Global Counter Movements: ISIL as an Anti-Globalization Movement

Polanyi’s discussion of anti-globalization movements mentions the various different ways that globalization is changing interactions, one of which is the changing social relations. ISIL, according to Polanyi’s definition, is very much an instance of an anti-globalization movement, going against the loss of community and non-Western identity (in this case, Muslim identity). In this context, the creation of ISIL, and the draw of foriengers to join the cause of creating a united Islamic State with a strong identity (very contrary to the loss of cultural identity and community of the globalized world) is understandable. This article from Aljazeera explains how the loss of meaningful social connections and the denial of differences of identity caused by the globalization project allows the creation and draw of ISIL. By examining a Belgian recruit’s experience, it is evident that the ramifications of globalization is present across the globale, not just the Global South. It supports the notion of what positive efforts to “combat extremism” can look like:

“Finding the right mix of punitive and preventive measures has proved challenging for the authorities. But social workers and policymakers in the town of Vilvoorde, near Brussels, believe they have found an effective balance. Although 28 people from the town have gone to fight in Syria, not one has left since May 2014, according to Mayor Hans Bonte. As a result, the mayor receives invitations from as far away as Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio, to share the town’s recipe for combating extremism.

“Vilvoorde’s formula? Bringing parents, friends, mentors and security personnel together to map possible recruits’ emotional well-being and devise a plan to reintegrate them into the community. This “injection of warmth” is paired with theological guidance provided by experts in Islam who can help alter people’s extremist outlook, Bonte said. There is no cookie-cutter profile of foreign fighters, he added. Those who have left Belgium for Syria include men and women from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, and their ages have ranged from 15 to 35. “What they all have in common is a feeling of rootlessness, of not belonging.”

“Alienation and indoctrination are recurring themes in the stories of those lured to Syria, according to Vrije Universiteit Brussel researcher Bilal Benyaich. Sharia4Belgium encouraged its members to stop talking to their parents, quit school, grow a beard and wear traditional Islamic clothing, according to court documents, and it offered them a place in an alternative community.”