In Their Own Words: Why ISIS Hates the West

 

In a issue of ISIS’ English-language propaganda magazine Dabiq, the group makes its position on the role of Western foreign policy in the Middle East abundantly clear: it is a “secondary” factor.

In a piece entitled “Why We Hate You & Why We Fight You,” the group sets out six points explaining the justifications for their hatred of the West. It mentions, in order, the West’s disbelief in Islam, the prevalence of secularism, atheism, ‘transgressions’ against Islam, military operations, and territorial incursions.

While this ordering alone spells out what ISIS considers the most significant reasons for its actions, the group insists it is “important to understand” that “foreign policies” occupy only a secondary position. “The fact is, even if you were to stop bombing us, imprisoning us, torturing us, vilifying us, and usurping our lands, we would continue to hate you because our primary reason for hating you will not cease to exist until you embrace Islam,” the article says. 

As such, even a complete withdrawal of troops, resources, advisers, and cutting support to allies in the region as a means of stopping the group would not be enough to stop the violence; ISIS’ principle objectives are driven by a desire for theological and ideological dominance. So long as the world remains opposed to ISIS’ worldview, and whether military action against the group is taken or not, ISIS will still have its sights on all of those that disagree with its vision and understanding of Islam.

Western foreign policy in the region is often presented as the root cause of the rise of ISIS in Syria and Iraq and for the increase in attacks linked to the group. Not only does this take agency and responsibility away from the group but, as this latest edition of Dabiq illustrates, it ignores the centrality of religious ideology to ISIS’ worldview. This emphasis on ideology is ever-present in ISIS’ propaganda, but the latest issue of its English-language magazine goes to great lengths, adopting a number of approaches, to spell out its disparagement of the West and of Christianity.

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