Syrian former rebel commander, August 2015. Alexander Zemlianichenko / Press Association. All rights reserved.In discussions around why young Syrian men join armed groups (such as ISIS or Jabhat al-Nusra) in Syria, it often boils down to two main theories: that of sectarianism, the ancient, seemingly perpetual divide between Sunni and Shia Muslims, or that of Islam being a ‘religion of violence’.
But what both these arguments fail to explain is why most young Syrians do not join in the fighting. And for the ones that do – why religion is, at most, often a secondary concern. There have been few attempts to speak to young Syrian men themselves and to understand their particular expectations, motivations, needs and vulnerabilities in the wake of the ongoing war in their country.
International Alert and its local partners in parts of Syria, Turkey and Lebanon recently spoke to a number of these men, revealing that a lack of access to basic human needs - not only food and shelter, but also the feelings of purpose and self-worth – was the most powerful motivator for wanting to join armed groups.
