Laws and Syrian Conflict

The New Paper

19 September 2014

Several countries are examining laws that would prevent its citizens from leaving to join the Syrian conflict.

And Britain, which has the largest number of foreign recruits in ISIS’ ranks, wants laws to prevent them from returning.

It also wants the power to revoke the citizenship of those who hold dual citizenship.

All this is in response to the Sunni extremist group’s power in recruiting foreign fighters.

There are about 12,000 foreign fighters involved in the three-year-old Syrian conflict, which has now spilled over into Iraq.

Dr Rohan Gunaratna of Singapore’s International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research said ISIS “has attracted many radical Muslims who believe they are joining because they are answering a call by God, but this view is not shared by a majority of Muslims here.”

Categories: