Publication

In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015, this Issue Alert argues that the so-called Islamic State (IS) is a religious cult – i.e., an authoritarian organization which brainwashes its members to the point where mass murder and self-annihilation become not only logical, but desirable. The text's author further contends that it is its cult-like belief system which allows IS to recruit and retain members from across the globe, perform well on the battlefield, and inspire like-minded franchises to form elsewhere.