MOSCOW, October 24 (RIA Novosti) — The Islamic State (IS) militant group is comparing itself to the Disneyland theme parks, as more young Westerners are joining the organization, al-Arabiya reported Friday.
According to reports obtained by the news agency, IS militants say their state is similar to Disneyland because children want to join the IS as much as they want to go to Disneyland.
European media reports suggest that dozens of teens from Europe, some as young as 13 years old, are leaving home to join the Sunni jihadist group. Boys want to fight alongside the militants and girls, to marry fighters, while some of them are being lured with promises of opportunities for humanitarian work. For example, in September, Norway's The Local reported that some 10 youths under 18 left the country to assist the IS in their fight.
Up to 10 percent of Europeans leaving for Syria to join the IS are young women who are recruited via popular social networks or dating websites, according to The Guardian. The newspaper says that 25 percent of European IS recruits are from France.
The IS, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June, the extremist group expanded its attacks to northern and western Iraq and declared an Islamic caliphate on the territories that had fallen under its control.
The US State Department estimates that some 12,000 foreigners from more than 50 countries are fighting alongside IS militants in the Middle East, being drawn by propaganda that is largely targeted at young people.
During a video conference held mid-October, the heads of France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States vowed to curb the IS propaganda machine with a stronger message of their own.
