Ajmal Jalal
ISIS, which presents itself under the banner of the Islamic State, is in reality a group that has cast aside the most basic principles of humanity and the foundational ethics of Islam. Its conduct reflects neither Sharia nor human decency. Instead, it embodies terror, bloodshed, deceit, and oppression. By brandishing Islam’s name as a slogan, the group extinguished the Islam’s spirit of mercy. Wherever they gained ground, they spilled blood, devastated cities, enslaved women and children, and left deep, shameful wounds on humanity.
The Background of ISIS’s Emergence
ISIS emerged amid the wars in Iraq and Syria between 2013 and 2014. The chaos of conflict, weakened state institutions, sectarian tensions, and foreign interference created an environment that allowed the group to seize territory. In 2014, ISIS captured Mosul and proclaimed a caliphate. This moment marked the height of their influence, but it was also the period during which they committed some of the most appalling crimes of the modern era. Every city that fell into their hands was transformed into a realm of fear and devastation.
Mass Killings of Civilians
ISIS turned killing into a spectacle to instill terror and signal its power. They beheaded civilians, displayed corpses along public roads, and broadcast these scenes to the world. In Mosul, Raqqa, Fallujah, Deir ez-Zor, and other cities, hundreds of innocent people were executed simply for rejecting ISIS’s ideology.
United Nations reports indicate that more than 30,000 civilians were killed by ISIS between 2014 and 2017, while approximately 70,000 others were wounded. Victims were targeted because of their religious beliefs, ethnic identity, or alleged disloyalty, and all of this savagery was justified in the name of a fabricated caliphate.
Enslavement of Women and Girls
Among ISIS’s most heinous actions was its treatment of women, particularly Yazidi women and girls who were subjected to systematic sexual enslavement. Fighters abducted them from villages and homes and sold them in slave markets. Raqqa became notorious as a hub for this trade.
Women and girls were priced according to age and perceived physical attractiveness. Some were shared among multiple fighters, and girls as young as twelve were sold. These crimes violated every moral principle and contradicted the core teachings of Islam. Survivors recount that ISIS fighters invoked the notion of jihad al-nikah to justify their actions, and anyone who objected was condemned as an apostate.
Indoctrination and Exploitation of Children
ISIS understood that the continuation of its project depended on reshaping next generations. To this end, it established training camps where children were forced to learn killing techniques, bomb-making, and even beheading. Instead of nurturing compassion, the group filled young minds with revenge, hatred, and violence. Videos later revealed children as young as ten being compelled to place their hands on the throats of executed prisoners as a way to normalize brutality.
By manipulating and militarizing children, ISIS sought to mold a new generation devoid of mercy, creating one of the bleakest humanitarian consequences of the conflict.
The Manipulation of Religion
ISIS twisted the name and symbols of Islam to pursue a political project. They selectively quoted Quranic verses and distorted their meanings in order to legitimize their violence. Concepts such as mercy, forgiveness, and human dignity had no place in their interpretation.
Anyone who opposed them was branded an infidel or an apostate, including Muslims who rejected their cruelty. In doing so, ISIS strengthened the propaganda of Islam’s enemies by presenting a distorted image of the religion before the world.
Destruction of Cultural Heritage
Beyond killing people, ISIS waged war on human civilization. In Iraq, they demolished ancient sites in Nineveh, Hatra, and Nimrud. In Syria, they ravaged the ancient city of Palmyra, a treasure of world heritage. Their goal extended beyond physical destruction and aimed to erase cultural identity and historical memory.
These acts stand among the most shocking examples of cultural genocide in recent history.
Global Response and Aftermath
As ISIS’s atrocities came to light, the international community mobilized. The United Nations, global organizations, and numerous states began coordinated efforts to confront the group. Supported by the international coalition, the Iraqi and Syrian armies gradually dismantled ISIS’s territorial control. In 2019, Baghouz in Syria, the group’s final stronghold, fell.
Intellectual and Psychological Damage
ISIS not only destroyed lives but also fractured the moral and spiritual confidence of the Muslim ummah. Their actions caused many people around the world to view Islam with suspicion, dealing a profound intellectual and psychological blow to Muslims. Their violence traumatized countless innocents, associated religion with fear, and weakened the universal values of peace and mercy.
ISIS has left a dark stain on the Islamic world and on humanity as a whole. The crimes they committed, including the enslavement of women, the indoctrination of children, mass killings, cultural destruction, and the distortion of religion, are offenses that no human conscience can tolerate.
The documentation of their atrocities now forms part of the world’s collective memory and is used in international legal proceedings. The greatest lesson from this tragedy is that extremism in any form is an enemy of humanity.
Islam is a religion built on mercy, justice, and compassion. ISIS represents a dangerous perversion of that faith. It is essential for every individual to recognize that the ideology of ISIS reflects not Islam but ignorance, oppression, and an unrestrained pursuit of power.