The Alienation ISIS Members Encountered
Throughout the conflict caused by the Islamic State, various actions were taken and had a great effect of alienation among its own members. The isolation and separation that the ISIS group maintained had a large ripple effect that created many consequences for the individuals that were forced to be a part of, or join the hostile junta. Past the face of the IS organization was a clique of puppeteers that would control all and manipulate the members to keep them in the dark. With the conflict and separation from society all the soldiers knew was war and what they were forced to do. this would lead to drastic change in mind set for the members and how they are viewed by others as well. The Islamic State had to make sure their followers were completely isolated from outsiders and other point of views to obtain maximum obedience from them.
Shamima’s Route to Alienation
Shamima Begum, a 15 year old girl when she made her decision to go to Syria to join the Islamic state organization. During her time in the group she witnessed certain things-like the aftermath of a beheading-and believed in values that do not comply with the rest of the worlds standards; in which made her a possible threat to her home country of Bangladesh. Her citizenship haze been taken away with the country saying that they do not want her as a citizen or a resident because of the fear she will return home as a terrorist. The Islamic State stripped Shamima of her past identity as soon as she made the choice of joining the group by making her believe in false facts and enforce rules that she developed while in the organization. This poses major problems for Shamima as she tries to re-integrate back into civilization.
How Ex-ISIS Members Experiences Reflect “Allegory of the Cave”
The organization of Islamic State is devoted to extreme measures. Recruiting and raising soldiers for their cause and using intense methods for changing the identities of their members, similar to the ones explained in “The allegory of the cave.” ISIS does so in a way that resembles the metaphor of having individuals chained to rocks believing in only what they are shown. The Members of ISIS raise soldiers and train them in the similar fashion. Having them isolated from the rest of the world and showing them what their personal beliefs and interests are only presenting the prisoners with the shadows of the truth. The leaders who are stationed at the top of the IS food chain use propaganda and false information to get outside individuals to join their group all leading up to louring them into their trap of changing the way they perceive certain political and religious topics. The separations from the ISIS members and everything around them would seamlessly relate to the cave in “Allegory of the Cave” resembling the isolation and imprisonment the members had to endure during their time spent with the Islamic State organization. Even though ISIS is no longer a standing group, it will have life lasting impact on the people who were in the association. The disbanding of ISIS make the prisoners lucky to escape their cave of imprisonment, but in one way or another they will always be alienated by other countries or peoples in modern society; Which will forever keep them chained and locked away from their true identity.
Reference List
Plato. (1963). Book retrieved from https://courseware.mymru.ca/bbcswebdav/pid-4663535-dt-content-rid-39306524_1/courses/11138.201901/Allegory%20of%20the%20Cave%20II.pdf
Shamima Begum: ‘We should live in Holland’ says IS husband. (2019, March 03). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-47431249
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