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Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/15/opinion/living-under-the-sword-of-isis-in-syria.html?ref=opinion
Living Under the Sword of ISIS in Syria
(New York Times) Marwan Hisham - Raqqa, since 2014 the de facto capital of the Islamic State, is my hometown. Many Raqqa residents are stuck there as the town becomes the No. 1 target for airstrikes by the American-led coalition. Many Raqqa residents face the additional problem of keeping their sons from being sucked into the fighting. I've seen first-hand that for Raqqa's teenagers, the Islamic State's ideology has zero appeal. What they want is its money and its guns. Not counting bonuses, a fighter starts out earning about $200 a month - more than a family needs to live. He gets additional money for wives, children, slaves and provisions, raising his potential monthly income to more than $500. If he applies for a house, the Islamic State will hand him the keys within two months. These young men want to be listened to when they speak, and feared. These motives - "respect," cash and guns - are turning ordinary young people into murderers. Minorities are persecuted and virtually every day people are whipped or executed in the streets, accused of violating Shariah law or of being spies. The Islamic State gives people one choice: Escape your poverty by fighting for us.