Late last week, Great Britain launched an urgent hunt for three girls — Shamima Begum, 15, Kadiza Sultana, 16, and an unidentified 15-year-old friend — who left home Tuesday and flew to Turkey, apparently en route to join Islamic State in Syria. Family members pleaded with the young women to return home, but the case also prompted a look at how ISIS attracts young Western women to join its cause, and why girls 15 and younger heed that call.
According to a report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, up to 550 females have left the West to join ISIS, including some 50 from Britain. So, "why do they go?" Duke law professor Jayne Huckerby tells the New York Post. "In many cases it's the same reason as men": Adventure, alienation at home, even attraction to the brutal violence. Dr. Erin Saltman at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue elaborates in an interview with BBC News. Watch below. —Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
'No war is good'Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
-
The Week Unwrapped: will the US end child marriage?Podcast Why some states have no lower limit on marriage age, plus Black maternal health and the price of olive oil
-
Perplexity AI: has Google finally met its match?In The Spotlight Generative AI start-up provides fast, Wikipedia-like responses to search queries
-
Israel proposes two-month pause in Gaza war in exchange for all Hamas hostagesSpeed Read Deal doesn't include an agreement to end war, but might be 'the only path that could lead to a ceasefire', said US officials
-
Nato official warns of all-out war with Russia in next 20 yearsSpeed Read Civilians must prepare for life-changing conflict and mass mobilisation, says military chief
-
Rishi Sunak visits Kyiv to announce £2.5 billion in military support for UkraineSpeed Read Surprise trip comes amid increased Russian bombardment and escalation of Middle East crisis
-
British warship repels 'largest Houthi attack to date' in the Red SeaSpeed read Western allies warn of military response to Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels if attacks on ships continue
-
Israel preparing to flood Hamas tunnels with seawaterSpeed Read IDF pumps could drive out terrorists but critics warn of danger to hostages and Gaza water supply
-
Houthi rebels claim Red Sea ship attacksspeed read Iran-backed Yemeni group vows to escalate aggression towards Israel-linked vessels in revenge for Gaza war
-
Israel plans next phase of Gaza war as first hostages releasedSpeed read After four-day ceasefire 'we will not stop' until destruction of Hamas, says Israel
-
Mob storms Russian airport 'looking for Jews'Speed Read Plane from Israel surrounded by rioters chanting antisemitic slogans after landing in Russia's Dagestan region
