Why are so many women joining ISIS?

[GBCW 397]

... why would women be willing to join ISIS — a group that not only imposes strict restrictions on women's dress and behavior, but also has a record of appalling abuses against women, including forced marriages, the use of rape as a weapon of war, and the enslavement of women from the Yazidi religious minority?

...

Women join ISIS for similar reasons that men do. [The Brookings Institution's] McCants said that men might join the group out of a "desire for adventure, a feeling that they are protecting a persecuted Sunni community, or enthusiasm and fervor that the end times are approaching, and wanting to be a part of it." Those same arguments could appeal to women as well.

...

"Generally, women share the same political culture as the men of their communities," Gowrinathan [a UN researcher whose work focuses on women's participation in conflict and rebel movements] said, so there is good reason to presume that that the same events that motivate men would also motivate women.

Some women may also see ISIS as a protector of women, rather than an oppressor of them. McCants noted that jihadist groups have often appealed to Arab men's sense of honor, by claiming that Muslim women had been raped and that joining the jihad was a way to avenge their mistreatment. ISIS's campaign against other Sunni groups in Syria, for instance, was expressly couched as a battle to protect women's virtue.

...

But that doesn't explain why a surprising number of women in the West have been leaving their homes to join ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Dr. Erin Saltman, who researches processes of political radicalization, estimates that one in ten of ISIS's foreign recruits are women. She sees three reasons that ISIS may be appealing to some women in the West; the first two are gender-neutral messages that reach women as well as men, but the third may be targeting women directly.

The first reason, Saltman said, is an "adventure narrative" that encourages young women to think of traveling to ISIS's territory as not just a religious obligation, but an exciting expedition to a "Muslim utopia."

The second narrative was a humanitarian appeal, which presents ISIS's struggle as an effort that began as a fight against the oppressive Bashar al-Assad government and is now even more necessary because "global powers" are turning against Muslims.

And finally, Saltman said, ISIS has successfully targeted western recruits via "romance" narratives. Some of those are directed at women, promising them that they will find a "strong Muslim man, who is a true Muslim, who is fighting for this very heroic cause."

None of this is to suggest that ISIS does not violently oppress women (it does) or that its behavior towards them should be condoned (it should not be). But understanding ISIS's appeal to women is crucial to understanding its popular support in Iraq and Syria.

http://www.vox.com/2014/10/20/6987673/isis-women

[decocker 7,198]

probably for the same reason folks like charles mason get so many marriage proposals once in prison.

[Teddy B 17,252]

probably for the same reason folks like charles mason get so many marriage proposals once in prison.

And here I thought it was because of the stylish fashion sense.

[decocker 7,198]

And here I thought it was because of the stylish fashion sense.

i hope they all have neck tattoos under those.

[GBCW 397]

My reading of the article was "for the same reason men do".

[decocker 7,198]

My reading of the article was "for the same reason men do".

read the article?

[GBCW 397]

I did, obviously.

[DavenRoxy 1,073]

read the article?

He was referring to the VJ conservatives, obviously. We all know the libs just mock away without reading.

[decocker 7,198]

He was referring to the VJ conservatives, obviously. We all know the libs just mock away without reading.

no. he was obviously taking a jab at my gender by insinuating women can't read.

[GBCW 397]

women can read, just not without getting all emotional n sheeyut.

[decocker 7,198]

women can read, just not without getting all emotional n sheeyut.

vox gives me many emotions. all uncontrollable.

[GBCW 397]

take a happy pill and a cold shower.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

vox gives me many emotions. all uncontrollable.

May I recommend:

[decocker 7,198]

May I recommend:

tag team the feels:

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

... why would women be willing to join ISIS — a group that not only imposes strict restrictions on women's dress and behavior, but also has a record of appalling abuses against women, including forced marriages, the use of rape as a weapon of war, and the enslavement of women from the Yazidi religious minority?

...

Women join ISIS for similar reasons that men do. [The Brookings Institution's] McCants said that men might join the group out of a "desire for adventure, a feeling that they are protecting a persecuted Sunni community, or enthusiasm and fervor that the end times are approaching, and wanting to be a part of it." Those same arguments could appeal to women as well.

...

"Generally, women share the same political culture as the men of their communities," Gowrinathan [a UN researcher whose work focuses on women's participation in conflict and rebel movements] said, so there is good reason to presume that that the same events that motivate men would also motivate women.

Some women may also see ISIS as a protector of women, rather than an oppressor of them. McCants noted that jihadist groups have often appealed to Arab men's sense of honor, by claiming that Muslim women had been raped and that joining the jihad was a way to avenge their mistreatment. ISIS's campaign against other Sunni groups in Syria, for instance, was expressly couched as a battle to protect women's virtue.

...

But that doesn't explain why a surprising number of women in the West have been leaving their homes to join ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Dr. Erin Saltman, who researches processes of political radicalization, estimates that one in ten of ISIS's foreign recruits are women. She sees three reasons that ISIS may be appealing to some women in the West; the first two are gender-neutral messages that reach women as well as men, but the third may be targeting women directly.

The first reason, Saltman said, is an "adventure narrative" that encourages young women to think of traveling to ISIS's territory as not just a religious obligation, but an exciting expedition to a "Muslim utopia."

The second narrative was a humanitarian appeal, which presents ISIS's struggle as an effort that began as a fight against the oppressive Bashar al-Assad government and is now even more necessary because "global powers" are turning against Muslims.

And finally, Saltman said, ISIS has successfully targeted western recruits via "romance" narratives. Some of those are directed at women, promising them that they will find a "strong Muslim man, who is a true Muslim, who is fighting for this very heroic cause."

None of this is to suggest that ISIS does not violently oppress women (it does) or that its behavior towards them should be condoned (it should not be). But understanding ISIS's appeal to women is crucial to understanding its popular support in Iraq and Syria.

http://www.vox.com/2014/10/20/6987673/isis-women

Cause a lot of women like men that treat them like #######