The Dutch motorcycle gangs fighting Islamic State
In a twist to the foreign-fighter syndrome sweeping Europe, a handful of bikers have joined the fight against Islamic State.
In a twist to the foreign-fighter syndrome sweeping Europe, a handful of bikers have joined the fight against Islamic State.
The leader of the Dutch biker gang No Surrender says that three of his peers have joined the fight against the Islamist group and at least a couple of members of a German biker club say they, too, have signed up.
Why are they going? In Germany, at least, the move appears linked to the bikers' ethnic backgrounds. The men in question hail from the Cologne chapter of the Median Empire Dark City Motorcycle Club, made up largely of ethnic Kurds. The club, founded in 2011, is named after an ancient empire that stretched from eastern Anatolia to India.
Their story has gripped the domestic press, particularly as the men post updates on social media. One post shows two beefy bikers with machine guns slung over their backs as they climb hilly, arid terrain in biker gear.
The group's self-described leader, who goes by the name Azad, posted an online appeal for donations: "We got members in Kurdistan fighting against the terror organisation Islamic State," he wrote. "We need urgent equipment like night visions, ABC gas masks, bullet proof vests and much more…Please support us to fight for humanity, love and peace."