My mind finds it challenging to comprehend what appeal apocalyptic thinking has for some people. Webster defines it as, "relating to or involving terrible violence and destruction."
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apocalyptic
In reference to the appeal this thinking has on ISIS, Peter Bergen of CNN has an idea. He explains that they see themselves involved in a violent war between good and evil. "ISIS members devoutly believe that they are fighting in a cosmic war in which they are on the side of good, which allows them to kill anyone they perceive to be standing in their way with no compunction." You can read his article here: http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/16/opinion/bergen-isis-enemies/index.html
This ISIS view is based on apocalyptic writings in the Koran they select to justify their cause. But, Islamic scholars say the view ISIS holds is wrong. In fact, one scholar, Nihad Alwad, executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), announced that 120 Islamic scholars had produced an 18 page document for ISIS leader, Abu Bakr al-Bagh, in Arabic explaining in great detail why they are wrong. He also says Graeme Wood in his ATLANTIC article
on ISIS was wrong to say they are Islamic. here is Wood's article:
http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2015/02/what-isis-really-wants/384980/?ref=t.co&mrefid=walkingheader)
Alwad says ISIS not only does not represent Islam, it isn't Muslim at all!
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/02/americas-most-prominent-muslim-says-the-atlantic-is-doing-pr-for-isis/
So we have Muslim scholars telling ISIS they are wrong and they aren't representing Muslims at all.
And that is what our President also believes and tells the world.
The President's Summit on Counter Terrorism sought to address the root causes for the appeal ISIS has to disenfranchised people all over the world who leave their homelands or try at least to join up with ISIS.
Here's a video link for President Obama's comments: http://www.c-span.org/video/?324398-104/president-obama-remarks-countering-violent-extremism
Can ISIS be defeated? In our Congress, we have hard liners insisting we must supply troops if it's ever going to happen. Our President maintains that it is the Iraq's job to fight ISIS. Kurdish fighters recently afforded ISIS a major defeat in north-east Syria. This victory over nearly 1,000 ISIS fighters seems to show what can be done with determined fighters and American air strikes.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/war-with-isis-the-kurdish-forces-providing-a-lesson-in-how-courage-discipline-and-us-air-strikes-can-defeat-militants-in-syria-10271351.html
In February, President Obama in a speech on war with ISIS declared that we should, "Make no mistake, this is a difficult mission and it will remain difficult for some time, ... It will take time to dislodge these terrorists, especially from urban areas. But our coalition is on the offensive. ISIL is on the defensive, and ISIL is going to lose." http://www.ibtimes.com/full-text-obama-isis-war-speech-islamic-state-terrorists-are-going-lose-president-1813394
These extremists believe they can force God's hand and bring about the end of the world.
To assert that ISIS isn't Islamic is a logical fallacy. It doesn't matter if that fallacy is put forth by scholars or presidents, it's still a retread of the No true Scotsman fallacy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_true_Scotsman. Yes, ISIS is Islamic, but its not monolithic. Nobody speaks universally for Islam, just as nobody speaks for any of the other religions. To call them un Islamic is an attempt to distance the moderate from the radical. It would be just as dishonest to try to assert that the Conquistadors weren't Christian because modern Christians disagree with their reprehensible actions or that Jim Crow segregationists weren't acting on their own interpretation of their bible.
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