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Why Women from the West are Joining ISIS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2018

Anita Perešin*
Affiliation:
Office of the National Security Council, Croatia
*
*Corresponding Author: Anita Perešin, Office of theNational Security Council, Croatia. E-mail: aperesin@gmail.com

Abstract

More than 550 Western women have moved to Syria and Iraq to join the “Islamic State ofIraq and Syria” (ISIS), showing a success of ISIS in attracting women from the West that noother jihadist group had before. To explain the reasons for such success, it is important tounderstand how ISIS lures women from the West, why ISIS persuasion tools are so successful,what motivates women to join such a notorious terrorist group, famous for its brutalviolence, mistreatment and enslavement of women and what role women expected to play in the“Islamic State.” Understanding the motives why ISIS Western female migrants left theirWestern countries of residence and moved to ISIS-controlled territories is crucial to findappropriate measures to prevent and stop the radicalization of women, to cut the supportthat ISIS receives from its female sympathizers, to properly treat female returnees and toprepare appropriate measures against women ready to plot against their countries ofresidence in the name of ISIS goals.

Abstracto

Más de 550 mujeres occidentales se mudaron a Siria e Irak para unirse al ISIS, mostrandoel éxito del ISIS al atraer a mujeres de Occidente que ningún otro grupo jihadista habíaalcanzado antes. Para explicar las razones de su éxito, es importante entender cómo ISISatrae a las mujeres de Occidente, por qué las herramientas de persuasión ISIS tienen tantoéxito, lo que motiva a las mujeres a unirse a un notorio grupo terrorista, famoso por subrutal violencia, el maltrato y la esclavitud de las mujeres y cual es el papel que lasmujeres esperaban desempeñar en el "Estado islámico". La comprensión de los motivos por loscuales mujeres migrantes occidentales dejaron sus países occidentales de residencia y setrasladaron a territorios controlados por ISIS es crucial para encontrar las medidasadecuadas para prevenir y detener la radicalización de las mujeres, para cortar el soporteque ISIS recibe de sus simpatizantes femeninas, para tratar adecuadamente mujeresrepatriadas y para preparar medidas apropiadas contra las mujeres listas para conspirarcontra sus países de residencia en nombre de los objetivos del ISIS.

Abstrait

Plus de 550 femmes occidentales se sont installées en Syrie et en Irak pour rejoindrel'Etat islamique, un grand succès de l'EIIS attirant plus des femmes occidentales qu'aucunautre groupe djihadiste n'avait jamais atteint auparavant. Pour expliquer les raisons d'untel succès, il est important de comprendre comment l'EIIS attire les femmes de l'Ouest,pourquoi les outils de persuasion de l'EIIS ont autant de succès, ce qui motive les femmes àrejoindre un groupe terroriste notoire, et le rôle que ces femmes pensent pouvoir jouer dans«l'État islamique». Comprendre les raisons pour lesquelles les migrantes occidentales ontquitté leur pays de résidence et se sont installées dans des territoires contrôlés parl'Etat islamique est essentiel pour trouver des mesures appropriées pour prévenir et arrêterla radicalisation des femmes, réduire le soutien que ISIS reçoit de ses sympathisantes,traiter correctement les femmes rapatriées et préparer des mesures appropriées contre lesfemmes prêtes à comploter contre leur pays de résidence au nom des objectifs de l'Etatislamique.

摘要:

超过550名西方女人已经前往叙利亚和伊拉克加入伊斯兰国,显示了伊斯兰国在吸引西方女性方面取得了成功,在此之前没有其他圣战组织实现过该目标。为了解释这种成功的原因,需要重点理解的是:伊斯兰国是如何吸引西方女性,为何伊斯兰国的说服手段如此成功,又是什么促使女性加入这样一个以残酷的暴力、虐待和奴役妇女而臭名昭著的恐怖主义组织,以及女性在伊斯兰国中扮演的角色等。了解伊斯兰国中的移民女性离开其西方国家并转移到伊斯兰国控制地区的动机是至关重要的,这有助于寻找适当的措施来防止和阻止女性激进化,削减伊斯兰国获得女性同情者的支持,恰当的对待女性回返者,并且有利于准备适当的措施应对那些意欲以伊斯兰国名义密谋反对其居住国的女人。

االملخّص

انتقلت أكثر من 550 امرأة غربيّة إلى سوريا والعراق للانضمام إلى داعش، مما يظهر نجاح داعش فيجذب نساء من الغرب لم تصله أي جماعة جهاديّة أخرى من قبل. لتوضيح أسباب هذا النجاح، من المهم أننفهم كيف أن داعش تغري النساء من الغرب، ولماذا تنجح أدوات داعش في الإقناع، والسبب الذي يحفّزالنساء على الانضمام إلى هذه المجموعة الإرهابيّة السيّئة السمعة، الذّائعة الصّيت في أعمالهاالوحشيّة، وسوء معاملة النساء واستعبادهن؛ والدّور الذي من المتوقّع أن تلعبه النساء في"الدّولة الإسلاميّة". يُعْتَبَرُ فهم الأسباب الّتي دفعت بمهاجرات داعش الغربيّات إلى مغادرةمكان إقامتهن في الغرب وانتقالهنّ إلى مناطق تسيطر عليها داعش أمرًا مصيريًّا لإيجاد تدابيرمناسبة لمنع تطرف النساء ووضع حدٍّ له، ولتقليل الدعم الذي يتلقاّه داعش من المتعاطفات معه منالنّساء، والتعامل مع العائدات منهن بالطرق الملائمة، وإﻋﺪاد ﺘﺪاﺑﻴﺮ ملائمة ﺿﺪ المرأة الّني ﻋﻠﻰأهبة اﻻﺳﺘﻌﺪاد للتآمر على بلد إقامتها ﺑﺎﺳﻢ أهداف هذا التّنظيم.

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© 2018 International Society of Criminology 

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