The ongoing war in the Middle East may not seem important to you as you are getting to know your roommates and back into the school groove. But, it might be more vital than you think. College students have plenty to say about pop culture, media and financial struggles, but when asked about foreign policies and government affairs, most are clueless.
In a growing integrated world, where more countries are trying to acquire nuclear weapons and terrorist strikes come without any warning, acquiring the knowledge of international relations is more essential than ever before. It is becoming increasingly important that students know and understand international relations and more about the world in which they will have to live.
As long as the Islamic State (ISIS) remains in power, there will be neither reconciliation nor ongoing stability in the Middle East. In the United States, where you aren’t affected by the violence and devastation of war, it’s easy to overlook world events that influence the lives of people on a global scale. The current problems caused by ISIS are worth a great deal of attention. Here is why:
The Islamic State does not hesitate to use extreme violence to achieve its goals. This deadly extremist group will do anything to establish a caliphate, also known as an Islamic State unified by one religious and political leader. ISIS’s radical and ruthless strategy against civilians include mass public killings, such as beheading those who oppose their views. ISIS also regularly sells women and children into slavery, according to The Guardian. It is the most heavily armed Islamist radical group in history, having captured military equipment in Iraq and Syria, according to The National Post.
ISIS uses social media as a tool of terrorism and get the attention of civilians with videos, and tweets. Along with videos of brutal beheading, ISIS’s tweets and Facebook pages endorse expanding their goal of creating its Islamic state.
“#AmessagefromISIStoUS #US #USA We say to the U.S. Government and swear to God that we will enter the White House and come to your cities.”
ISIS released two videos of the execution of American journalists, James Wright Foley and Steven Sotloff. Foley, 40, was kidnapped in Syria on Nov. 22, 2012. This wasn’t the first time Foley was kidnapped. In 2011, Foley was abducted while covering the Libyan Civil War by forces loyal to Muammar Khadafy. After he was freed, he went back to the Middle East to cover the Syrian civil war. Sotloff, 31, was abducted in northern Syria last year, he was last seen in August 2013, according to The Washington Post.
The execution of Sotloff preceded a blackmail video from the Islamic State showing the horrifying murder of James Foley. The video was a warning to the U.S. to stop interfering and sending air strikes in Iraq. On Sept. 2, ISIS uploaded a new video showing the execution Steven Sotloff. The militant who executed Sotloff, sent another viral message via Youtube to the US.
“I’m back, Obama. I’m back because of your arrogant foreign policy towards the Islamic State. Just as your missiles continue to strike our people, our knife will continue to strike the neck of your people.”
On Sept. 3, President Obama issued a statement: “Their horrific acts only unite us as a country and stiffen our resolve to take the fight against these terrorists,” he said. “And those who make the mistake of harming Americans will learn that we will not forget and that our reach is long and that justice will be served. Our objective is clear, and that is to degrade and destroy ISIS so that it’s no longer a threat — not just to Iraq, but also the region and to the United States,” according to The Washington Post.
The ultimate question: Why should we, American college students, care about ISIS?
The answer is ISIS is now the biggest terrorist group, the new face for international terrorism and is slowly receiving more recruits every day. Foley’s and Sotloff’s execution and ISIS’s threats to continue killing brings to light the topic of terrorism for people around the world.We’re going to be the next generation to face these problems so we need to start being aware of them now.
Michelle Konik can be reached at michelle.konik@spartans.ut.edu