Tensions with ISIS Provoke US Military Action

Over the course of humanity, religion has always been a source of comfort, conflict and debate. However, the rise in conflicts over religion has been growing and tensions have come to a point of exploding.

The effects of this can be seen in the rise of radical groups, such as ISIS, that are gaining widespread support and popularity.

ISIS, an Sunni jihadist group, wants to bring much of the muslim world under its sphere of political control, as reported by CNN. Much of Iraq and large parts of Syria are already under the control of this jihadist group.

ISIS has had close ties with another jihadist group, al-Qaeda, the group responsible for the 9/11 attacks. After an eight month power struggle, al-Qaeda stated that it was cutting all ties with ISIS, due to its brutality and “notorious intractability”, as published by the Washington post.

“I personally think that ISIS is part of a larger problem; however, it also affects the United States as well, especially since it is a splinter group from al-Qaeda”, said Meghan McDonell, a teacher at Urbana High School.

Since its involvement in the Syrian Civil War back in August of 2011, ISIS has been gaining rapid support for its radical ways.

ISIS has set up over 16 wilayah-which are provinces across Syria and Iraq. On June 29, 2014 a caliphate was declared and Amir al-Mu’minin Caliph Ibrahim was named caliph and the group changed its name to the Islamic State. A caliphate is an Islamic state that is ran by a caliph, which is a supreme religious and political leader, who is the successor to Muhammad.

Recently, ISIS has branched out into other non-islamic countries, including the United Kingdom and the United States.

ISIS has beheaded two American journalists that they have held captive. James Foley, was the first to be brutally beheaded, and Steven Sotloff was the most recent victim of the ISIS beheading videos to be released.

ISIS is threatening to kill another hostage, this time a British journalist, if their demands are not met.

McDonell goes on to say that, “After seeing what happened to the U.S journalists, it is frightening that there is a religious war happening as well”.

Vice President Biden has been quoted as saying that “We will follow them to the gates of hell until they are brought to justice”, by CNN.