ISIS, a self-proclaimed Islamic state, is a wealthy terrorist group that defies the reputation of the Fertile Crescent. What was once the "cradle of civilization," (Fulford) is now a hotspot of ISIS terrorist activity. ISIS has begun to make headlines in the news for the continued violence that they continue to spread throughout the Middle East. Through the combination of: barbarism, military skill, strong religious beliefs, and the twisted use of social media, ISIS has become one of the most notorious terrorist groups in the world, and the actions of this group of outlaws have prompted reactions from various world leaders. If ISIS is not combatted, they could become powerful enough to wreak havoc amongst the entirety of the Middle East.
According to the New York Times, President Barack Obama considers ISIS, "A once-obscure group of Sunni militants that has now upended the Middle East and overshadowed Al Qaeda" (Cooper). After breaking away from al-Qaeda, Isis, or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, became a self-proclaimed Islamic state with the ultimate goal of restoring the caliphate. ISIS believes that if they instate Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as caliph, they will have found the proper successor to Muhammad. If ISIS succeeds, Al-Baghdadi's job will be to compel people to follow "Allah's Law", and if they refuse they will be murdered. This goal will effectively ensure that there are no more Shiites remaining in the Middle East. Currently, ISIS has captured territory occupied my more than eight million people. These territories take up a majority of Iraq and Syria, and if ISIS continues to spread their forces, "its rise will be the most significant revision of Middle East geography since national borders were set after the First World War" (Fulford). .
ISIS differs from other terrorist groups because of their wealth, their use of social media, and the overall organization of the group.