What´s Isis And The Lonely Young American?

Isis and the Lonely Young American is an interview done by New York Times about a girl who decided to convert to Islam. She goes by the name Alex to protect her identity. After the American journalist James Foley was beheaded by the Islamic State, Alex goes online to understand the reasoning behind their horrific acts. There, she met dozens of people who answered her questions. They were kind and accepting, introducing her to other Muslims online. One of the people she came into contact with was a man named Faisal. Faisal and her other newfound friends spent thousands of hours talking to Alex about the faith. Faisal alone talked to her for hours every single day. He sent her books about Islam, and the role women played in the religion. He sent her money and candy. He then promised her something he knew she was missing. He promised her community. Whether or not he was sincere, we do not know, but his actions were practically taken straight out of a recruitment pamphlet. He exploited her need for companionship and love and offered her a family. He introduced her to other Muslims online, some of whom are openly or believed to be involved with the Islamic State. Faisal himself has been acquitted of bomb plots twice in Britain, and he was accused of running a bomb …show more content…
They defended the murder of a journalist. Alex claims to dream of living with the militants. In her interview, Alex defends the Islamic State, but admits that she doesn’t know for a fact that her defense is the truth. Faisal told her she should not attend services in America because of the prejudice people often have against Muslims. This only further isolated her in her own community. She does not know any Muslims other than the ones she met online, and she cannot take the opportunity to meet any for fear of persecution. She was alone and open to new ideas, and people took advantage of