Wrong Suspect caught for Berlin Attack

Modified: 12/29/16                                                                           By:  Zumen Javed

https://www.rt.com/news/372244-berlin-attack-suspect-abuse/

       On December 20, 2016 an ISIS attack took place at the Berlin Christmas Market, for this attack a guy named Naveed Baloch, a 24-year old asylum seeker from Balochistan was arrested. The only reason he was arrested was because he was running across the street, where the truck attack took place and so seen as a suspect was take by the police. Naveed Baloch claims that he was subjected to physical and mental abuse. However, the German Police fiercely refused the allegations.

                                                        Photo credit: Annie Mole via Foter.com / CC BY

Jordan Attack

Modified 12/22/16     9:38  a.m.         Damali Ramirez

According to the New York Times, seven Jordanian security officers, a Canadian tourist, two Jordanian civilians and four attackers died in the recent Jordan attack. On Tuesday, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

On Sunday, the southern Jordanian city of Karak was attacked. The attackers used automatic weapons and hand grenades. Originally, the attack started at the house they were staying in. Then, they attacked a police station. Afterwards, they attacked Karak's ancient crusader castle.

The Jordanian military tried their best to protect the castle and put an end to the assailants. They recovered weapons inside the castle and suicide vests on the assailants' bodies.

Weapons were also recovered in their homes revealing their plans for more attacks.

King Abdullah II stated the attack would not affect the country and their security.

The Assassination of Russian ambassador and Islamic Violence

Modified 12/21/2016                                                                  By: Nicole Gelfman
http://nypost.com/2016/12/19/russian-ambassador-to-turkey-shot-in-targeted-attack/

According to the New York Post, the recent assassination of Russia's ambassador Andrey Karlov by ex-Turkish officer Mevlut Mert Altintas truly portrays Islamic violence between nations like Russia, Turkey, and Syria as well. Russia's support of Syria's president Bashar Al Assad results in tensions between Turkey and Russia considering that Turkey is an enemy of Syria. The killer caused much controversy when he shouted, "Allahu Akbar" after the fatal attack. This occurrence shows the spread of violent Islam amongst other nations,and how radicalism results in difficult affairs between nations not always concerning ISIS. For the terrorist organization, this is seen as a praiseful duty. 
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ISIS Attack at Berlin Christmas Market

Modified: 12/21/16 7:40 a.m.                                                            By: Zumen Javed

http://nypost.com/2016/12/20/isis-soldier-carried-out-berlin-christmas-market-attack/

       On December 20, 2016 an ISIS' soldier had carried out a truck attack at the Berlin Christmas market. The truck attack killed 12 people and had injured 48 other people. The ISIS- linked Amaq news agency stated online that, "A soldier of the Islamic State carried out the Berlin operation in response to appeals to target citizens of coalition countries." Further investigation is being done about this incident.
                               
                                               Photo credit: Annie Mole via Foter.com / CC BY

ISIS Chemical Weapons and Attacks

Modified 12/21/16                       By: Damali Ramirez 

According to the New York Times, ISIS has used chemical weapons at least 52 times on the battlefield in Syria and Iraq. Some chemical agents they used are chlorine and sulfur. 19 out of 52 chemical attacks were around Mosul.

The reason why Mosul was often attacked is because it is the center of chemical weapon production. The Islamic State uses sulfur because it burns victims' skin, breathing passages, and eyes.

Chemical warfare agents have been banned on the battle field because of the danger it has on people. The chemical weapons used by ISIS made it difficult to defeat them. 

ISIS' theology of Rape

Modified: 12/07/2016  10:40 p.m.                                                  By: Nicole Gelfman

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/14/world/middleeast/isis-enshrines-a-theology-of-rape.html?_r=0

ISIS members believe that raping children and women of different religions is not a sin, considering that they do not practice Islam. Before and after the process, the kneel to pray, thinking that they are doing a service to their God. Radical activists believe that by raping young women and children, they are coming closer to God, and that they are allowed to rape non-believers. These incidents occur most with the Yazidi religious minority considering they strictly go against radical ideas of people in support of the Islamic State. This practice has become engrained in their daily festivities, as it promotes their cause and persuades them to think they are doing good.


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ISIS Attack in Mosul

Modified: 12/7/16 7:50 a.m.                                                       By: Zumen Javed

http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/iraqi-troops-withdraw-isis-attacks-leave-deaths-mosul/

     According to Iraqi News. the Iraqi army left from the districts Wehda and Sumer because of  a deadly counter by Islamic State Militants. Three soldiers died after an ISIS suicide bomber hijacked trucks and vehicles and attacked al-Salam Hospital, which is southwest of Mosul. This attack left 43 injured, which included civilians.

                           
                                          Photo credit: The U.S. Army via Foter.com / CC BY

How 226 Christians were freed from ISIS

12/07/2016 7:47am                                                                                          Sumaya Ahmed                                                                                          


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ransom-what-led-to-the-freeing-of-226-christians-from-isis/

     Over the past several weeks, Assyrian Christians were being held by ISIS groups. The problem many of these family members, friends, and law enforcement officers were faced with the difficulty of how to get them out. Because of this, dedicated citizens donated a tremendous amount of money to give to ISIS to free the people.
     Slowly, ISIS gave in and accepted the ransom money. The terror group sent out emails to law enforcement of the names of who they were sending out and when. This was greatly appreciated by many Christian Syrians who wanted their family members in time for Christmas.

ISIS Attack in Nice

Modified: November 30, 2016 7:30 a.m.                                       By: Zumen Javed
                   
http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/16/europe/france-attack-on-nice-isis/

      A man named Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, 31, used a 20-ton truck to kill hundreds of people in Nice, resulting in the death of 84 people. The French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that they received a statement from the ISIS' media group which stated that an ISIS soldier which is Mohamed Lahouiej Bouhrl  carried out the attack in Nice. 

               

                                       Photo credit: Cristian Ştefănescu via Foter.com / CC BY

ISIS' tricks

November 30, 2016                                                           Sumaya Ahmed

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-using-fake-equipment-attempt-trick-iraqi-jets/

     Jets from Iraq were recently a victim of trickery from ISIS. The famous terror group used fake tanks and weapons to illustrate that they have the proper necessities to continue to torture and kill. Their intentions were exposed when more aircraft came flying over their territory and saw the fraud.

This may not be one of the only times ISIS has lied about their advantages. The execution of journalist James Foley in 2014 by the group has also sparked a several amount of conspiracies regarding whether o not the act was staged or not.

     ISIS continues to dominate through fear. These methods of trickery does not only expose them, but it weakens them.


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Propaganda Use of ISIS

Modified 11/30/2016  7:45 am                                                                    By: Nicole Gelfman
http://www.dailydot.com/layer8/isis-terrorism-social-media-internet-countering-violent-extremism/

ISIS has taken control over the internet, using it as propaganda to recruit more people for their cause. They are particularly popular in posting videos of speeches made by their caliphate, and videos of beheadings, demolitions, and a multitude of war crimes in attempt to influence others. With the internet, they hope to reach millions as it is much easier than physically having to recruit. This use of online extremism can also be used as a threat tactic towards enemies. If they are threatened, they create a horrifying image to signify that them to 'back off.' This has been effective as we see more people from the east and west pledging themselves to the cause. 
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How ISIS Increased Islamophobia

Modified November 27, 2016 1:44 p.m.                                     Damali Ramirez

The spread of ISIS's popularity caused an increase of islamophobia to drastically occur. As more terrorist attacks were claimed by ISIS, people began to assume any Muslim is associated or connected to ISIS's beliefs.

People started to become bias and cruel towards innocent Muslims. The New York Times reported, "The F.B.I. cataloged a total of 5,818 hate crimes in 2015." Innocent people are paying the price for actions they didn't do.

The majority of ISIS's attacks are against the Muslim population not other cultural groups. Yet according to the website The Guardian  "In the US, a recent survey discovered that 38% of Americans would refuse to vote for a “well qualified” Muslim candidate for US president." 

The more ISIS tries to spread their cruel message, the more innocent people get hurt along the way. 

                                              Photo credit: Kurdishstruggle via Foter.com / CC BY

Significance of beheading in ISIS ideology

Modified 11/16/2016 8:00 p.m.                                                                  By: Nicole Gelfman
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/09/21/why-isis-emphasizes-beheading/Azrb65gWaiVfbz8aTiE8DI/story.html

Although the multitude of ways to terrorize the public, ISIS put an emphasis on beheading as psychological terror places a large role in the way they recruit people . Terrorists' aim is to recruit as many people for their cause as possible, and in the recent years, common attacks much like bombings and mass killings have lost their "shock value." As a result, beheadings gain more attention than that of the same old attacks, especially on social media considering it is a different way of terrorizing people. They hope to attract more attention, and with that recruit more people. Hence, beheading is a strategic way to grow their Islamic State.

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Most Radicalized Phrases in the Qur'an used for ISOL Ideology

Modified: 11-16-2016                                              By: Zumen Javed

These are sayings in the Qur'an which inspire and are radicalized by ISIS. It also inspires the beliefs of many terrorists and jihadists. These sayings are supposedly what ISIS follows and how they interpret their religion.

1. Qur’an 3:32 – Hate (Allah only loves his believers, which are Muslims)
2. Qur’an 48:29 – Terrorize (Muslims should punish non-believers)
3. Qur’an 4:24 – Rape (Are allowed to rape female captives, and if married it is to stop them from adultery)
4. Qur’an 5:33 – Murder (Punish non-Muslims)
5. Qur’an 9:5 – Idolaters  (Convert, or die)
6. Qur’an 9:29 – Dominate The World (Influence the world with Islam)
7. Qur’an 9:73 – Apostates & Hypocrites (Non- Muslims are to be killed)
8. Qur’an 9:111 – Jihad = Holy War (Believers are those who kill/fight)
9. Qur’an 47:35 – Power & Victory (We gain peace by killing non- believers)

                                         

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ISIS' allies

Modified 11/16/2016 7:09am                                                                                    Sumaya Ahmed


http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives/isis-allies-enemies/interactive.html



     Although the group is despised by many nations around the world because of its radicalized beliefs, the countries that approve of their beliefs are as follows:

1. The Ba'ath party: Founded in 1941 Syria, this party was an authoritarian which believes in secularism and socialism. Their name Ba'ath means resurrection.
2. Some Iraqi tribal groups: Although Iraqi government opposes ISIS, some Iraqi groups support the radicalized beliefs they preach.
3. Green Battalion: Made by Saudi veterans in 2013, the jihadist group formed an alliance when they went against Syrian forces. 

     

ISIS' Support of Donald Trump

Modified 11/09/2016  6:45p.m.                                                                       By: Nicole Gelfman
http://time.com/4480945/isis-donald-trump/

ISIS, although may shock some, is a heavy supporter of Donald Trump and his propaganda driven campaign. His hate speech against Islam (mostly radicalized) inspires and radicalizes more jihadists. His policies further prove the point to radical thinkers that the U.S. is against all Muslims. This is support to the terrorist group considering they now have the opportunity to recruit more soldiers.

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Impact of ISIS in Iraq

Modified 11/9/2016 7:30 a.m.                                                                                           Zumen Javed
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-idUSKCN0W10EL

      On February 28, 2016 a twin suicide bombing killed 70 people which took place in a mobile phone market in Sadr City. The news reporters stated that through an interview with the police officers they found out that  the suicide bombers were riding motorcycles and blew themselves up too. Which caused injury to more than 100 people and 70 people died.

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How the group inspires others

Modified 11/09/2016 7:35am                                                                                       Sumaya Ahmed
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/06/17/world/middleeast/map-isis-attacks-around-the-world.html



     The terror group uses extremist values to humanize their violent crimes. By doing this, it influences the mind of our future generation.
     Is violence the only way for my voice to be heard?
     One of the early cases consists of an 18-year old Australian man in Sept. 2014 who stabbed two police officers, and claimed he was sympathizing with ISIS, agreeing with their beliefs. Nearly days later, another attack was committed in Montreal Oct. 2014 where an Islamic convert shot and killed a soldier.
     ISIS has proven that violence is not a burden, rather a necessity for beliefs. There are no such morals for the group rather the ones they create for themselves.

ISIS' Deadly Weapons

Modified 9:39pm                                                                                                   Sumaya Ahmed

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/five-isis-weapons-war-america-should-fear-11346
http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-military-equipment-arsenal-2016/#brdm-2-armored-vehicles-4
http://www.globalresearch.ca/logistics-101-where-does-isis-get-its-guns/5454726
     Men, women, and children have all been killed by the terror group, ISIS. The lives they took are revealed, the questions is, how? Where are they getting their supplies from?
     ISIS' weaponry unit contains T-62 tanks, which is the main battle tank that is able to kill dozens of people, meanwhile being protected in the tank. Humvees are also a method of transportation that they use which allow easy access because of its big roof on the top, allowing members to chant, scream, and occasionally, shoot.
     The AK-47, a gun that is able to shoot many rounds, durable, and is easy to get, has become a favorite. A more recent attack of where the gun was used was the Orlando shooting, where the shooter pledged allegiance to ISIS before the shooting. The terror group also became a fan of rocket launchers, mainly the M79 Osa, which is highly effective and easily available.
      The weapons the group uses is known to come from smuggling around the countries (including other continents) near Iraq and Syria. The lives they took are not only from the mind they have, but to the weapons they take.

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ISIS Torture Methods

Modified 11/2/16  8:00 p.m.         By: Damali Ramirez
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/692455/islamic-state-isis-jihadis-torture-device-flying-carpet-syria-iraq

The terrorist group ISIS has been known for using horrendous torture methods to spread fear towards the public. There are varies videos that demonstrate their cruelty to people who don't follow their beliefs.

A common practice ISIS perform on prisoners is shabeh. Shabeh translates to "ghost" and what this method does is hold captives for days with their hands tied above the ground. Often times prisoners lose the ability to move their hands due to dislocated joints. It can also causes damage to the brachial  plexus which is the nerves that control the arm movements.

Not only are people torture physically but mentally as well. Prisoners are held in a tight space jail for an exhausting amount of time. Afterwards, they'll begin to have a psychotic breakdown. This then causes strategic secrets and confessions to be revealed; thus giving ISIS an advantage. It has been proven that victims of this terrorist group become insane due to the traumatic experience.

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Photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/kurdishstruggle/15127907838/">Kurdishstruggle</a> via <a href="http://foter.com/">Foter.com</a> / <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">CC BY</a>

Impact of ISIS in Syria

Modified 11/2/2016 7:30 a.m.                                                                   Zumen Javed
http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/27/middleeast/syria-isis-suicide-bombing/

ISIS' most recent attack in Syria took place on July 27, 2016. This attack was a suicide bombing resulting in the death of 48 people, which included women and children. A CNN reporter stated that the incident occurred by a truck bomb exploding near governmental departments and buildings in the city Qamishli, which is located near the border of Turkey. The reporter also stated that around 140 people were hurt.

Most wanted leaders of ISIS

Modified 11/02/2016                                                                       Nicole Gelfman 

http://time.com/4259075/isis-most-wanted-leaders-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-islamic-state/

Though the organization has stretched to extreme lengths, ISIS' top leaders who are still at large continue to spread propaganda and attacks, creating a large international threat.  Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-acclaimed caliph, plays a key role in forming and gathering troops. Although he is not the military figure of ISIS, he has received a PhD in Islamic Studies, strengthening the theological part of the terrorist organization. He has recruited thousands and carried out key attacks in the eyes of his followers. Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli, an older and former Al-Qaeda member, joined ISIS after prison and became second-in-command for Baghdadi. Lastly, Abu Mohammad al-Adnani became the senior spokesman in 2014. He is known for his bombing campaigns in Iraq as well as his spread to Syria.

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Threat ISIS causes to us at home

  Modified 10/26/16 7:03 p.m.                     
  Sumaya Ahmed    

http://threatknowledge.org/isis-threat-to-usa-report/


Here we are:
     Sitting comfortably within the comfort of our homes, wining and dining with our families & friends, watching or reading about the news and hearing about a brand new ISIS attack.

     

     What?  

     Is this terrorist group really a threat to me?

     Wicked propaganda, deadly bombings, and the torture of the innocent makes ISIS not only a domestic threat for the middle east, but a threat to us all. ISIS is now able to recruit members sitting at home, 10,000 miles away. With a simple search on the Google bar, ISIS posts are able to influence anyone who is looking for it. Their videos and websites are not only in their home language of Arabic, but most is in English. 

     Several people In the U.S. are proof that ISIS propaganda does exist, including Edward Archer, who shot a police officer after pledging allegiance to ISIS.

    The threat is not ourselves bowing to the Islamic State, instead it is our neighbors, who may be a threat to a cause we were unaware about.

The Beginnings of ISIS

Modified 10/26/2016 6:40 p.m.                                                                     Nicole Gelfman
http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/who-what-and-where-in-the-world-is-isis.html

The first and top leader of these terrorist attacks goes by the name of Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, who first made headlines in 2003. Zarqawi  had ties to Al-Qaeda however moved on to an Iraqi terrorist organization called Tawhid wal-Jihad in which his intentions were to gather  the Sunni majority into a Jihadist group and attack the Shia minority, a common belief in the Islamic State till this day. This caused tension towards Al-Qaeda until Zarqawi was killed in 2006. Afterwards, nine terrorist organizations formed the Islamic State of Iraq without the permission of Al-Qaeda. This established that they were no longer under Al-Qaeda's intentions, but followed only Sharia law. Hence, this was the start of the world-known terrorist organization that would carry out attacks and cause fears amongst millions.

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Beliefs of ISIS

Modified on October 26, 2016  4:OO P.M.      By: Zumen Javed    
http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/who-what-and-where-in-the-world-is-isis.html
                                                                                    
ISIS believes that the only path to success is through violence. ISIS seeks to become a theocracy. They promote violence against Muslims who don't obey their interpretation of their faith. The flag of ISIS is a black flag that represents the battle of Prophet Mohammad. Their flag presents their belief of their old political and religious traditions of Islam in their own point of view. ISIS believe that they are the only real leaders of the jihad which is known as the holy war.

ISIS Attacks Police Training College

Modified 10/26/16 4:05 p.m.                     Damali Ramirez

 http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/26/world/asia/quetta-attack-isis-pakistan.html?_r=0

ISIS has recently taken responsibility for the Monday night terrorist attack in which killed 61 people. The attack aimed for a police training college located in the southwest of Pakistan. Three militants were spotted wearing suicide vests and carrying guns. 120 people were also wounded in a college near by Quetta.