CAIRO (Sputnik) – The Islamic State (ISIL) jihadist group will soon shift its recruitment focus from the Arab region to the Caucasus, Central Asia and Indonesia, a report by the Egyptian flagship body for religious legal research said in a report.
"After the beginning of the ideological and armed war with the Islamic State by the Arab world… the group is changing its recruitment strategies and expands from the Middle East, is looking for new safer regions for attracting new recruits disguising themselves with religion and slogans for protection of Islam and Muslims," the Egyptian House of Fatwa said in the report seen by RIA Novosti.
The extremist group does not seek to expand its caliphate in those regions, according to the report, only ensuring an influx of new followers.
ISIL took over large parts of Syria and Iraq and proclaimed a caliphate, and many groups around the world have claimed allegiance to it. The group actively uses social media networks to attract new followers.
Indonesia, alongside Malaysia, is homeland of the largest percentage of IS fighters originating from Southeast Asia. According to local media, over 350 Indonesians joined the group in 2013-2014.
