International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

Against the backdrop of the changing role of religion in geopolitical relations, and in connections with the identified global threats to humankind (such as terrorism, organized crime, human trafficking, etc.), a considerable number of theorists and ideologues focused on the problem of security are relating these threats to the growing activeness of religious minorities in various parts of the world, and specifically of supporters of the extreme, fundamentalist version of Islam. Speaking of security, we must inevitably think of fears. The latter are about personal and public safety or the anxiety that society may stop functioning. Widespread fears have a corrosive, long-term effect on social cohesion and stability. The social exclusion of ever-greater groups of people spreads to more and more spheres, such as those of the economy, the market, politics, education, healthcare, etc. The increasing marginalization of groups of people, and the inability of institutions to resolve the problem, result in the search for a scapegoat – the role of such may fall upon the political elites, ethnic minorities, migrants. Identifying an enemy is a precondition of social conflict. We are increasingly afraid of one another as we have become accustomed to believing that our worlds are so different that there meeting would bring about the end of at least one of them. Labeling, supported by passionate qualifications, has proved to be a universal way of dealing with the unfamiliar. Woe to him who cannot define himself and continues naively to believe we can live together without the aid of stereotypes. The oldest and strongest human emotion is fear, and the oldest and strongest fear is that of the unknown. Some of the images related to contemporary Islam are formed not within the House of Islam, but where the religious community is obliged to coexist with others. The change of representations of the so-called European Islam can be identified in Bulgarian reality as well. The willingness to adopt and follow certain principles of conduct typical for the arguments of fundamentalism grows in direct proportion with the growing variety of the immediate social environments of Muslims. In fact, the spaces of fundamentalist interpretation of the religious canon are formed not within the traditional Muslim communities but at the points of their active contacts with other cultural and religious models.

Without claiming to be exhaustive, this paper aims at analyzing the tools of alternative (Track II and III diplomacy) for conflict resolution and crisis management. In order to maximize the gains from private diplomacy, the EU should take into account what Track II and III diplomacy has done so far to help solve conflicts, why it is need and how it can best be used.

The Islamic State (IS) (arguably the most successful terrorist group ever, or at the very least, the terrorist group which has attracted the most media attention) has declared itself a state, seized territories, and implemented a quasi-government. Widely recognized by their black flag, white pickup trucks, and horrendous executions broadcast live; the IS is a terrorist organization that because of its goals, methods, and appeal to young people, is worrisome to global leaders and decision-makers.

But what do we know about the IS? How is it possible that such a phenomenon came into existence let alone became capable of threatening global powers, obtaining continued funding, staging military actions, and grabbing media attention as it has done so far?

To explain the above question one must look at many different strategic issues that were not managed properly and therefore allowed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian dropout and petty criminal, to create such a deadly organization. Today the IS plays an important role in the Middle East and is capable of carrying out deadly terrorist attacks not only in its home region but also in Europe, the United States, and Asia.

The name, funding, controlled territories, roots, religious affiliation, and many other factors must be explained in order to fully understand the IS; the terrorist group of the 21st century.