Oh yes they are. Consider this . . .
ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Who is it good for Russell Chapman
But why would Iran, which is Shia, help an extremist Sunni group? The answer is simple, to create havoc and chaos in Sunni dominated areas. Over time you will see that ISIS will not concentrate on trying to capture Shia areas. Baghdad is mixed between Sunni and Shia so they may try to take it but it is unlikely. However, the south-east of Iraq is by far majority Shia, I will be very surprised if they try to push into this part of the country. It will give a further strong indication that they are working with Iran.
Of course, to keep up appearances, Iran will make a show of helping Iraq to resist ISIS but it is more likely that Iraqi Sunni militias will be created from the remains of the army and other groups. It will end up similar to Syria, where the FSA while fighting the government, is also spending a lot of time trying to fight back against ISIS. The entire region will descend into a state of perpetual conflict, with only the Shia areas of Iraq remaining quiet. This is what Iran wants. The danger of using a proxy such as ISIS is that you have to keep control of it. Has Iran got ISIS on a short enough leash? Time will tell.
That is a lot of stupid. Fact is Iran is fighting Isis.
No, if you knew anything about Iran, it is not stupid. It makes perfect sense. The author has nothing to gain by lying and he knows a LOT about the ME.
Russell Chapman is a freelance photographer and writer. Originally from the UK, he is now based in Switzerland. He is well versed in Middle Eastern and Russian affairs. Using photography he tries to communicate strong messages and emotions in a way which will have a lasting impact on those who observe his work. His writing is based on a perspective that tries to look at events from different angles which are not always covered elsewhere.
He is recognized for his work in Syria, having been invited to present at international conferences such as Refugee Voices at the Refugee Studies Centre at St Annes College, Oxford University and Franklin University, Switzerland. His work was also exhibited at the Conference on Forced Migration in Washington DC.
The book,
Syria: Refugees and Rebels, is a personal account documenting Chapman’s time in Syria in the Spring of 2013, as well as the refugee camps of Lebanon and Jordan. In it, he talks about his experiences of this war torn country but the main focus is on his photo documentary of what he saw.
He went to Syria because he wanted to better understand what is really happening. His Syrian friends told him that only a part of the full picture is given in the news. The only way to get the full pictures was to go there himself. Over the course of the month that he was in Syria, he saw for himself the effects of the war on the people, his book is very much a reflection of that. Telling the story of a people who have lost so much, those who remain in the country and those who have fled to refugee camps.
His approach to photographing the situation was not that of the hit and run style, but rather, a more thoughtful approach. He spent a lot of time with the Syrian people, getting to know them better and in so doing, discovered that they were prepared to really open up to him and share their personal stories. As a result, the images he captured show more of the soul of the people rather than simply focusing on their distressed situation.
All the time he was on this project he lived as the people, he even spent a night in a refugee camp in Jordan to try and understand on some small scale what these people have to live with every day. His interest in Syria is very much humanitarian, the purpose of his work and his book specifically, is to show the real people, the fact that they are the same as people everywhere. They have the same hopes and dreams, the desire for security, a home, work and family. Simply because they are living through this terrible time does not make them somehow less than we who do not have these problems.
Before going to Syria, Chapman was able to raise money to buy medicines to help the Syrians. His desire is to continue this work, sales of the book go toward Chapman continuing, in his own small way, his work of giving a voice to those who have lost so much, as well as trying to help them directly.
