Some latecomers to the so-called caliph’s cause believe their violence is redemptive—a way to atone for their past sins and preserve their religious community. Fighting in defense of one’s religious community is lauded in Islamic scripture as a meritorious deed and a shortcut to paradise. Most Muslims would sharply disagree with ISIS that its terrorist attacks or its cause qualify as a defense of Islam. But some youth are persuaded by scripture and by the specter of Muslim suffering to strike a blow against their fellow citizens for the sake of their community and their own salvation. The murderous penitent believes he has circumvented the long road of pious struggle also required by scripture.
For some young men, these lofty if misplaced motives are mixed with the personal and profane. Those who hate their coworkers or despise homosexuals because of their own insecurities can cloak their acts in the bloody mantel of the so-called caliph’s authority. In this scenario, we would have to suppose these men and women are cynics who want to go out with the loudest bang but don’t really believe in the cause. Perhaps this is the case for some. But if you ask scholars who study spree killers, they will tell you it is difficult to disentangle ideological convictions from unconscious or personal motives.
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