COMMENT: IS preys on humanity’s basest instincts

The heinous acts committed by Islamic State are done to make it look more powerful and impenetrable. But they can also unite its enemies and detractors, writes Arie W Kruglanski.

COMMENT: IS preys on humanity’s basest instincts

The grisly killing of Jordanian pilot Mouath al-Kasaesbeh by burning him alive sent shock waves across the globe and brought heaps of condemnation from political and religious leaders of all stripes against the new heights of macabre of which Islamic State proved capable.

Horror and disgust may represent enlightened persons’ natural reaction to this barbarity but, beyond the condemnation, it is important to understand its reasons and likely consequences in the tumultuous context in which the Islamic State phenomenon has been playing out. Several questions arise in this regard.

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