LIT 3 - Speckhart Joining ISIS Flashcards
What was unique about ISIS’s recruitment strategy compared to other terrorist groups? Speckhard
ISIS pursued unprecedented recruitment of women with promises and propaganda that resonated with them, mainly to live under their so-called Caliphate and to serve as wives and mothers.
What were some of the factors that contributed to ISIS’s success in attracting foreign fighters? Speckhard
o Their near-term territorial goals, which required the involvement of women and families to establish a functioning state.
o Their wealth and control of significant territory, which allowed them to offer women a comfortable life as wives and mothers, a proposition no other terrorist group had offered before.
o Their use of the internet and social media for recruitment efforts.
How did ISIS use traditional gender roles to appeal to potential recruits? Speckhard
o For women, ISIS’s online propaganda emphasized their value as wives and mothers, promising a utopian state with free housing, salaries for their husbands, and a life free from the constraints of secular society.
o For men, ISIS offered the opportunity to live in an environment where men could be warriors, providers, and protectors of their families.
What were some of the “push” factors that motivated women to join ISIS? Speckhard
o Feelings of marginalization and Islamophobia in their home countries.
o A desire to escape negative circumstances at home and live in a utopian Caliphate.
What were some of the “pull” factors that motivated women to join ISIS? Speckhard
o The religious obligation to migrate to live under sharia law.
o The opportunity to play a role in building the Caliphate.
o Feelings of belonging and sisterhood.
o Romance with ISIS recruiters or fighters.
How did ISIS’s propaganda portray women’s roles within the Caliphate? Speckhard
ISIS’s propaganda often depicted women in idealistic traditional gender roles, contributing to the building of the Caliphate. This imagery appealed to religiously conservative women facing Islamophobic discrimination and who longed for a simpler, purer Islamic environment.
Did ISIS’s gendered messaging empower women? Speckhard
While ISIS presented itself as empowering women by giving them a platform, their messaging ultimately served to restrict the freedom of other women.
How did ISIS use the concept of sexual slavery in their propaganda? Speckhard
ISIS publications attempted to frame sexual slavery as religiously sanctioned and even empowering. They drew distinctions between prostitution and “legal” sexual slavery and highlighted historical examples like the story of Hagar, the slave of Abraham.
How did ISIS try to appeal to women who desired to engage in militant jihad? Speckhard
ISIS publications showcased images of women in combat and suicide attacker roles to attract those who wished to take up arms for the cause.
What is the significance of the term “warped feminism” in relation to ISIS? Speckhard
Saltman and Smith use the term “warped feminism” to describe how ISIS manipulated the language of empowerment to attract women while ultimately aiming to restrict their freedoms and subjugate them.
