‘Devotion to Islam’ — Not Unemployment — Root Cause of Jihad

In light of the State Dept’s recent assertion that economics is what attracts Muslims to join the savage Islamic State, consider the following excerpt from Understanding Terror Networks, by Marc Sageman, a former CIA officer who worked closely with jihadi groups in Afghanistan (emphasis mine):

There was a definite shift in degree of devotion to Islam in adulthood by the mujahedin [jihadis], preceding their recruitment into the jihad.  This is not surprising givien the fact that the global Salafi jihad is a Muslim revivialist organization.  Of the 155 mujahedin on whom I could find relevant information, all but one were considerably more devout right before joining the jihad than they had been as children.  More than 99 percent were very religious at that time, often donning Afghan, Pakistani, or traditional Arabic garb and growing beards…

“Devotion to Islam” is what causes Muslims to join the Islamic State — not “a lack of opportunity for jobs,” in the words of State Dept. spokesperson Marie Harf.