In 2003, the United States invaded Iraq, due to the alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction by Saddam Hussein, the country’s president. ISIS was founded in the midst of the Iraq War, trying to fill the power vacuum left by the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s regime at the hands of the United States. After gaining territorial control of various parts of Iraq (and later Syria), the group declared themselves to be a caliphate, with their new goal being to unite all Muslim-majority countries under one empire.

Now, in the midst of all of the chaos surrounding the capture of Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro, Britain and France — fulfilling the requirements of their membership in a coalition against the Islamic State — conducted a strike on an underground ISIS target in Syria, in an area that was “devoid of any civilization,” according to the UK’s Defense Minister. This comes after increasing activity by the Islamic State, including the shooting at Crocus City Hall in Moscow in 2024 — the deadliest shooting in Russia since the infamous Beslan School Siege — in addition to a link to the recent Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney. In recent years, the Islamic State has experienced significant territorial loss at the hands of the Popular Mobilized Forces in Iraq and most recently, the Syrian opposition (now the official Syrian army) after the toppling of the Assad regime. Currently, the Islamic State has been caught in a years-long war with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

In an interview conducted on the YouTube channel Britannica, Moman, a person who has grown up in Mosul, Iraq during its occupation by ISIS described the various changes that came to his life and his city, such as the introduction of taxes and the sense of fear that struck the people of Mosul. According to him, it only took a few months before the enforcement of Sharia law started to occur and people started dying at the hands of the Islamic State: “‘They destroyed everything. They killed the identity of the city; they destroyed the historical places. They killed a lot of innocent people, and they used [their faith] as a cover to do this stuff,'” he said.

A student in a New York City school might ask if their life could be affected by this recent activity, considering New York City is a frequent target for terrorist attacks, obviously including the 9/11 attacks. In terms of ISIS attacks, one notable example is the 2017 truck attack on the bike path along the Hudson River, which was conducted by someone claiming to be a member of ISIS. Another example that occurred during the same year was the 2017 New York City Subway bombing. However, schools have various safety measures in place, such as our security guards. All in all, the school is prepared in the event of such danger, and thanks to the various drills conducted regularly, students know how to stay safe and secure if there is a threat. One Clinton student, who has wished to remain anonymous, says they feel safe and are for the most part not concerned about such an attack on our school.