The Caribbean does not immediately come to mind when we think about ISIS – and yet, in 2017, Trinidad and Tobago ranked first place in the list of western countries with the highest rates of foreign-fighter radicalization, with over 240 nationals travelling to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS’ caliphate.Simon Cottee investigates how ISIS came to gain such an unlikely, yet significant foothold in Trinidad. Based on a three-year investigation in the country, featuring interviews the families and friends of those who left to join the jihad, Muslim activists and community leaders, imams, politicians, and intelligence agents, this book presents the social forces and communities in Trinidad that have been affected by ISIS.
Simon Cottee is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Kent, UK, and a contributing writer for The Atlantic. He is the author of The Apostates: When Muslims Leave Islam (2015), and ISIS and the Pornography of Violence (2019).
Prologue: Holy War in Trinidad 1 My Son the Jihadist 2 The Jihad Goes Local: Yasin Abu Bakr and the 1990 Coup 3 The Jihad Goes Global: ISIS and the Trini Mujahideen 4 The Imam 5. Homeland Insecurity 6. The Lost Generation ConclusionIndex
Cottee’s book offers us new and original insights into the surprisingly understudied world of Trinidadian ISIS members. With such a relatively high proportion of its population joining ISIS, Trinidad offers a useful case study in better understanding the global reach of the movement. Cottee takes on the challenge of analysing this with passion and an eye for detail.