Reasons Behind the Rise of ISIS

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Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) is a militant outfit designated as a terrorist organization by the UN and many countries in the world. There is no country or organization which is openly assisting this organization. But despite every difficulty and military operation by world powers and regional states of the Middle East, ISIL managed to take control of a large area of Iraq and Syria. There are a few important reasons behind the rise of ISIL.

·         American policies in the Middle East should be regarded as the main reason for the birth and rise of ISIL. After the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 over false allegations of WMD (weapons of mass destruction), ISIL’s parent organization JTJ (Jamaat al Tawhid wal Jihad), under the leadership of al-Zarqawi, started guerrilla warfare against the US and became popular among regional Sunni Muslims due to its stiff resistance. It helped them to increase their strength as a large number of fighters joined the group. 

     On the other hand, the US remained inactive in Syria over the brutal killing of Syrian people by the Syrian Army. America even canceled its planned invasion of Syria when Syria used chemical weapons against civilians while the US President had previously called it a red-line. Due to inactive American policy, the Syrian war dragged on for years, which helped ISIL to increase its influence and capture areas in Syria and Iraq. 

·         Sectarianism in the Middle East is another main reason for the rise of ISIL. From the start of guerilla warfare in Iraq, JTJ was conducting sectarian attacks on Iraqi Shias, which resulted in the killing of thousands of people in Baghdad and other areas. They also targeted the holy places of Shia Muslims on several occasions. America successfully curbed the militant activities of AQI with the formation of Awakening Councils (Sahwa) in Sunni Arab areas of Iraq in 2007. 
    
    However, the situation changed in 2012 by the sectarian policies of the Shia-dominated Iranian-backed Iraqi regime of Nouri al-Maliki, which forced the Arab Sunnis to remake an alliance with the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). It assisted the group in reconquering the Sunni areas that they lost earlier.

·         Policies of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi played a significant role in the reemergence of ISIS. Al-Baghdadi replaced the deceased religious leadership of ISIS with a more militarily expert leadership. He introduced many officers of the former Iraqi Baath Party to the military leadership of ISIL. Apart from that, other veterans of war also joined ISIL leadership. A prominent example is Abu Omar al-Shishani, a former member of the Georgian Armed Forces. These experienced members played a vital role in the victories of ISIL in 2013 and beyond.

·         The Role of Sunni Arab countries is also regarded as a crucial factor behind the rise of ISIS. Many fighters in ISIS belong to countries like Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, while several wealthy people in these Arab countries also assisted ISIS financially. Critics of Arab countries say that either these countries are helping ISIS or turning a blind eye to recruitment and financial assistance of ISIS from their countries due to sectarian reasons.

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