In September 2015, a report released by a British think tank detailed the experiences
of 58 defectors from ISIS.
Until now, many such reports have been rare because defectors are afraid to speak out,
lest they or their family be harmed.
With some new insight into the brutal practices of the terrorist group, we wanted to know,
why are ISIS recruits leaving?
Well, for about 4,000 Western recruits and many more from the Middle East and North Africa,
it’s not quite the paradise that they were promised.
Young people are tempted with offers of adventure, money, guns and glory.
One defector recounted how an ISIS recruiter in his area promised sports cars and multiple
wives.
He was also told that he could return to Turkey at any time after joining.
But many are not prepared for the harsh reality.
The lack of food, clean water, and electricity result in a quality of life that can be difficult
to cope with.
Promised luxury goods never materialize.
And the penalties for speaking out or running away are severe.
Death by decapitation is a common practice for any perceived spies or defectors.
ISIS recruits that joined primarily to support Islam and the caliphate find themselves disappointed
too.
Defectors say that corruption, racism and lies are rampant within ISIS’s leadership
and officials don’t abide by Islamic teachings.
Reports of ISIS soldiers taking young women as sexual slaves goes against what many muslim
scholars say is a “universal consensus” forbidding slavery in Islam.
Instead of fighting the Syrian government, often rebels fight amongst themselves and
other Muslims.
Defectors report that this violence seems “wrong, counterproductive and religiously
illegitimate.”
Finally, ISIS soldiers are also choosing to defect because they aren’t prepared for
the violence.
It’s reported that Westerners in particular are used as “cannon fodder” and two of
the interviewed defectors left when they were chosen to be suicide bombers.
In an NPR interview, one 26-year-old former ISIS member said, “ISIS wants to kill everyone
who says no.”
To others, the multitude of rapes and beheadings are shocking and completely contrary to the
advertised idea of the ISIS caliphate.
Reports allege that ISIS is having mounting problems with defectors and one ex-recruit
has said he prefers jail in Germany to freedom in Syria.
Global lawmakers, especially in the West, are being encouraged to protect defectors
and interview them, so that other vulnerable people can learn from their experiences.
The recent reports detailing ISIS defectors have been called a powerful tool to counter
ISIS propaganda.
One of ISIS’ most common strategies to assert power is by taking hostages.
To learn more about this process, watch this video.
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