Muslim terrorism and radicalization have been topics of increasing concern in the West since the beginning of the 21st century. The rise of the Islamic State, commonly referred to as ISIS, which...Show moreMuslim terrorism and radicalization have been topics of increasing concern in the West since the beginning of the 21st century. The rise of the Islamic State, commonly referred to as ISIS, which experienced a rapid and unexpected development after 2014, increased these widespread concerns related to Muslim terrorism and radicalization. This thesis tackles these topics from the perspective of France, a country that has been hardly hit by ISIS since 2014. Thus, the aim of this paper is to analyze how the Islamic State, and Muslim terrorism more broadly, have influenced the making of the French counter-terrorist apparatus. This research provides a detailed overview and analysis of the concrete impact of these phenomena on the French counter-terrorist apparatus, and delves into the role played by key counter-terrorist actors through the preemptive and reactive measures that have been taken in order to counter the Islamic State. Further, this research looks at the implications of the dynamics existing between the Islamic State and France, and investigates the resulting limitations that affect France's counter-terrorist system, in terms of overall efficiency and, more importantly, regarding the respect of fundamental human rights. This paper suggests that further research should be conducted on this topic, in order to gain a proper understanding of the processes and dynamics that are at play in the elaboration of counter-terrorist measures aimed at providing appropriate answers to existing and upcoming threats.Show less
The number of residents of Nordic countries, who have joined the contemporary conflicts of Iraq and Syria as foreign fighters, is high in relation to their populations. While most of these...Show moreThe number of residents of Nordic countries, who have joined the contemporary conflicts of Iraq and Syria as foreign fighters, is high in relation to their populations. While most of these individuals have indeed travelled to the conflict zones to become foreign fighters in the ranks of ISIS or other Islamist groups, there are also Nordic residents who have joined factions fighting against the Islamists. This thesis studies the background factors and motivational reasons in becoming a foreign fighter of 26 individuals from Nordic countries in Kurdish factions in the conflicts of Iraq and Syria, combining both primary and secondary sources in the research and linking the findings of the research into existing literature in the emerging field of foreign fighter studies.Show less
