Comparing and Contrasting Boko Haram to ISIS

Terrorism has never been a new concept, as it has been perceived for a long time to be a method of violent actions by groups or individuals trying to meet particular goals. Usually, the most common goals terrorist groups try to achieve have political dimensions. The act of terrorism is more of a modus operandi rather than being an end. Hoffman (2004) once argued that all the terrorists in the world have one common denominator, which is the aspect of living in the future. They possess the strong conviction that they will triumph over their enemies and achieve their political objectives. Terrorism has been defined in many ways, all of which relate highly to the political perceptions of the definer. The acts of violence resulting from terrorism can be categorized separately, based on the identities of the perpetrators. Groups that participate in terror acts and share common beliefs may be termed by their supporters as freedom fighters. On the other hand, their enemies refer to them as terrorists. For the objective of the paper, terrorism will be perceived as a modus operandi in which planned attacks against civilians are used for gaining politically. However, it is important to note that terrorism attacks are executed for other purposes other than for political reasons. For instance, the goals for the terror acts could extend to social, economic, or national reasons. More specific to the paper, the attacks perpetrated by the two groups are usually carried out in service of extreme religious ideologies (Feldman, 2008). They can be regarding communism, fascism, or anarchism. When terrorists are motivated by religious agendas, especially when they perceive themselves to be messengers of God or Allah, they introduce the highest levels of dangers. Terrorist groups such as ISIS that are inspired by religious purposes always have no room for compromise. Their main tactic towards achieving their goals is purely based on wars. If the affected democratic states are lucky, cease-fire agreements might exist but for limited periods. The dominant type of terrorism that is dominant in the contemporary world is known as the “modern terrorism.” This is viewed as a type of psychological warfare that is intended to execute fear and anxiety on the target population. ISIS and Boko Haram are good examples of terrorist groups that display modern terrorism. The fear is interpreted into political pressure especially on the respective governments to alter specific policies to match the terrorists’ goals and objectives. Thus, groups like Boko Haram, ISIS and Al-Qaeda often force the governments to give in to their demands because of the impending economic, social, and physical impacts. As it will be seen in the discussions, terrorist groups often participate in prolonged wars of attrition thereby needing constant financial support for their activities. Over the past decades, research has indicated that terrorist groups have received funding mainly from criminal activities such as drug cartels, money laundering, smuggling, and extortion among other crimes. The start of the twenty-first century saw the unrest of global terrorism increase with the spreads of Jihad terrorism. Comprised of multifaceted hierarchal networks, proxy and associated groups, local and global networks, and radical activists, Boko Haram and ISIS have a zealous ideology to exercise violence through terrorism. 

Literature Review

This section will present an exploration of the two groups as well as the similarities and the differences in both. 

Boko Haram

Based in Nigeria, Boko Haram is a radical Islamist group whose goals and objectives are shaped by poor governance, poverty, and marginalization in the North. In a publication written by Onuoha (2012) titled, Boko Haram: Nigeria Extremist Islamic Sect, he reasoned that there has been constant divide between the Northern and Southern part of Nigeria because of political marginalization. Besides, there has been persistent corruption, recurrent ethnic and sectarian conflicts. Putting these dynamics together, they represent an erosion of social trust and widespread dislike for the government, which contribute to recruitments from extremists. The founder of the movement was known as Mohammed Yusuf who was expelled by his mentor in 2002 from Ndimi and Daggash mosques because of his extreme Muslim ideologies (Onuoha, 2010). Yusuf decided to create his mosque and school that targeted primary and secondary school children into abandoning the Western culture, which he regarded as sinful. Simply, the group name “Boko” means western education and “Haram” refers to something sinful or indecent. Hence, the group name means that western education is sinful. By lecturing the radical sermons against the Muslims and the government, Yusuf attracted a large crowd of believers who shared his sentiments. The movement combines sectarian and radical Islamic ideologies with violence. The stated goal of the movement is to create a Sharia state, with little interests in the economic development in the Northern part of Nigeria. Moreover, the group is founded on fundamentalist Wahhabi spiritual system. It dismisses the conventional Islam, which is liberal. 

Unlike the Al-Qaeda group and its associations, Boko Haram particularly focuses on Nigeria and the neighbouring countries instead of worldwide jihad. The political life in Nigeria revolves around patronage-clientage networks, and spiritual and tribal loyalties overpower those of the nation (Dockins, 2014). There exists a significant continuity between the military and civilian reign, especially when it comes to the alienation of the government from the citizens it is supposed to govern. Research in the early 1990s indicates that the percentage of Muslims to Christians was twenty-six and one respectively. The remaining population in the country stuck with the traditional religions. However, towards the mid of the twentieth century, Christianity spontaneously grew in the southern regions and the central part of the country (Jenkins, 2007). 

ISIS

Known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or Da’esh, the group was disbanded from Al-Qaeda affiliations because they became too extreme and had different ideologies. ISIS was established in 1999 by Musab al-Zarqawi who received his training from Afghanistan as a jihadist. The relationship between Musab al-Zarqawi and Osama bin Laden during these periods were awkward and peevish. This was because of the personal and class differences they had as he was from a poor background and Osama were from a rich background. In 2003, Zarqawi became prominent in the regions because of the personal cruelty and successes he registered in his wars. He often termed himself to be full of deceit, called himself as the lurking snake and the malicious scorpion. By default, it is considered to assume the role of operational command and authority of the international jihadist movement thereby dominating Al-Qaeda Central (AQC). ISIS has control over a large population, especially in Iraq and Syria. Moreover, it has established a sectarian army with more than thirty-five thousand combatants by the help of local insurgencies in Iraq and Syria and foreign recruits. ISIS goes beyond being a terrorist group and extends to being fully active military operation. They hold the radical translation of Islam being a political philosophy and attempts to inflict that worldview by force on the Muslims as well as the non-Muslims. The Islamic state has often proclaimed to be the legitimate leaders of the entire Sunni Muslims in the world. They perceive their territorial bases to state comprising of large swaths in Syria and Iraq, under the governance of Raqqa in Syria. 

In an article written by Tran (2014) for the Guardian newspaper, he describes ISIS as a new representation of jihadism and a new centre-stage in regional security. The current state of security in the Arabic countries and dominant sectarianism is strengthened majorly by the geostrategic rivalry between the Shia of Iran and Sunni of Saudi Arabia. Over the years, ISIS has threatened the peaceful coexistence of Arabic countries. The current leadership of ISIS is under the Islamic Caliphate with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as the caliph. 

Similarities between Boko Haram and ISIS

In the contemporary world, Boko Haram has been constantly compared to ISIS because of the current attacks affecting the democratic states. As it seems, the two groups have learnt lessons from each other since most times they replicate the activities and the practices of each other. However, there has never been any substantiating evidence connecting the two groups. This section will give certain similarities shared by the two groups by looking into the organizational structure, Islam ideology, and tactical operations.

Organizational structure

Both the groups have declared a caliphate. The concept of caliphate purports that all Muslims must agree to follow one specific leader. The caliph of Boko Haram is Abubakar Shekau, whereas the caliph of ISIS is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (Schwart, 2015). Security concern limits the appearances of the caliphs in public. The caliph of Boko Haram has appointed leaders capable of preaching Wahhabi Islam. Even though there is an existence of a caliphate in Boko Haram, the activities of the group are not limited to specific states like that of the ISIS. There is no specific territory rendered for Boko Haram, but they tend to spread their activities in almost every part of the country. When it comes to Baghdadi, after his proclamation as the caliph, he appointed a group of advisers, ministers, and army commanders to control the caliphate. The ISIS caliphate has a hierarchy of commanders who have different sets of responsibilities. This was discovered after a flash disk was retrieved from a member’s house during a raid by the Iraq military.

Islam Ideology

Both groups are driven by strong Islam ideologies, as they believe that the Islamic law or sharia should be imposed on everyone. You cannot differentiate between religion and state. According to them, anything or anyone that compromises or gets in the way of this ideology should be destroyed or killed. Boko Haram and ISIS perceived violence not to be a perversion of Islam, but it is the only form of justice to achieve a sacred end. Boko Haram goal revolves Islamization of the Nigerian societies in all aspects, be it politically, socially, and economically. Their ideology was channeled towards establishing a “pure” society where only Islam could be expressed. In fact, Boko Haram has been known to execute Muslims who are perceived to be more tolerant, especially those living among Christians in the Southern region. They expect an extreme display of Islamic ideologies. On the other hand, ISIS or the Islamic state have executed Muslims perceived to be weak or do not follow the true Islamic religion.

Operational Tactics

Boko Haram and ISIS perform their operations through the sectarian wars, which they achieve through kidnapping, killing people, and extortion. Public and televised killings and tortures are some of the ways used by the terror groups to intimidate people and exercise their control. A display of extreme violence to their enemies assists them in spreading the propaganda of fear. Just like the Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and the Islamic state is known for showing traumatizing videos when conducting individual execution or mass killings. Moreover, another common tactic used by the two groups is the use of online messaging to capture the attention of billions of online users by instilling fear in them. 

Funding of Operations

A keen analysis of the operations of the two groups indicates that they require many resources, which require sufficient and constant funding. The income of these terror groups originates from extortion, oil smuggling, kidnapping, and secret funding from their affiliate groups. Boko Haram kidnapped many Nigerian girls and demanded ransom amidst another list of demands. Besides, they have resolved into many bank robberies over the years to supplement its resources. According to Dockins (2014), terrorism in Nigeria is affordable. The knowledge on explosives is common and widespread especially because of the several mining industries. More often, the vehicles that are used to stage attacks and drop bombs are usually stolen. Terrorists in Nigeria have managed to sabotage different governmental, military operations and armories, thereby accessing these weapons with ease. Since ISIS is a bigger corporation than Boko Haram is because its operations spread widely, it requires massive funding. As of now, it is considered the wealthiest terror group in the world (http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-worlds-richest-terrorist-group-2014-8).

Recruitment and Membership

Boko Haram and ISIS utilize both voluntary and forceful approaches for recruitments. Individuals who decide to join the terror groups out of the own will may be motivated by different ideological and religious reasons. Other recruits within these groups are encouraged by the family members and friends. Brainwashing is also a common recruitment strategy between the two groups. More often, young adults and children in the society recruited. In the past years, Boko Haram and Islamic states have employed the tactic of financial incentives to lure young men into joining their camps. For instance in Nigeria, the gang situated in Diffa testified that Boko Haram was constantly recruiting youths by giving them or promising them money (Dockins, 2014). Since the marginalization, state in Northern Nigeria had increased and a majority of the youths were unemployed, many resolved to join Boko Haram. 

On the other hand, the raids conducted by Boko Haram and ISIS across villages in Nigeria and town in Syria and Iraq respectively, led to forceful recruitment of individuals. The kidnapped people were forced to either join the groups or provide other forms of support to the group. 

Differences between Boko Haram and ISIS

Even though these two groups share similar aspects, they also have varied number of differences. This section will explore the differences existing between the terror groups.

Operational scope

Boko Haram operations are focused on the North- Eastern part of Nigeria, the Borno state but it has exhibited nationwide reach over the years. In some instance, Boko Haram has conducted occasional attacks on neighbouring countries like in the borders of Cameroon and Niger (Onuoha, 2012). It is logical to state that Boko Haram specifically focuses on Nigeria Conversely, ISIS is predominant in Syria and Iraq as this was their original base. Unlike Boko Haram, Islamic State has a large sectarian army and dominates a large scope all over the world. Their effects have been felt in many places all over the world, as they are not limited to the Arabic countries. ISIS have extended their activities across borders and conducted attacks in countries such as France. France was the latest attack by the ISIS. ISIS is a global terror group with members and new recruits suspected to be all over the globe. Even though the two terror groups have been linked together, there has been no enough evidence to prove that they work together. However, there have been increased speculations about the influence of Islamic State on the activities of Boko Haram since all of them are jihadists.

Goals

Even though the two groups share the same Islamic ideologies, their formation and establishments were based on entirely two different views. For instance, Boko Haram was formed to kill out any western culture that was imposed on the Nigerians. Secondly, the economic and social condition in the Northern part of Nigeria did not impress Boko Haram. Hence, there terror activities acted as channels to send messages to the government to seek for better services. However, it should be noted that the second goal was more of a justification for their violent behaviors. Yusuf and his counterparts opted to use the redistributionist economic approach that rejected the existing socio-political hierarchy. Boko Haram rejected the western education because the Christian missionaries introduced it. The leaders thought that it the education was a strategy to camouflage the true religion, which was Islam and convert all the Muslims. Even though the terror group prohibited western education, Yusuf agreed to particular concepts such as engineering and technical studies. In an interrogation by the Nigerian police, Yusuf was seen quoting...” no soul should be allowed to acquire information that is parallel to Islam teachings. All knowledge that opposes Islam is banned by the Almighty (Mohammed, 2010).” Simply, the short-term and long-term goals of Boko Haram revolve around making Nigeria an Islamic society regarding politics, economics, and social aspects.

On the contrary, the Islamic state had different goals, and they will be categorized as short-term and long-term goals. First, the short-term goal of ISIS is to integrate the areas under its jurisdiction and take over more regions in Syria and Iraq. One primary tactic that ISIS has used to achieve this goal is to advance its sectarian wars in Iraq between the Sunnis and Shiites. Over the years, they have planned massacres on the Shiites because they feel that they do not deserve to live. Secondly, their medium-term goal is to expand their territorial jurisdiction across the neighbouring Sunni countries. Critics have argued that the long-term goal of ISIS is to dominate the entire world and impose Islamic religion on non-believers and Christians. 

Organizational Structure

As discussed earlier, the two groups are under the leadership of caliphs, but the hierarchal systems differ. For instance, since Boko Haram is mostly condensed in the Northern part of Nigeria, the caliph has a few members in his team to take control of the activities within the state. The size of Boko Haram is not known. However, according to the Leadership (2013), its operatives are at least five hundred in number, indicating that it have many associates and side affiliations. 

Conversely, the organizational structure of ISIS is more systematic as compared to that of Boko Haram. For instance, just below the caliphates, two deputies are governing Syria and Iraq respectively. An active cabinet comprising of ministers with different roles and powers exists. The hierarchy also comprises of the department of security, transport, and treasury. More specifically, there is a ministry set up for foreign jihad fighters. They assist in monitoring the logistics and challenges that arise in the war. Moving down the hierarchy, there are governors appointed to govern specific states in the ISIS territories. Unlike the Boko Haram who has not established any capital to command their operations, Islamic states have acquired Raqqa city, which serves as their de facto capital. In its territories, ISIS operates many services such as providing healthcare and education. They also maintain law and order through courts exercising Sharia laws. These ISIS states are characterized by gender segregation, as all women must wear burqa whenever they are in public. 

Finances

Since Boko Haram concentrated in smaller regions, their expenditures are less compared to the ISIS. The Islamic state is considered one of the richest terror groups in the world. Its operations cover bigger regions in the world, and it has over one million members worldwide. This means that their expenditure will increase to meet the rising demands. Moreover, they have faced many counter attacks as compared to the Boko Haram forcing them to re-strategize spontaneously. Such decisions usually require huge amounts of money.

Discussion

Terrorist groups are often difficult to dismantle. Even in the process of killing a prominent leader, they always have ways to bounce back, regroup and even come back stronger. This concept can be understood by the motto of the Islamic State that says, “Remaining and expanding.” Most terrorist groups usually aim towards the same agenda. The most common messages that most terrorist groups tend to pass to the victims include uncertainty, vulnerability, helplessness, personalization, and vengeance. Boko Haram and ISIS usually plan their attacks randomly instilling fear in people. According to Horgan and Boyle (2008), this fear should make people afraid and follow their ideologies to be on the safer side. For terrorists to ensure that fear exists in people, they conduct lethal attacks on their attacks in such a way that the public will remain traumatized. As stated by Crenshaw (1998) while talking about a review in the history of terrorism, terrorist and terrorist groups often go for unpredictable targets to capture the attention of the media. Therefore, the media acts as a strong strategic point for terrorists even if they do not realize it. With no media coverage, the terrorists will be incapable of conveying their messages. Laquer (1987) stated that news anchors and camera operators are terrorists’ best friends. 

The concept of terrorism is a dynamic phenomenon that progresses over time, changing its scope and activities. Boko Haram was initially based in Northern Nigeria, but now it has extended to neighbouring countries. Consequently, ISIS was originally in Syria and Iraq, but now it has become a worldwide terror group. All terror groups are driven by different ideologies. The two groups share more similarities than differences. More specifically, major differences lie in the organizational structure of the two groups. Additionally, ISIS is more widespread in its activities as compared to Boko Haram and is often regarded as a worldwide terror group. The past centuries have seen local terrorist become motivated by national or state grievances or other separatist objectives. However, the major threat stems from radical Islamic terrorism with a primary objective of imposing a radical religious worldview (Hoffman, 2006). Such terrorist groups are considered more dangerous than those who are motivated by other reasons. Terror acts often leave the affected states with serious economic, political, and social ramifications. Many people die in terror attacks; the economic situation is slowed down; people become fearful with increased mistrust on fellow citizens. To date, there have been no effective methods to counter impending terror attacks. However, affected governments and the United States have strived to come up with ways to slow them or counter their activities before they happen. Mostly, this includes the use of national intelligence, just like the one, which was used to trace, capture, and kill Osama Bin Laden. It is also important to acknowledge the role of the media in enhancing or preventing terror attacks and activities. 

References

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