the other side we find the assorted
enemies of God: the unbelievers, hypocrites, apostates, idolaters and
crusaders, who are led by the Evil One himself. God has commanded the True
Believers to conquer the lands of the unbelievers and build a worldwide
caliphate, a perfect society in which divine Sharia law will be implemented. Conquered peoples are to be either
converted, enslaved (women and children), or exterminated. In principle, the
so-called People of the Book (mainly Christians and Jews) are allowed to live
under the caliphate, provided they submit to the dominance of Islam, accept a
position of religious apartheid, and pay special taxes (jizya).[xxiii] According to jihadi ideology, God has prearranged a
final showdown between the armies of Good and Evil in a place called Dabiq
(which, not coincidentally, was also the name of the professional-looking
official magazinebetween the religious traditions of their parents, and the hedonism
and liberalism of western societies. Many young people who find it hard to
resist the temptations of modern life, and who are afraid of appearing before
their creator, can undergo a sudden religious conversion, and become determined
to better their lives and atone for their sins. For such people, who become
ever more immersed into religious doctrines, the prospect of martyrdom can gradually
become quite appealing. Not only is it a way to devote yourself to a higher cause,
but it is the only guaranteed way to secure salvation in the afterlife. In this
way, fear of hell, combined with an awareness of your sinful ways, can be the
first step in a process of religious radicalization, which ends in the
willingness to commit violent acts of terror