Examining recent ISIS developments and global impact
At the end of February, the identity of Jihadi John, the infamous masked member of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), was confirmed by U.S. intelligence officials as Mohammed Emwazi.
Emwazi gained infamy through a series of beheading propaganda videos for ISIS, with his victims including James Foley, an American journalist, Steven Sitloff, an American-Israeli journalist, David Haines and Alan Henning, both British Aid workers, Peter Kassig, an American Aid worker, Haruna Yukawa, a Japanese private military contractor, and Kenji Goto Jogo, a Japanese journalist.
Emwazi was born in Kuwait, but was raised in London, England, and was known to have connections with terrorist cells as early as 2005 in the London bomb plot. Emwazi was also identified with terrorist activity in Somalia in 2009.
With his identity now confirmed, intelligence services are looking to further examine Emwazi’s past connections. Many now hope that, with his identity revealed, the fear that Jihadi John created can be calmed, as people turn their attention towards Emwazi.
ISIS also recently continued their path of destruction in the city of Mosul, Iraq, where they targeted the destruction of multiple ancient artifacts, shrines, relics, and books. These historical artifacts were targeted because ISIS believed them to represent idols which provided messages against the messages of the Qur’an.
In a video posted to ISIS social media accounts, capturing the Mosul destruction, one man proclaims: “Our prophet ordered us to remove all these statues, as his followers did when they conquered nations.”
Many of the artifacts destroyed belonged to the Assyrian Empire, and the destruction at the hands of ISIS was targeted at those who would take pride in this nation’s land and history. By destroying these sites, ISIS has sent a clear message: the only pride allowed is that which one can find in following the ISIS version of Islam.
With ISIS continuing their rampage in the Middle East, the West is increasing attempts to target their supporters – many of whom reside in the developed nations of the West. Canada has not been excluded in these movements, with the Conservative Party putting forward their anti-terrorism act, Bill C-51.
The bill has taken heat from the NDP, many media reporters, and academics such as Craig Forcese, a law professor at the University of Ottawa. Focese believes that Bill C-51 may be used against democratic protests, such as protests by Aboriginal groups or protesters targeting pipelines.
Forcese also argues in a Vimeo podcast that this legislation will potentially allow the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) the power to “take measures, within or outside Canada, to reduce (very broadly defined) threats to the security of Canada.
This may be possible under the bill, as the borad way that the “security of Canada” is defined – to include any unlawful activity, including certain protests without permits – could prove problematic.
Bill C-51 is currently set to face a series of nine committee meetings, though the NDP believes that nine is not enough, citing the series of 18 committee meetings to discuss the Liberal anti-terrorism from 2001, Bill C-36.
In the end, Bill C-51 is likely to be altered, but to what degree remains yet unclear. The truth of the matter is that terrorism is a threat that the West is not entirely sure how to handle.