[dragonwriter]

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant -- particularly as regards Iraq -- is "comprised of men, many of whom died defending their homeland from what they perceived to be the aggression of an imperialistic outside force determined to impose an alien set of values on their society, obliterating their capacity for self-determination." [0]

Its just as true of ISIL as it was of the Confederacy. (Now, to be fair, I don't see it as a redeeming feature of either entity, but clearly that's not a universally-shared perception in the case of at least the Confederacy.)

[0] as the Confederacy was described in https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9764589