Terrorism is the use of force or brutal violent force against people or property in order to intimidate the population and achieve various goals. At the end of the 20th century, it became one of the most serious threats to public security. In the modern world, the danger of being attacked by radicals or witnessing such an act is common. The cases of terrorism and the transformation of the international situation over the past 20 years make people realize the global nature of the current events. It is evident that phenomenon is highly dangerous for society, that is why nowadays people all over the world are trying to prevent these incidents. However, aside from making people more cautious, it would also be helpful to analyze the objectives and strategies that those organizations implement to accomplish them.
As an example of a modern terrorist group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) will be presented and investigated as this is one of the most well-known and destructive forces that brought chaos around the world. First of all, it is crucial to note that the foundation of this organization lies in religious beliefs. The strategic goal of ISIS is the creation of the country under Sharia state. The organization declares that people must remove obstacles that prevent the establishment of the kingdom of Allah on earth. Another proclaimed goal of theirs is to protect the global Muslim community. At the very least, they want to expand their influence in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Turkey, Cyprus, Egypt, as well as a number of Russian regions. However, in their ideal scenario, the organization would dominate all over the world.
At the present time, the group controls part of the territory of Syria, as well as a number of provinces in Iraq. Their strategies resemble those used by Nazis in the 20th century. ISIS and its controlled groups participate in military conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya, Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen, Nigeria, and other countries. Nevertheless, aside from taking part in such operations, this group also decided to promote their agenda on a global scale. The most distinctive feature of ISIS is their innovative approach to fulfilling their ultimate goals by using the means of media influence to recruit supporters in its ranks. Therefore, it can be assumed that this war is fought by not only military means but also by manipulative psychological methods.
In recent years the organization has made itself known by distributing videos on the Internet of American hostages who were brutally executed. These events caused fear and hatred around the world, which was the initial goal of ISIS. The primary goal of the executioners is not to kill as many local and western prisoners as possible, but first of all, to make people talk about ISIS. They manage to achieve that by using such a powerful catalyst as social media that work on the principle of viral distribution of information. Such a strategy of intimidation more than once helped radical Islamists to seize cities and villages in Syria and Iraq without firing a shot. In addition, it also explains why for some people, this organization becomes attractive.
Such ideological influence causes a large number of radicals, even from Western countries, to join this group. Generally, the terrorist propaganda is aimed at young people living around the world, including the USA, countries of Western Europe, and Russia. ISIS advocates and recruiters are constantly present on the Internet. In order to attract new members, the organization uses the latest technologies in the field of media communication. ISIS spreads its ideologies not only in the press but also on different platforms on social media, forums of popular sites. After all, it is the first terrorist organization that actively uses social networks and instant messengers, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
It is evident that in order to conduct such terrorist activities, the organization needs funding. ISIS receives it mostly from the illegal oil and slave trade with Turkey. Moreover, the terrorists also receive money by kidnapping for ransom, as well as by conducting illegal drug trade. For this reason, ISIS is considered to be one of the richest terrorist group in the world, which allows the organization to spread its influence in many countries.
In conclusion, it would appear that, unfortunately, ISIS still has the dangerous potential to increase their impact on the world by the production of various media content. By creating propaganda materials and distributing them on the Internet, the organization increases its prominence and provides more opportunities to receive more recruits. There is no doubt that such an organization needs to be stopped, which can be done by organizing international forces against them. Nevertheless, the activities of this terrorist group are a prime example of how nowadays several groups conduct terrorism around the world. It should be accepted that terrorism has become not just a social and political phenomenon of the current century. It has also turned into a dangerous force for intimidating populations.