History helps us to decode ISIL’s toxic ideology

In the aftermath of the gruesome attacks in Paris, many in the West have, yet again, raised the issue of the relationship between ISIL and Islam. Within the Arab world, the topic also has some currency, following the ghastly incidents in Beirut and Baghdad.

When it comes to contemporary realities, there is a reason why ISIL finds far more appeal in a country like Syria than it does in South Africa or Slovenia. The regime of Bashar Al Assad, and the brutality it entails, ensures that the population at large is vulnerable to radicalisation by extremist groups. Injustice, perceived or otherwise (and certainly in Syria, injustice is the daily reality of so many people), gives fuel and fodder to the efforts of radicals to recruit.

The opening of the article. The full text is at The National.