Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in 1999 founded the Jamāʻat al-Tawḥīd wa-al-Jihād which is the present day ISIL. Initially, the organization pledged support to the Al Qaeda and fought alongside them against the Multinational force which invaded Iraq in 2003 (Spark 3). In 2006, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi died and the remnants of his militant organization founded the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). Subsequent leadership who had the ability to keep the group aligned to the ideology of Al Qaeda died in US led attacks (Spark 4). Eventually, the Al Qaeda, in 2014 realized it could no longer keep ISI within its ranks due to severe unrest in the ranks. The ISI merged with the Syrian al-Nusra to found the ISIL (Wood, “What ISIS Really Wants”).
The Syrian Civil War provided the ISIL the opportunity it hoped. Fighting against both fronts, the ISIL gained significant presence from the religious and political fronts. The ISIL defeated Iraqi forces in several cities and named Ramadi its capital. In addition, they used social media to recruit soldiers from different religious backgrounds. Their catalogues filled with the weapons used by the ISIL drew recruits in the droves (Wood, “What ISIS Really Wants”). The most infamous recruit ‘Jihadi John’ from the United Kingdom was a specialist in beheading people. The eagerness of the youth to use sophisticated weapons from different quarters of the world congregate in Syria to join the ISIL and indulge in horrific executions. The Christians of Mosul received a ten-hour deadline to flee the city limits or face decapitation. The group received the majority of its forces from Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi nation does not share the ideology of the ISIL explicitly. However, their nation finds its roots to the Wahhabi Movement through which Abu Musab al-Zarqawi founded his militant organization. The political and religious views for both the ISIL and the Saudi nation have several commonalities including their hatred for the Shia Muslim community. Despite waging a Jihad on Western powers, ISIL is cleansing the region of some sections of Sunni, Shia Muslims, and ethnic Christians (Spark 3). The majority of the Islamic world rejects the beliefs of ISIL and calls their movement an aberration to Islamic teachings of tolerance and peace. Even Sunni scholars call this movement a political and financial war as opposed to a holy war involving Islam. The concept of cloaking ISIL’s butchery in the guise of a Holy War is not new. In fact, this strategy finds its origins to eleventh century Europe.
Boko Haram
The Boko Haram or the Wilayat Gharb Afriqiya is the most feared terrorist organization in Africa. It operates from Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon. Mohammad Yusuf founded Boko Haram in 2002 (Smith 57). The Nigerian nation at the time, had significant problems due to corruption. The government and police had numerous corruption related complaints filed against them. The country had a fast growing economy and yet the poor remained vulnerable. Yusuf proclaimed the Boko Haram as the movement to destroy corruption in Nigeria and unify the nation as an Islamic state. The call found sympathizers in youth from the weaker sections of the Nigerian society. Initially, the Boko Haram was a peaceful organization with a social agenda. They operated schools with a complex curriculum for youth from poor neighborhoods (Smith 80). When they moved to a violent alternative of spreading their propaganda, the local politicians supported the organization in return for threatening political opposition. By the time they realized the true nature of the organization, it was too late to make amends.
The Boko Haram is a Sunni Muslim faction with strong ties to the Wahhabi Movement. They hold strong beliefs on ethnic cleansing of the Shia Muslim sect and the Christians from the region. Although the Boko Haram calls its armed resistance a religious war, there is very little evidence to prove it this theory. Similar to ISIL, they do not discriminate their gunfire to Christians only. Their call for Jihad against the western civilization and its influence in regions of the Muslim world is inaccurate. The Boko Haram’s contention that they are opposing the civilization which enslaved their ancestors in America and Europe does not find any support either (Smith 80). It is a common practice for Boko Haram to raid villages and abduct young girls for sale in Middle Eastern countries (Smith 213).
The Boko Haram relies on financing its operations through kidnapping and robbing banks (Smith 139). The Al Qaeda once funded this outfit and eventually withdrew support while raising concerns about the quality of leadership. The Boko Haram replenishes its weapons with those seized from fallen police and army personnel in three different countries. In addition, they have involvement in smuggling cocaine. They also have donations from sympathizers across the continent. The primary political goal for the outfit is to eliminate the Shia Muslims and Christians from existence (Farouk, “Who are Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamists?”). After their excommunication from the Al Qaeda, the Boko Haram found their partnership with ISIL.
Crusaders
Alexuis I, the Byzantine Emperor of Constantinople (Istanbul) was losing his lands to invading Turks in the eleventh century. He knew of his existing military capabilities and called out for aid to the Pope in Europe. Pope Urban II saw this as an opportunity to create further cooperation with the church in the south and rallied the French to bear arms against the Muslim rulers of Jerusalem (Asbridge 20). He delivered a speech to inspire the men with fabricated tales of horror inflicted on Christians by the ruling Saracens. In an unprecedented outcome, over seventy thousand responded to the call. This army launched a series of military campaigns in the Muslim territories surrounding Jerusalem. These campaigns were the start of a four hundred year conflict between the Muslims and Europe which has repercussions for both cultures even today.
The religious belief which the crusader armies hid their agendas were liberating the holy land from the rule of the Muslims and returning Jerusalem to a Christian ruler. The leaders of the crusades had their own individual agendas. Only Godfrey of Bouillon believed he was fighting to liberate the holy land from tyrannical Saracens. The Pope announced to the armies of the crusaders that they will earn their passage to heaven by participating in the holy war (Asbridge 37). Europe, at this time had numerous issues and soldiers shed innocent blood unnecessarily. The people were reeling from excessive taxes, draughts, wars, and guilt. The crusades provided the general population with the opportunity to create a new life in the wealthy hinterland of Jerusalem.
Politically, the leaders of the crusades and the Pope had their individualistic agendas. The crusader war provided them with an opportunity to exploit under the banner of religion. The Pope wanted to impress upon the Holy Roman Empire and the King of France of the influence he had. The nobles who rallied behind the Pope were looking for new territories to control and looking to gain riches in the holy land (Asbridge 268). The wealth of the Saracens was no secret. Their initial agreement to return Christian territories to Byzantine ended when Bohemond I claimed Antioch for himself. The political ideology of the crusader leaders never prevented massacres of Muslim, Jew, or Christian peoples.
Comparison between ISIL, Boko Haram, and Crusaders’ religious views
The ISIL and Boko Haram share a common religious ideology based on Wahhabism. Their primary tenet is to rid the Muslim society of Shia Muslims and impose the Sharia law. The imposing of Sharia law includes the imposing of Islam as the only true religion. The Wahhabi Movement is also firm on limiting western influence into traditionally Muslim territories. Both organizations target Shia and Christian people. Although the Christian people inhabited the region for centuries, the crusader wars in the eleventh century have left behind a deep spasm with the populations in these regions. The religious agenda of the crusaders was to eradicate the Muslims from lands they perceived as part of the Christian holy land. However, it was not uncommon for the crusaders to kill ethnic Christians who inhabited alongside the Muslims (Phillips, “The Crusades: A Complete History”). There are several accounts of crusader cruelty towards Christians in the region including the siege of Jerusalem.
Their religious belief that God was with them in the war and they had a legitimate claim to heaven by participating in the war against the Saracens is oddly familiar. The ISIL and Boko Haram fighters also believe that the holy war will assure them safe passage to heaven. It is unclear if the leaders of these militant groups incorporated crusader theology in their attempt to legitimize indiscriminate killing of innocent people (Wood, “What ISIS Really Wants”). The concept of liberating the holy land used by Pope Urban I is the same for the ranks of ISIL and Boko Haram. The crusader armies pillaged towns and cities that lay in their path (Asbridge 268). ISIL is leaving a similar trail in Syria and Iraq at present time. Boko Haram has left a similar trail of butchery and mass killings throughout their operational territories. The three armies also have their fair share in the slave trade. The only difference between the ISIL and Boko Haram at this time is the recruitment among their enemies. ISIL is able to influence recruits from all races to join their cadres while the recruitment of Boko Haram in recent days is abducted children from schools. The crusaders never incorporated any part of the Saracen community to their congregation of warriors. It was one of the reasons why they were unable to retain any of the territories including Jerusalem after the first crusade wars.
Comparison between ISIL, Boko Haram, and Crusaders’ political views
Politically, all three organizations have glaring similarities. ISIL, Boko Haram, and the Crusaders were attempting to increase their wealth and territories through military action. ISIL proved their intentions when they began the systematic exiling of wealthy Shia Muslims and Christians in Iraq and Syria. They confiscated houses, lands, money, jewels, and vehicles from their owners (Wood, “What ISIS Really Wants”). Boko Haram threatens business to pay them a tax for safety while robbing banks and running a thriving cocaine trade (Farouk, “Who are Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamists?”). The crusaders found it legitimate to take control of the Christian city of Edessa where Saracens had no hold. Edessa was on a newly formed trade route making it one of the wealthiest cities in the Holy Land (Asbridge 151).
All three outfits share the intention to expand their territories despite claiming to fight a holy war. ISIL was fighting US-led troops in Iraq when the civil war broke out in Syria. The outfit immediately sought to plant itself in Syria and fight both warring factions in the name of religion. Boko Haram extended controlled territories from Nigeria to Chad and even northern Cameroon (Farouk, “Who are Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamists?”). The crusaders, after swearing an oath to the Byzantine Emperor to return lands recaptured from Saracen rule failed when Baldwin declared himself ruler of Antioch (Asbridge 179). All three military outfits known for their barbaric practices such as mass execution, targeting civilians, and slavery. All three armies used the same recruiting technique; a banner of religion, a passage to heaven, and promise of spoils from the battlefield (Phillips, “The Crusades: A Complete History”).
The indiscriminate killings by crusaders which commenced in the late eleventh century created an irreparable rift between the Islamic world and the West. Although the actual wars ended centuries earlier, parts of Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and Turkey still recollect the stories which left the once peaceful Muslim region with horrors of crusader barbarity. These stories invariably lingered in the minds of the populations and brought the memories flooding whenever an army from the West set foot on Muslim land. In turn, these stories find the basis for militant organizations such as ISIL and Boko Haram to find legitimacy in hiring recruits to vanquish invading Westerners, their culture, and their religion.
Works Cited
Asbridge, Thomas S. The First Crusade: A New History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Print.
Farouk, Chothia. “Who are Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamists?” BBC Africa. BBC Africa, 4 May 2015. Accessed on 26 April 2016.
Phillips, Jonathan. “The Crusades: A Complete History” History Today. History Today, May 2015. Accessed on 26 April 2016.
Smith, Mike. Boko Haram: Inside Nigeria's Unholy War. Switzerland: I.B.Tauris, 2015. Print.
Spark, Joseph. Atrocities Committed By ISIS in Syria & Iraq: ISIL/Islamic State/Daesh. New York: Conceptual Kings, 2014. Print.
Wood, Graeme. “What ISIS Really Wants” The Atlantic. The Atlantic, March 2015. Web. Accessed on 26 April 2016.
