This study asks whether governmental and societal discrimination against Muslim minorities explains the outflow of foreign fighters from non-Muslim-majority countries to Syria and Iraq. We use data from the ICSR, Soufan Group, Pokalova (2018), and RASM datasets to examine the connection between discrimination directed at Muslim minorities and the number of foreign fighters originating in a country. We apply grievance-based theory to examine whether minority-specific objective discrimination is behind the phenomenon. We find little evidence that discrimination increases the outflow of foreign fighters, but this outflow is higher from wealthier countries. The findings indicate that if grievances are a motivation for individuals to become foreign fighters, they are not connected to objective discrimination. This implies that at least some of the grievances relate to personal circumstances or that immigrant minorities are more likely to perceive inequality in wealthier countries.

这项研究询问政府和社会对穆斯林少数群体的歧视是否解释了外国战斗人员从非穆斯林多数国家流向叙利亚和伊拉克的情况。我们使用ICSR，Soufan Group，Pokalova（2018）和RASM数据集的数据来检验针对穆斯林少数民族的歧视与原籍该国的外国战斗人员之间的联系。我们应用基于委屈的理论来检验是否存在少数族裔特定的客观歧视。我们几乎没有发现证据表明歧视会增加外国战斗人员的外流，但是从较富裕的国家外流的人更多。调查结果表明，如果申诉是个人成为外国战斗人员的动机，那么他们与客观歧视无关。