She Wolf Loc: Currently Georgia

I continue to read about American and European young people joining ISIS. I can't understand why. These young people enjoy a freedom unknown in Islamic countries esp. the young ladies.

Perhaps, it is the loss of hope they feel in their countries. I would like someone to explain why they would feel rule by any religion is a good idea. I find it very confusing.

If we could understand the motivation behind this movement, we would be in a better position to fight it.

missinglink Loc: Tralfamadore

You might find some answers in a book by Eric Hoffer, " The True Believer".

PaulPisces Loc: San Francisco

I wish there were an easy answer to this complex issue, but unfortunately it is too tangled for anything simple.

But I do think you've pointed out an important part. People who have lost hope in their own situation (wh**ever may have led to it) seem to always turn to radical groups that offer what appears to be a simple solution through participation in something powerful.

If we took a realistic look at why radical Islam (or Apocalyptic Fundamental Christianity, or Radical Z*****m) appears to be an appealing option we might get closer to a peaceful resolution. But instead of examining what we can all do differently to make our cultures inclusive - this goes for both sides - we tend to focus on just eradication opposing groups. As long as we treat just the symptoms the disease will continue to come back in one form or another.

She Wolf Loc: Currently Georgia

I can understand young people from Islamic nations feeling powerless in a world which does not offer them much hope for a future.

I agree we desperately need to make all our cultures inclusive. Education is usually the answer. Eradicating those we consider our enemies is a fools errand. It never works.

Sometimes I feel like Rodney King: "Why can't we all just get along." If we could accept our differences and work toward finding a way to peacefully include all religions we would be much better off. I just don't see that happening any time soon. I am hopeful the young people of this world will find a way. I think my generation is just to distrustful and opinionated to solve the problem.

She Wolf Loc: Currently Georgia

Thank you. I will check out the book. I am saddened by the deaths of so many young people on both sides of this issue. The youth are our future. Wh**ever the reasons these young people feel violence is the only answer must be addressed. To many deaths on all sides.

dennisimoto Loc: Washington State (West)

She Wolf, you sort of answered your own question with 2 words in your opening statement. "Young People." "We get too soon old and too late smart." You can talk to them until you're blue in the face but you'll never change their minds. They have to learn the hard way. Come to think of it ....

Searching Loc: Rural Southwest VA

Along with the astute observations made by everyone, I'll add to the mix something that has been observed and commented on throughout recent years, a sense of disconnect, a need to belong to "something" that fills the emptiness they feel. Gangs, and now ISIS....they all seem to know just the right words to attract the young, making them feel that if they join, it will give them a sense of belonging, and in some cases, that they are doing something to contribute to the greater good.

Dennis, you are so right about "too late smart". I suspect it applies to us all. My oldest son, until he was 20, used to be subjected to my "sage" advice because I hoped by the telling he would avoid some of the painful end results that I ended up having to deal with. I knew that a lot of it was going in one ear and out the other and that he considered me "a pain", but like a good mom, I just kept dispensing advice and admonitions. One day, he asked me "nicely" to discontinue giving him any because he felt things learned firsthand would stay with him better. I acquiesced. About a year or so later, during a chat one day, he brought up that request and went on to say, that "perhaps" I would be willing to pretend he hadn't asked me to discontinue giving him advice because he had come to know through some rather painful experiences that maybe I knew what I was talking about and really did have his best interest at heart. :lol:

missinglink Loc: Tralfamadore

I like it.


"The older I get, the smarter my father becomes."

Dave Loc: Upstate New York

Young people throughout history have been known to be impulsive, idealistic and easily fooled - if you doubt that follow their v****g tendencies.

1OldGeezer

She Wolf,

One thing we know is they are not practicing Christians. I suspect, as you probably do too, that they feel a need to "belong" to a group, similar to the attraction that gangs have for unsupervised single parent young adults.

I don't intend to push religion as an answer but only as a thought for consideration of its effects. Devout believers have a moral compass (code for living) and best of all belong to something. America, as a nation, has been moving away from being a "Christian nation" now for many years (On purpose in order to install socialism?).

If you doubt the power of religion; what else is powerful enough to convince a parent that they should strap a bomb on their (Muslim) child and send him to the market place to take some "infidels" life?

It surely is important to understand the reasons for the alienation of some of our young people, but the joining of ISIS is a SECONDARY problem to the real issue. The most important understanding we need is the seriousness of the Radical Muslim world effort now going on in the WORLD, and acknowledgement of it's purpose and reach. It is historical "world conquest" repeating itself. Mankind's ever present "forces of darkness" (human nature) is once again at play in the world. We need to recognize that, the sooner the better.

1oldgeezer

hprinze Loc: Central Florida

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Stupidity

She Wolf Loc: Currently Georgia

I agree with the fact that the world has lost its' moral compass. My religion is very important to me. I try to live it. I suppose it is hard for me to understand the mind set of people who believe their God would sanction such brutality. Religion has its' place in the home. I'm not sure it has a place in government. What would be the difference in one sect ruling another?

I suppose in a world where young people are left to their own devices by parents more interested in money than family it is easy for the child to make a mistake. When we began handing off the rearing of our children to the so called village, apparently we forgot what actually dwells in the village.

I was a single parent. The United States k**led my husband with agent orange. I made time for my children. I reared my children. I did not leave this joy up to anyone else. Being a parent is the hardest job but it is also the most rewarding. You can build a business, continue your education, and include your child in your life. It is very hard but do able.

These young people need our help. We need to fix the problems in our society which makes ISIS more appealing than their country. As America goes forward treating our young people as if they do not matter, organizations such as ISIS will be more than happy to give them a place to belong.

I do not think it matters as much how we got here, as how do we repair the damage done.

Blacksheep

Hello? They join because they're Sunni Muslims. They're taught that blood and guts dogma from birth, so of course the young ones go join the fight. That's what young people always do, they think that they're invulnerable and they go for the glory like moths to the flame.

The motivation for the movement is to impose Sunni Islam on the world, because, once again, that's what it teaches from birth. "If we could understand...". Really? What part of that is hard?

What I don't understand is why so many people like you don't seem able to grasp this. Islam preaches death to all non-believers. ALL non-believers, and converting or k*****g us is sanctified by their Allah, and rewarded with pie-in-the-blue-sky 72 pretty virgin girls and 27 pretty boys to have sex with in Paradise.

Take a good look at a so-called religion that believes in marrying 7 year old girls, having sex with goats and murdering people in the name of their god.

Searching Loc: Rural Southwest VA

I think "some" AMERICAN parents would be quite surprised to learn they are Sunni Muslims, an identity crisis would most certainly ensue. You see parents freaking world-wide, not just in this country, that their youth in their quest for identity and belonging, are drawn to such an evil, having absolutely no idea of the consequences. It is oft repeated by the parents that they did NOT raise their children to behave like this.

The basics of nurturing seem to have gotten lost some how and She Wolf is right, that we haven't looked at the village of those who have taken to raising our children for us. How to get back to the "basics of life", leaving the trappings behind, reengaging our children, a huge problem that society faces....one that in reality is global.

Blacksheep

Show me. Every case I've read of, the ones you're referring to converted to Islam before running off to join ISIS. So if you have anything reasonably verifiable that non-Muslims are joining ISIS, I'd love to see it, because the ISIS terrorists are extremely unlikely to welcome infidels into their ranks. K**l them on sight is more likely.