CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VOLUME VI (1) Contemporary-Eurasia-VI-1-engl | Page 99

CONTEMPORARY EURASIA VI (1)
following the organization and urged young men of Pankisi Gorge to
join them: “Oh, my Muslim brothers, know that you are forbidden to
live with the kafirs [infidels]” 23 .
Today the data on the size of the ISIS fighters from Georgia varies.
The official position of Georgia is that only approximately 100
Georgians are fighting in the ranks of ISIS 24 . However, the videos by
ISIS fighters try to show that the number is much larger.
Recruitment processes in Georgia
Since the literature and scholarly articles address the main methods
ISIS uses to recruit new members, local press is more accurate on
what’s concerning specifically the case of recruitment from Georgia
(numbers, specifics, etc.). As a Georgian newspaper “Rezonansi”
reports, Georgia today plays a role of a “transit country for ISIS
militants, and terrorist attacks are not ruled out on the territory of the
country” 25 . The valley of Pankisi Gorge is most frequently seen in any
news piece or articles that concern IS fighters of Georgia. Located in
the Northern part of Georgia, Pankisi is close to Chechnya and the
population of Pankisi Gorge, along with the so-called Kists (Muslim
Georgians), is also comprised of Chechen fighters who fought against
Russia in Chechen wars 26 . Having such backgrounds, the militants are
an easy target to be recruited to fight for the Islamic State. Some
scholars have expressed their ideas of the correlation between anti-
Russian attitudes and recruitment. In their understanding, the
recruiters often use Russia as leverage for waking up the spirit of
revenge.
23
Soon there will be time of beheading you - Video address to Georgians
released on behalf of Islamic State. Retrieved March, 2017,
http://www.georgianjournal.ge/society/31860-soon-there-will-be-time-of-
beheading-you-video-address-to-georgians-released-on-behalf-of-islamic-
state.html
24
Mardasov, A. Georgia - A Transit Corridor for ISIS?, 28.06.2016, Forth Russ.
http://www.fort-russ.com/2016/06/georgia-transit-corridor-for-isis.html
25
Ibid
26
Burchuladze N., The So-called Caucasian Governance of the Islamic State has
a
New
Emir.
Georgia:
Georgian
Journal,
31.07.2015,
http://www.georgianjournal.ge/military/31138-the-so-called-caucasian-
governance-of-the-islamic-state-has-a-new-emir.html
99