Why Attack Paris?

The recent terrorist attacks in Paris, described by French President Hollande as an attack on the values of democracy and civility, were shocking and horrifying, yet were they inevitable or to be expected? No matter what may be thought about it, ISIS is a formidable enemy whose movement forward will not stop until a significant counter force is in place to stop it.

There are various opinions regarding the motives for this attack. Some say it was caused by unrest in the Parisian banlieues, revenge for bombings stones sharp accountants in Syria, inadequate intelligence because of encryption. Some even blame the attack on Ed Snowden.

Others believe the reasons for the attacks are rooted in the fact that ISIS has been losing ground in Syria and Iraq. Success in containing ISIS on its own territory has made the group more dangerous on an international scale. The more losses ISIS suffers on the battlefield the more it may move toward international terror attacks such as the one in Paris.

For a realistic attempt to be made in understanding the motives stones sharp of ISIS, it is important to know exactly what this movement represents.

Much of what ISIS does appears to make little sense to the rest of the world. What must be understood is the group's devotion to the idea of bringing the world back into the 17th century in preparation for an apocalypse. As per conversations, ISIS leaders and members are clear that they will only strictly abide by the Prophet Muhammad's earliest teachings.

Contrary to what is thought by many, ISIS is not just a band of bloodthirsty lunatics. They are strict Islamists. Of course ISIS has its share of madmen, but the primary tenet of this group is a deeply religious one. The Islamic State is essentially stones sharp accountants waiting to defeat the army of "Rome" and bring about the apocalypse. The group's extreme violence stems from its core belief that it must cleanse the world by killing massive numbers of people.

A great mistake has been made by nations in not understanding that al-Qaeda and ISIS are quite different. ISIS departs from al-Qaeda in the earnestness with which it devotes itself to medieval traditions that have not been considered for over 200 years. Crucifixions, beheadings and slavery are simply part of that tradition.