The real faces of ISIS
The black bushy beard that makes Islamic State fighters look like oversized bullies is gone. So is the Darth Vader paraphernalia they wear as they swagger down the streets of captured cities like Mosul. Here in the Adult Reform Prison in Duhoc, Iraqi Kurdistan, Muhamed Mahmoud’s face is boyish and clean shaven. He’s 20 years old and […]Sally Armstrong writes for MacLean's:
The black bushy beard that makes Islamic State fighters look like oversized bullies is gone. So is the Darth Vader paraphernalia they wear as they swagger down the streets of captured cities like Mosul. Here in the Adult Reform Prison in Duhoc, Iraqi Kurdistan, Muhamed Mahmoud’s face is boyish and clean shaven. He’s 20 years old and looks for all the world like a kid studying hotel management.
The 235 captured men here are mostly young, mostly seeking a thrill or running away from trouble. The ones in this division of the prison are foot soldiers who were captured by Kurdish fighters known as the peshmerga. One was having girlfriend problems when he joined ISIS, another was out of money and looking for work. A third was fighting with his parents.
