ISIS Attracts Midwestern Americans to Join Ranks

Carrie Dedrick | Updated: Oct 28, 2014

ISIS Attracts Midwestern Americans to Join Ranks

ISIS terrorists are reportedly attracting a growing number of Americans to join their ranks; the terrorist organization seems to have gained influence in the midwest as two American citizens recently killed fighting for ISIS in Syria hailed from Minnesota. 

According to Charisma News, young Muslims from Minneapolis and St. Paul are being recruited to join ISIS; at least a dozen have left their homes to fight overseas so far. Some have come from the al-Farooq Mosque in a suburb of Minneapolis. An Egyptian-American named Amir Meshal has allegedly been persuading young people there to answer the call of the jihad or “holy war.” 

Former Ramsey County sheriff Bob Fletcher said that in addition to the problem of Americans leaving the country to join ISIS, there is the issue of those who believe jihad teaching but remain in the United States. 

"I think it is a far greater concern that people that are here and radicalized [and] that haven't gone back might strike out against America. And the numbers of people that are here and haven't gone back that ideologically feel the same is significantly large," Fletcher said.

Publication date: October 28, 2014



ISIS Attracts Midwestern Americans to Join Ranks