ISIS
Syrian militant group
ISIS stands for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (or Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, hence also ISIL), a Sunni jihadist militant organization notorious for territorial conquest, brutal violence, and terrorist attacks during the 2010s.
The group declared a caliphate in 2014 before losing most of its territory by 2019.
News organizations vary in whether they use ISIS, ISIL, or simply Islamic State.
ISIS recruitment spread through social media. (Capitalized Isis is the Egyptian goddess.)
Middle Eastern republic
- SyriaLevant country, capital Damascus
- LevantEastern Mediterranean coastal region
- MesopotamiaTigris-Euphrates river region
- MosulIraqi city on Tigris
Fallujah · Tikrit · Baghdad · Palmyra · Euphrates · Tigris · Kurdish · Yazidi
Islamic successor-led government
- beheadingRemoval of head
- recruitmentSeeking new personnel
- radicalizationShift toward extreme ideology
- propagandaBiased information for influence
sleeper cell · lone wolf · suicide bombing · hostage · execution · black flag · territory · insurgency
Armed struggle ideology
- SalafismUltraconservative Sunni movement
- WahhabismPuritanical Islamic reform doctrine
- extremismIdeology beyond accepted norms
- fundamentalismStrict adherence to core tenets
apocalyptic · sharia · martyrdom · indoctrination · sectarianism · Sunni
Iraq
Middle Eastern republic
- SyriaLevant country, capital Damascus
- LevantEastern Mediterranean coastal region
- MesopotamiaTigris-Euphrates river region
Mosul · Fallujah · Tikrit · Baghdad · Palmyra · Euphrates · Tigris · Kurdish · Yazidi · refugee
caliphate
Islamic successor-led government
- beheadingRemoval of head
- recruitmentSeeking new personnel
- radicalizationShift toward extreme ideology
propaganda · sleeper cell · lone wolf · suicide bombing · hostage · execution · black flag · territory · insurgency · counterterrorism
jihadism
Armed struggle ideology
- SalafismUltraconservative Sunni movement
- WahhabismPuritanical Islamic reform doctrine
- extremismIdeology beyond accepted norms
fundamentalism · apocalyptic · sharia · martyrdom · indoctrination · sectarianism · Sunni
- 2000s History9/11, September 11, Iraq War, Afghanistan War, Arab Spring
- Modern Middle EastArab Spring, Iraq War, Taliban, Hamas, Hezbollah
- Rebel GroupsFARC, IRA, ETA, PLO, Viet Cong
- Terrorismterrorism, terror cell, suicide bomber, suicide bombing, suicide attack
- IslamismIslamism, Salafism, jihadism, Wahhabism, Muslim Brotherhood
- Militant GroupsTaliban, Hezbollah, Hamas, Boko Haram, Houthis
Rights-based elected governance
secular humanism · pluralism · religious tolerance · Amnesty International · Human Rights Watch
Rule by people, bounded by law