And even if you look at other conflicts, sure, maybe the Islamic State is reacting to U.S. foreign policy or British imperialism (they certainly aren’t known to be fond of the Sykes-Picot Agreement), but one wonders, what can this possibly have to do with enslaving underage Yazidi girls, killing Turkmen Shias, throwing gays off rooftops, or executing apostates? My argument isn’t that religion is the only factor driving these atrocities, but rather that of several factors involved, religion is one—and a key driver.
