kill infidels), what their overall purpose is (to bring the World back to the time of Muhammad), what a caliphate means (an Islamic State signifying their authority over the Muslim Community) and most importantly what ISIS is, "a terrorist group that follows an Islamic ultra-fundamentalist ideology"(Fisher). The main goal of the militant group is to initiate the time of the end of the world and to bring the world back to the time, when Muhammad was living (a key point of any Muslim's life is to emulate Muhammad's life). William's McCants, a scholar of jihadist ideology stated, "they want to restore the early Islamic empire called the caliphate and eventually take over the whole world" (McCants). The caliphate's leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi believes he is fighting on behalf of every practicing Muslim and requests "true" believers to join the fight against those, who are unfaithful. As the militant group has evolved, it has major focuses around "institution building as a fulfillment of prophecy- i.e., the caliphate" (Fisher). They declare themselves now as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, with the hopes of gaining enough territory to change its name to the Islamic Nation. Since they have conquered territory, ISIS is able to generate income through forced tax collections, extortion, stolen artifacts and women, who are traded around like they are animals. "To say that there is nothing Islamic about ISIS is tantamount to taking an ostrich approach. The concept and prophecy of the Caliphate is the key element of ISIS's ideology and it does not come from the books of Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens" (Abbas). ISIS's sole use of fundamental Islamic practices makes them apart of the Islamic religion. Simply because they are more fundamental than other Islamic followers does not mean that they are not a part of the religion itself. 

Islam's most sacred text is called The Quran. It is comprised of revelations from God, which was depicted to the Prophet Muhammad, who wrote the scared text. While many practicing Muslims do not take the verses, or Suras as literal as some, several sentences add validity to the actions of the Islamic State. The Quran states that, "Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. And those with him are hard (ruthless) against the disbelievers" (Quran 48:29). Followers of Islam are to be merciless to those, who they consider infidels. Another verse says, "Say: Obey Allah and His Messenger; But if they turn back, then surely Allah does not love the unbelievers", which notes that their God only loves his believers (Quran 3:32). Verse 9:29 in the Quran says to fight all, who do not believe in Allah, or the last day and it also says murder is permissible, "The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His messenger and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement" (Quran 5:33). These key passages found in the Islamic sacred text have direct ties with the violence associated with the militant group. They murder those, who are against Muhammad and Allah, they torture and punish non-supporters and they profess Allah's rejection to people who reject him. These actions correlate directly with the explained passages in the Quran.    

One of the most crucial pieces of evidence that proves ISIS justifies their actions such as murder comes from the prisons, where they hold individuals captive. Mike Giglio and Munzer Al-Awad's article published on Buzzfeed News titled, "Prisoners Describe What It Was Like Being Detained Inside An ISIS Jail" describes the hardships experienced, while being held inside an Islamic State run prison in Tel Abyad. The location of the prison was far enough away from the Syrian border and because of that, "the prisoners faced the darkest abuses of ISIS's extremist caliphate" (Giglio and Awad). As individual's interviewed for the article explained the setting inside the prison, they said the biggest room located in the basement was designated for those, who were waiting to be beheaded. Inside the room, "Qur'ans were stacked atop a radiator -- prisoners were told to read them as they awaited their fates" (Giglio and Awad). This evidence significantly shows the Islamic state using the religion of Islam to further their endeavors considering they force their prisoner's to read Islam's most sacred text directly before they are murdered. One of the men interviewed, who was able to escape the prison, was originally captured with his father for smuggling cigarettes. His father, who was told to join ISIS refused to and was, "led into the room the prisoners feared, given a Qur'an to read, and killed"(Giglio and Awad). The militant group, which could be viewed as sadistic and evil without knowledge of passages from the Quran, have evidence that further their actions as to why they do what they do.  

Just like with many religions, Islam has ties with both violence and peace. After all, Muhammad grew up in a time centered around violence and war. Ever since 9/11, "Islamic fundamentalism has emerged as the major threat to civilization sponsoring a wave of terror against minorities, women and human rights activists"(Malik 47). It is imperative to note that all practicing followers of the Islamic religion are not violent, nor do they agree with the actions of the Islamic State or other Islamic extremist groups, such as Al Qaeda. John Esposito, author of the scholarly journal titled,  "Islam and Political Violence", notes that just because Islam has a history of violence, extremist groups cannot be justified in using those passages as examples of how to act, or behave. He then goes on to argue that extremists simply use the religious aspects as fronts to hide behind, but actually have separate initiatives; however, just because the historical context is a factor in situations brought forth in the Quran, that does not mean people who take it literally are not "actually Muslim". The passages are in the Quran, and those passages clearly promote violence against unfaithful believers and nonbelievers of Islam. "Religions are big and diverse, and people get out of them what they bring into them. For ISIS, this means an obsession with bringing about the apocalypse, with reviving medieval social norms, and with brutally punishing any perceived religious violation  --  all ideas that exist in the other Abrahamic faiths as well" (Fisher). Although, many followers refute the extreme interpretations associated with Islam, extremists have valid and accurate evidence to support their thoughts and actions.  

The significance of ISIS and its desires to bring in a traditional form of Islam that abides by the Quran and goes back to the time and days of Muhammad is the fundamental basis ISIS holds. They believe the end of the world is near and those brave enough to sacrifice their lives will be rewarded paradise and that the many innocent lives taken as a result are only infidels, who deserve to be killed. However, some argue that the leaders of the movement simply persuade vulnerable and poverty stricken minds to believe this is what they are looking for in terms of adding purpose into their lives. Another assessment is that ISIS leaders are merely concerned with power, money and territory. It is funny that the ones up top are not the ones blowing themselves up to "receive paradise or momentous rewards". They use people from poverty stricken areas whether they have an education or not to basically do their dirty work, while the leaders receive all the money. 

One of the most common arguments in regards to the militant group is that the majority of the Muslim communities reject the actions and ideals of ISIS. Thus, ISIS is not a part of the Islamic religion. A poll by Pew Research Center indicated that over 63 million Muslims from 11 different countries (mainly in the Middle East) are in fact supporters of ISIS. (The question that was asked was "Do you have a ___ opinion of the Islamic militant group in Iraq and Syria known as ISIS?") So how one can plausibly claim that ISIS is in fact not Muslim when 63 million fellow Muslims have a favorable opinion of them is beyond me. On top of that, "Its religious views make it constitutionally incapable of certain types of change, even if that change might ensure its survival"(Wood). ISIS's roots in Islam affect it from the change that could quite possibly positively guarantee existing for much longer.   

My only inclination to think that ISIS could be seen as illegitimate in regards to being "true" Islamic followers is when comparing it to this Scenario: If a Christian man shot up an abortion clinic and claimed his motives for ultimately ending the lives of the workers rooted in his Christian upbringing would a Christian agree that the man is in fact a follower of Christ (as a Christian I would say no he is not)? In the same sense if ISIS is carrying out these acts claiming to be followers of Islam do nonviolent Muslims in America for example qualify their actions as justifiably Muslim? Many would claim followers of Islam in America most certainly do not support the militant group of ISIS. However, who is to say for certain that American Muslims are not in support for their counter parts in Muslim countries such as Lebanon, Iraq and Syria? The argument can be made that they are wise enough to refrain from talking about their support because they know the backlash and consequences they would face in the US. My justification of this claim roots back to when I interviewed a practicing Muslim in New York City last year. He point blank said he was here only to support his family in Yemen (and also claimed that owning a AK47 in Yemen is comparable to that of a pocketknife in Long Island). All in all the Islamic state is a Muslim based organization and it uses the religion to justify its ends to expand power and have a truly Islamic State.

Although many people recognize that ISIS uses Islamic practices and ideas, some such as President Obama argue that ISIS uses Islam as a front to hide behind and more so perverts the religion rather than truly being apart of it. Some argue that ISIS leaders and their followers cannot be Muslim because they are extremists and extremists either take things too far, or take things too literally. Some argue that leaders of the movement simply convince vulnerable and poverty stricken minds to believe in the power and purpose of a religion such as Islam. The leaders then use those followers as a force to so they can gain what they really want, which is power, money and territory. These arguments however, are not true to what ISIS is fundamentally based upon, which is Islam. Although some Muslims do not take the Quran as literal as the followers of the Islamic State, it is not a valid reason to say ISIS is not a sect of Islam. The actions they take part in and their reasoning behind beheadings, suicide bombings and the murdering of infields directly correlates to the time of Muhammad. Yes Muhammad grew up in a time of war, which means the historical context of violence was tolerable then, but that is exactly one of the goals of ISIS; to initiate Armageddon and bring the world back to Muhammad's day. Graeme Wood, author of "What ISIS Really Wants" notes that ISIS is a "religious group with carefully considered beliefs, among them that it is a key agent of the coming apocalypse (Wood). Everything the Islamic State stands behind has validity in Islam's most sacred text. If that is not sufficient evidence to support the fact that they use Islam to further their endeavors than nothing is.

In order to put an end to the Islamic militant group and the threats they pose to the world, we must recognize the foundation they have built themselves upon. Normal national security strategies will differ depending on the foundation and that is why it is so imperative and important to accept their establishment as they see it. "Islamic terrorism is an ideological phenomenon which is why military/counter terror operations, drone attacks, reconnaissance missions and other combat operations are only short term solutions and mostly results in eliminating the enemies' top strategists, operational commanders, ideological mentors and recruiters. But such operations don't attack and denounce the ideology espoused by such groups because of which killing of one terrorist leads to springing up of many others" (Abbas). As long as Syria remains chaotic with Assad as the reigning leader, the country itself has little hope of destroying the Islamic group. The Syrian regime and the rebels need to find peace within their differences of ideas (the Sunni's believe the only protection they can get is through joining ISIS and the regime is worried about the rebels). Iran and Saudi Arabia, who are contributors to the Syrian civil war, also need to change focus to the eradication of ISIS, rather than the thrill of fighting other Syrians. The United States needs more boots on the ground, and with presidential elections at the forefront of American politics, national security and the threats associated with ISIS is something that cannot be ignored.

Every individual must take into consideration all aspects associated with religion. Religious practices, ideals and values vary from person to person and that is why it is so hard to say "you are a true follower" vs. "you are not a true follower". Due to different interpretations and human ethical standards that switch as time and people evolve, the question in this case should never be "Is ISIS Islamic", but rather, "how does ISIS use the religion of Islam to further their endeavors". When it is notable and there is evidence to support unfortunate and violent acts that are carried out under the name of Islam, the people responsible have clear ties with the Islamic religion. Even if the methods, or values are deemed immoral, unethical, barbaric, or out of historical context, if they have substantiation to back up their actions, they should be considered as part of the religion. The Islamic State of Syria and Iraq take responsibility for suicide bombings, terror threats, mass murder, beheadings and countless other events that by many are seemed as brutal. Although it is hard to believe any group could find supporting evidence in a religion that would justify such actions, when the evidence is clearly stated, it cannot be denied simply because it is vicious, or simply because other Islamic followers reject the engagements extremists use. Because the Islamic State identifies themselves as Islamic, have a caliphate and caliph, use the most sacred text of the Islamic religion, pray and have the goal to initiate Armageddon/ follow the life of Muhammad they are indeed a sect of Islam. Literal interpretations and practices of Islam are still in fact Islamic. 

