Global Islamism Monitor: No. 7

IN SYRIA, A SINISTER SYNERGY
Even though they are on the opposite sides of Syria's grinding civil war, the regime of Bashar al-Assad and the Islamic State appear to be collaborating - at least tactically. That's the charge being leveled by Syrian opposition forces, who say that the Syrian regime is "essentially collaborating" with the terrorist group by allowing it to operate unhindered as it fights other opposition forces. Most notably, the Syrian air force has carried out sorties against rebels in parallel with the Islamic State's combat activities, making it, in the words of one Syrian opposition leader, "an air force for ISIS." It's an allegation that is echoed by official U.S. estimates. "Reports indicate that the regime is making airstrikes in support of #ISIL's advance on #Aleppo, aiding extremists against Syrian population," the U.S. Embassy in Syria has confirmed via social media. (New York Times, June 2, 2015)

ISIS MAKES INROADS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA...
Leaders in Southeast Asia are raising the alarm over the region's position as a major hub for ISIS recruiting. At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in late May, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told attendees that Southeast Asia has become "a key recruitment center for ISIS." "ISIS has so many Indonesian and Malaysia fighters," Lee warned, "that they form a unit by themselves - the Katibah Nusantara - Malay Archipelago Combat Unit." Therefore, although Lee termed the Islamic State's avowed goal of establishing a province of its "caliphate" in Southeast Asia a "grandiose, pie-in-the-sky dream," local officials warn that the group could exploit swathes of ungoverned space to gain a serious foothold in the region, with devastating effects for security. (Bloomberg View, May 29, 2015)

...WHILE ISLAMISM FLOURISHES IN CENTRAL ASIA
Southeast Asia is not the only region where Islamists are making serious gains. The recent defection of Tajikistan's former special forces chief, Gulmurod Khalimov, to join the ranks of the Islamic State has renewed discourse among experts regarding the influence of the group and its ideological rivals in the region. Between 1,500 and 4,000 Central Asians are now estimated to have joined various militant groups in Syria, including between 300 and 400 citizens each from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. (BBC, June 2, 2015)

AMONG THE OIC NATIONS, THE START OF A STRATEGY
The Islamic world is inching closer to a cooperative strategy against violent extremism. In the Organization for Islamic Cooperation's most recent Foreign Ministers Meeting, which took place in Kuwait in late May, attendees from the bloc's 57 member states discussed how best to counter the global influence of groups like ISIS, Boko Haram, and the Taliban. The general strategy that emerged from the gathering included a focus on addressing extremist narratives through "religiously sound counter-messaging," as well as socioeconomic issues that are often exploited in recruiting for militant Islamist groups. "Sustainable long-term solutions require stronger civil society engagement, the need to utilize religiously sound counter-messaging and to address socio-economic challenges like unemployment that extremist recruiters exploit." OIC Secretary General Aiyad Ameen Madani has said. (Riyadh Al Arabiya, May 25, 2015)

THE DUTCH VERSUS THE VEIL
The Netherlands is adopting a new measure partially prohibiting Islamic dress. The Dutch cabinet has just approved a bill authorizing a partial ban on the wearing of the Islamic face-covering veil in public places such as schools, hospitals, and public buildings. Under the measure, the accessory would still be allowed on the nation's streets - making it less extensive than France's so-called "burqa ban." Dutch officials like Prime Minister Mark Rutte are standing behind the measure, claiming that it aims to balance "[p]eople's freedom to wear the clothes they want and the importance of mutual and recognizable communication." (International Business Times, May 23, 2015)

HOW BRITISH JIHADIS NOW FIND THEIR WAY TO THE SYRIAN FRONT
Foreign Fighters from the United Kingdom bound for Syria are taking advantage of battlefield gains by the Islamic State in Libya and using the North African nation as a transit point. "We are seeing more and more taking the route across the Mediterranean to Libya; it's becoming established," London's Guardiannewspaper cites an unnamed source as saying. "When they get there they are looked after. You can even follow some of them on Facebook going through Italy." The increased Islamic State presence in Libya, where the group recently seized the city of Sirte, has led to the creation a new route between Europe and Syria via migrant boats across the Mediterranean. (Riyadh Al Arabiya, May 24, 2015)