Joining the sex jihad

Fundamentalist clerics are encouraging women to hook up with lonely Syrian militants

Syrian Islamist fighter
(Image credit: (REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi))

The jihadists fighting on the frontlines of the Syrian civil war are the rock stars of fundamentalist Islam. Fans make internet videos compiling their greatest hits, and Islamist-run TV stations extol the fighters' manliness and fighting prowess.

And just like rock stars, these religious fanatics also attract groupies.

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Theunis Bates is a senior editor at The Week's print edition. He has previously worked for Time, Fast Company, AOL News and Playboy.