#MakingAStand: British Muslim Women vs ISIS

The growing ISIS threat is all over mainstream media as global leaders begin debating the best strategy for defeating this global threat. Fed up of waiting for action, British Muslim women have taken it upon themselves to launch a new nationwide campaign #MakingAstand, asking women to join in solidarity against ISIS.

In recent months there have been several troubling reports that suggest the number of British Muslims leaving the UK to join ISIS is rising, especially among young British Muslim women. Looking to establish a unified social media community front against ISIS is Sara Khan, co-director of Inspire, who describes the launch of #MakingAstand as a “call to action and a statement for Muslim women in rejecting the barbarity of ISIS.”

Inspire is a human rights organization that aims to counter extremism, by addressing inequalities faced by British Muslim women, and attempts to prevent radicalization amongst their community. By forming this community, Inspire aims to detect early warning signs that lead to radicalization.

Although the exact number of British Muslim women leaving to join ISIS is unknown, The Guardian reports that the rough estimate of Britons fighting in Syrian and Iraq is around 500. What is even more troubling is the correlation between ISIS gaining new territories directly resulting in the influx of migrant fighters who believe that ISIS can succeed in this war.

The launch of #MakingAStand is not the first initiative of Muslims against ISIS, but rather the latest. Also trending on twitter is a similar campaign under the  hashtag #NotInMyName, which also attempts to counter the influence of groups like ISIS, while making it perfectly clear that their actions counter the true teachings of Islam.

If you are looking to take part in #MakingAStand, then simply tweet them a picture of you and instantly join the growing front of Muslims worldwide who stand against ISIS and their clearly twisted and incomprehensible version of Islam.

For more information about the organization Inspire click here.