1st Edition

The New Islamic State Ideology, Religion and Violent Extremism in the 21st Century

By Jack Covarrubias, Tom Lansford Copyright 2016
    248 Pages
    by Routledge

    248 Pages
    by Routledge

    The rise of the Islamic State has dramatically forced a recalculation of political order and security in the Persian Gulf and broader Greater Middle East by the United States and its allies and adversaries, including, most notably, Iran, Israel and Saudi Arabia. Since the Arab Spring of 2011, the Islamic State has altered the military balance in the Syrian intra-state conflict and captured significant territory in Iraq. Its military successes has attracted foreign fighters from more than 100 countries, drawn in some cases by a sophisticated recruitment strategy that effectively combines a jihadist message with a social media outreach program targeting vulnerable Muslim populations in the region and the West. The Islamic State has prompted renewed American and allied military intervention in Iraq and Syria, and complicated the US relationship with its Iranian adversaries. The New Islamic State examines the rise of the religious extremist organization from the ashes of al-Qaeda in Iraq to its current efforts in Syria and Iraq and is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the Islamic State, its effects on the Persian Gulf and Greater Middle East, and the response of both regional and great powers. The book is suitable for academics, policymakers and the general public.

    Chapter 1: Introduction

    Tom Lansford and David Holt

    Chapter 2: The Rise of the Islamic State

    Wayne Lesperance

    Chapter 3: Ideology and Theology

    Robert Pauly and R. Alan King

    Chapter 4: The Use of Propaganda and Social Media

    Rachel Yon

    Chapter 5: IS and Al Qaeda-Affiliated Groups

    Peter Dean

    Chapter 6: Islamic State: Redefining the World Stage

    R. Alan King

    Chapter 7: IS in Syria

    Mark Sedgwick

    Chapter 8:  Those Who Face Death: An Examination of the Relationship between Kurdistan and the Islamic State

    Charlie Carlee

    Chapter 9 Regional Powers and the Islamic State

    Jorge Brown

    Chapter 10: The Obama Administration and IS

    Richard Yon and James L. Long, Jr.

    Chapter 11: The European Response to IS

    Robert Pauly and Kelly M. Roberts

    Chapter 12: Islamic State Recruitment Strategies and Tactics

    Brian Carriere

    Chapter 13: Canada, Australia, New Zealand and IS

    Dara Conduit, David Malet and Levi West

    Chapter 14: Conclusion: Future Challenges

    Robert Pauly, Tom Lansford and Jack Covarrubias

     

    Biography

    Jack Covarrubias is the Director of the Learning Commons at The University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast. His experience bridges academia and the military where he has focused on American foreign policy and homeland security. His most recent projects include Fostering Community Resilience: Homeland Security and Hurricane Katrina (Ashgate, 2010). Tom Lansford is a Professor of Political Science at The University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast and a member of the governing board of the National Social Science Association. Robert J. Pauly, Jr. is an Associate Professor of International Development at The University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast, a Senior Analyst for Wikistrat, the world’s first crowdsourced consultancy, and a regular guest providing expertise on US foreign policy and national and homeland security issues on the Steve and Mike Radio Show on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. His most recent book is The Ashgate Research Companion to US Foreign Policy (2010).

    ’This important and timely book provides an impressive breadth of analysis on the emergence and global impact of the Islamic State.’ James Forest, University of Massachusetts Lowel, USA ’The authors provide a compelling, in-depth, multifaceted examination of the Islamic State. This book is for anyone who wants to understand IS' genesis and evolution, its impact both regionally and globally, the threat the group poses to the Middle East and the West, and how the international community should respond most effectively to IS in order to ultimately defeat the organization.’ Chris White, Livingstone College, USA