"This New World is not for the Faint Hearted": Confronting the Many Dimensions of Philippe-Joseph Salazar's Words Are Weapons: Inside ISIS's Rhetoric of Terror (original) (raw)

CALIPHATE: Cognitive Brain Re-Calibration of Westerners on [Terrorist] Islam

Gagan Mohammad, 2021

Caliphate" is Arabic, literally "successor." Basically it doesn't only give a single meaning as "Islamic Caliphate," etymologically could be interpreted; a system, social transformation, or institutionalization of [Islamic] values that leaves behind backward ways and allows dissent. "Whilst, "Islamic Caliphate" means; "The leadership of an Islamic ruler with the title of caliph a person considered a politico-religious successor to the Prophet Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬ under enforced Sharia law completely for all nation-state life. Distinct to the "Caliphate" may administer limited sharia law and enables use in any country such as Islamic finance or halal food shops & restaurants in non-Muslim countries. For example, Indonesia chose the "Pancasila Caliphate" as the state ideology adopted from the "Jakarta Charter" which is a crystallization of the Treaty of Medina an image of Islamic moderation. One side applied various Sharia rules nationally but is not interested in becoming an Islamic Caliphate State, even juxtaposing [liberal] democracy by a "one people, one vote" election system. Meantime, the world's Islam is a victim of massive Islamophobia propaganda that succeeded in creating a monster called "Caliphate"; radicalism, terrorism, shows the "superiority" character of Western culture ignored diversity in Islam.

The “Islamic State”: trajectory and reach a year after its self-proclamation as a “Caliphate”

On 29 June 2014, the ISIS/ISIL or Daesh announced the change of its name to just "Islamic State" (IS), proclaimed itself a "Caliphate" and named its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as "Caliph Ibrahim". About a year later, this article intends to evaluate the trajectory and reach of this territorial jihadist entity. It starts by contextualizing the self-proclamation in terms of ideology and objectives and then it describes how the IS has sought to consolidate itself as a de facto "State" and the tragic effects of its policy of terror. The last part examines the international expansion of the IS, analysing its reach in attracting "foreign fighters", the new wilayats created outside Syria and Iraq, the newly affiliated local groups, and the activities of the IS in cyberspace.

" The Islamic Caliphate: An Impossible Dream "

Every now and then, I go over the list of articles I had downloaded from “kwtanweer.” I was intrigued by an article posted in 2007, “The Islamic Caliphate: An Impossible Dream.” It is interesting to note that one particular Muslim was not about to believe in such an impossibility. He was Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who, on 29 June 2014, from a mosque in Mosul, Iraq claimed he was going to revive the Caliphate. The organization for realizing his Caliphate he named, “Dawlat Islamiyah fi’l ‘Iraq wa Bilad al-Sham” (Da’esh,) known in English, as ISIS. The world has become acquainted with the dire effects of Baghdadi’s attempts to prove his dream very possible. Let us read what a liberal Muslim thought about reviving a Caliphate in 2007:

Caliphates and Islamic Global Politics

2014

The events of the 2011 Arab Spring saw renewed hope for Arab Civil Society, at least in the eyes of middle East observers. however, with the cases of Libya and Syria descending into civil war and chaos, and the Egyptian military still holding the country in a tight grip, the success of civil Society at creating a space for itself is questionable. While the fall of seemingly immovable authoritarian regimes did not seem to profit much to Civil Society, Political islamic movements took advantage of the vacuum to establish their bases and launch operations to implement their ideology. two to three years after the first Uprisings, Islamist groups are making a strong comeback in certain middle East/north African countries. in Syria, Iraq, towns in Libya, and a town in Lebanon, groups like the Islamic State or Ansar al-Sharia are declaring caliphates in the territories they seize, in an attempt to fulfil the Political Islam ideal of a ‘global Islamic caliphate’ encompassing the entirety of the muslim world. this edited collection aims to address common questions about Political islam, as well as to provide an assessment of ISIS and finally challenge common understandings on the issue of Islam and democracy.

Analysing the Institution of Caliphate in the Context of Political Islamists

International Journal of Islamic Thought, 2019

The Caliphate is an important concept for Muslims, especially for those who have been experiencing turmoil, disorder and conflict in their lands, as it presents as a collective body that is to be governed with fairness, assuring safety and justice for all associated with it. Once again it has resurfaced as a hot topic, debated by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The advent of the 21st century has seen the establishment of many varied initiatives, all in attempt to re-establish the concept of a caliphate, however many of these have been short-lived and have received little support. Gradually, with the declining influence of terrorist organisations, the debate has almost lost its significance. This was until more recently, when the political Islamists of Turkey reignited the discussion through their claims of leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan as the rightful caliph of Muslims, inviting all Muslims to give him their pledge of allegiance. Therefore, it becomes imperative to examine the institution of the caliphate, its relevance to Muslims through identifying the nature of the caliphate and its theological and political values. More importantly, this paper aims to analyse the negative effects of the Justice and Development Party (the AKP) on Muslims, in Turkey and in other parts of the world, as a result of the party’s methods of conveying its extreme views through Islamic concepts and extremist religious interpretations. Political Islamists use primary Islamic sources and religious arguments to justify the declaration of caliphate. While inviting Muslims to the caliphate, they emphasize the notions of “Ummah”, “Islamic State” and “the Shariah.” Under this guise of religious integrity, the declaration of a caliphate by Political Islamists of Turkey resonates with Muslims all over the world, with many scholars, religious institutions and groups responding to this call positively. This paper argues that the new face of Islamic extremism and radicalism in current times is political Islam and its advocates. Their seemingly sly, novel and sustainable approach to garnering support makes it necessary to analyse how they interpret Islamic sources in an extreme way and how such an extreme interpretation is contributing to the radicalization process of Muslims.

The Caliphate and the changing strategy of the public statements of al-Qaeda’s leaders

According to the American President George Bush’s administration, the establishment of a global Caliphate is a key al-Qaeda goal. This article focuses primarily on the statements of Ayman az-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden, with their public words traced throughout the last three decades, from Egypt to Afghanistan, to Sudan, back to Afghanistan and through the various conflicts that have happened since they have been on the run post 9/11. By highlighting the changing strategy of their discourse according to the events around them and internationally, it is shown that far from being a critical part of al-Qaeda ideology as some would have the public believe, the Caliphate plays a minor role in their objectives and rhetoric, used primarily as a motivational and instrumental tool in uniting the ummah in its efforts to expel foreign forces from what it considers to be occupied lands.

Misconceptions About the Caliphate in Islam

Digest of Middle East Studies, 2016

Three common misconceptions about the caliphate in Islam are explored: 1) That the caliphate is one centralized government embodying one unified Muslim community living in peace, justice and luxury until 1924 CE; 2) That there has been no more than one caliph at a given time.; 3) That Islam has a specific divine blueprint for a system of governance called the caliphate system, mandated by God. Anyone who abandons this blue print abandons Islam. The essay starts with the role the caliphate played in agendas of Islamic movements over the last hundred years followed by a historic discussion addressing the first two misconceptions. The third misconception is addressed through a linguistic, Qur'anic, and historical analysis of the word "caliphate." The fact that neither the Qur'an, nor the Prophet saw himself as a head of state is explored and the misappropriation of the word "constitution" to replace the word "pact" in "the pact of Medina" is pointed out. A simple classification of three types of "caliphates" is suggested, emphasizing the wide range of connotations it conveys. Finally, counterarguments using the Qur'an and hadith are addressed. The essay concludes: what v makes a state Islamic are not name nor its structure, but rather its orientation towards Qur'anic ethical values