Source: BBC News
By Frank Gardner
The Islamic State group (IS) has lost its short-lived caliphate in the Middle East, with hundreds – possibly thousands – of would-be international jihadists stuck in limbo, and tempted to return home despite fears of arrest and imprisonment.
Yet the scourge of violent jihad – where extremists attack those they perceive to be enemies of Islam – has not gone away.
The hotel attack in Nairobi two weeks ago by the al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group al-Shabab was an uncomfortable reminder. Large swathes of north-west Africa are now vulnerable to attack by marauding jihadists. Somalia, Yemen and Afghanistan remain ideal refuges for jihadists.
So just what is the enduring appeal of violent jihad for certain people around the world?
Categories: ISIS, Jihad, Middle East, The Muslim Times
It is clear that the appeal is on the word ‘violent’ rather than ‘jihad’. So-called ‘jihadists’ coming from Western countries more often than not come from the criminal world. In so-called ‘under-developed countries’ often the ‘appeal’ is that it is ‘the only job in town’. If there is wide-spread unemployment and the so-called ‘jihadis’ offer a basic salary plus the chance to rob and steal behind a loaded gun that is appealing too. Anyway, nothing to do with religion, one way or the other.