Aiming to Understand, Not Judge

In the piece by Doostdar, we read that labeling a group as extremist will not help us to understand the violence and actions that the group undertakes. He suggests that individuals join ISIS for a multiplicity of reasons, not always due to Salafist inclinations. One possible reason that we discussed in class on Wednesday is that people join radical groups not because ideology, but because of the tangible goods they provide. In a place with very little economic vitality and few opportunities, extremist groups are able to flourish. In Tamami's article we learn that one way JN and ISIS distinguish between one another is through the provision of economic aid and social services. When trying to determine why people begin to follow ISIS we should not privilege the spiritual,  rather we should look at it alongside the physical. Examining the extreme conditions that drive people to extreme groups will better help the West to combat radicalism.

Also I just wanted to include a note on the articles from Zero Anthropology. The author makes some important claims and provides important information. However, I completely disagree with her tactics and feel that these tactics rendered the material ineffective. The author utilized inflammatory language and incorporated periphery claims that would undoubtedly turn a majority of people off from the evidence. The language used would likely result in many people immediately turning away and discrediting what they read.