The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) is a Salafi jihadist militant group having no international recognition of statehood by any country in the world.
The question is how did it get to this point. The rise of ISIS dates back to the time when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan on request of the then government of Afghanistan which was loosing power to the Muslim rebels. Looking at this, Muslims from around the globe started moving to Afghanistan to fight the Soviets. Many of them looked upon it as a fight between Muslims and the infidel Soviets. Amongst these fighters were Osama Bin Laden and Abu-Musab-Al-Zarqawi.
After the Soviets took off from Afghanistan in 1989, Osama-Bin-Laden started Al-Qaeda- the group responsible for the attack on twin towers in September 2001. The second person Al-Zarqawi went back to his native country Jordan after the Soviets left.
The second chapter of this book began with the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. After Saddam Hussein’s Sunni government was overthrown by the Americans, a lot of soldiers of the Iraqi army went jobless and looking at this opportunity, Al-Zarqawi fled to Iraq and started a small militant outfit by recruiting the Ex Iraqi soliers. Al-Qaeda noticed this and joined hands with Al-Zarqawi and the group began to be known as Al-Qaeda in Iraq. In the next few years, this group eventually changed the course of history of the middle east.
Al-Zarqawi was killed in 2006 in a US drone attack and with that Al-Qaeda in Iraq lost its power and in 2011 America called off its troops from Iraq.
The third chapter of this book began with the widespread protest by the people in Syria against the Bashar-al-Assad regime in 2011. With protests going on all around Syria, Al-qaeda in Iraq now headed by Abu-Bakr-al-baghdadi seized an opportunity to expand their territory and started their operations in Syria. Al-Qaeda rejected Baghdadi’s power grab and formally exiled him in 2014. Led by a new and powerful leader, ISIS became first terrorist outfit to capture major cities like Raqqa, now its capital.
In June 2014, ISIS captured Mosul in Iraq and got to the border of Baghdad. Within a few days after this invasion, ISIS controlled a third of Iraq and a big part of Syria. It was only a few weeks after this that ISIS renamed itself again and now it is known as the ISLAMIC STATE.
Declaring themselves to be a Caliphate they demanded all Muslims to pledge allegiance to them. As a result, a lot of foreign fighters have joined the Islamic State.
With the increase in foreign attacks by ISIS fighters, countries like Russia, America, the UK have stated to fighting back ISIS which has proven to be effective and as a result of this ISIS has been thrown out of a large area that it once used to control.
********************************************************************
Another major chemical attack took place in Syria on April 7,2k17. Syria never got enough media coverage in the past six years but the circumstances of people in Syria are getting worse with each passing day.Â
If confirmed, it would be one of the worst chemical attacks since Syria’s civil war began six years ago. It was the third claim of a chemical attack in just over a week in Syria. The previous two were reported in Hama province, in an area not far from Khan Sheikhoun. A few hours later, Syrian warplanes launched another airstrike on one of the medical clinics where victims of the first attack were being treated.
Heartbreaking images of desperate patients, weeping children and dead civilians in Syria are, unfortunately, too familiar.Â
Guys, it has been Six damn years and I don’t get this that why the world is watching all this. Like, how can one see those little souls killed everyday and they have nothing to do with this war. They don’t deserve all this.Â
In this recent attack, more than 100 people are killed which include around 20 children and 17 women or more because some are still missing.
This time, as stated, it was not chlorine attack but it is suspected to be a “Sarin” attack. And sarin is deadlier than chlorine. This is not done. I mean how would you feel when you have to bury your own family just because you are born at a war place like Syria. It is really disturbing and painful.
And what are the politicians doing?Â
Just blaming each other. Arguing and fighting amongst themselves. And all thanks to Donald Trump to make it harder for Syria by firing his missiles targeting Syria. To be precise, Fifty-nine Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from two US Navy ships.Â
What is happening to the world?Â
I don’t get it. Were these missiles meant to end the struggle of war or to start it all over again? All thanks to our civilised political culture, there is no one safe in this world. God bless those poor souls and may they rest in peace. I just wish we could do something about it. But alas! We can’t.Â
-Sharanpal Singh and Lavisha Gera
Edited by Mrinaal Datt
Read more about them here.
Sign up to our newsletter. (Promise we won't spam)
Really painful and sorry state of the people of Syria. May God help them.
The rise of ISIS within few years from a marginal group that was basically ignored by all intelligence agencies is primarily a by-product of developments for which two consecutive US administrations under George W. Bush and Barack H.Obama are responsible. (Destruction on the name of Construction )