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How ISIS is Changing the World

I'm sure everyone is aware of who ISIS are, but do we know what they stand for or what they are fighting for? It is a question that has puzzled my mind for months, every time I turn the news on or open my Facebook, another horrific act of terror has taken place.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) was officially 'created' in 1999, before joining forces with al-Qaeda in 2004, gaining strength and numbers behind closed doors. Before 2014, when the two groups separated, ISIS was a relatively unheard of Muslim organisation running out of Western Iraq. Correct me if I'm wrong in assuming that more people were consumed with Ellen's Oscar Selfie, Justin Bieber going to jail or that How I Met Your Mother aired its very last episode in that same year.

Since then, ISIS has claimed responsibility for more than 125 attacks in 27 countries, with the death toll standing at 1,770 people, according to CNN's latest report on the 15th July 2016. Unless you live in the middle-East or Northern Africa, you would not have felt the ongoing brutality that ISIS has to give, and the crisis that they have created.

Until November 2015, ISIS attacks or ISIS related attacks had most frequently occurred in non-Western countries, where terrorism is common and Western media choose not to heavily report about. The Western media's 'relaxed' attitude changed when Paris was hit hard by ISIS attacks in more than six locations across the city. It is a morning that I vividly remember, waking up, whilst away on our final school camp, with no TV's, just Facebook to relay the messages of despair. Once it sank it that Paris, the city of love, was under attack, I began to wonder how many times these attacks had happened previously?

Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, Yemen and Iraq had all fallen victim to ISIS's hate crimes before the Paris attacks. At such times, ISIS was gaining moment by recording and sharing the beheadings of journalists and aid workers, essentially telling the world that they are not to be messed with.

So, as these attacks continue under the banner of Sharia Law and Sunni Islam, the totalitarian regime that ISIS is running, is beginning to dominate how we, as a Western society, view Muslim cultures and threatens where we want to explore and create memories.

Moving forward into 2016, ISIS attacks are continuing, gaining more momentum with every life that they take. Brussels, Belgium and Nice, France have been the most recent victims of hate crime, with ISIS targeting highly populated areas. Airports, train stations and even street parades have become compromised areas for the safety of individuals, whether locals or tourists.

Image courtesy of Time

Innocent victims of the Brussels bombings

All of this in the name of Allah, the almighty figure of Islamic religions. ISIS is essentially practicing religious persecution; hiding behind the banner of a religion just like Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism or Hinduism.

The religious persecution that ISIS aims to achieve was highlighted during the Pulse Nightclub mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, where 49 innocent people were directly targeted for their choice of who they love. In a country with extremely relaxed gun laws, it is hard to imagine that such an event would result in the largest single mass shooting in American history. Another Michael Moore documentary in the making?

As these attacks continue to happen, whether it be a local village in Iraq or an airport in Brussels, you begin to wonder when enough will truly be enough for ISIS leaders. With the media only reporting on the tragedies in major cities, we start to fear the unknown of what ISIS might do next or who their next target will be.

One thing that is for sure, ISIS is always ready to willingly claim responsibility for whatever attack has been carried out, regardless of the perpetrators affiliations.

Time will only tell how far ISIS will go to achieve what they desire, which is more unclear to me than why Donald Trump is running for president. If their goal is to achieve religious and political purity, I fully believe they are going about it the wrong way; there is no need for un-necessary killing of innocent people, especially if it's in the name of Allah.

With that being said, I sincerely hope that somebody, whether it is the American government or online activists Anonymous, find a way to destroy ISIS's regime, from their leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi right down to every person that has been recruited.

Websites Related to Information Found:

- http://edition.cnn.com/2015/12/17/world/mapping-isis-attacks-around-the-world/

- https://www.buzzfeed.com/leonoraepstein/things-you-forgot-happened-in-2014?utm_term=.sveMMPljDz#.bsa11NwLEx

- http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/14/world/isis-everything-you-need-to-know/


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