From its emergence to the present day, ISIS has heavily invested in and operated through three core strategies, which elucidate the foundation and objectives of their movement.
1. Takfir (Excommunication):
ISIS embraces the doctrine of “takfir”, whereby individuals who dissent from their ideology are branded as disbelievers (kafir) or apostates (murtad). In accordance with this ideology, they target fellow Muslims, Islamic scholars, and Islamic communities, deeming them as adversaries.
The ISIS group labels all Muslims outside their ideological sphere as apostates, irreligious, or disbelievers. They rationalize warfare against them as jihad and persist in their unjust war against authentic Muslims.
2. Misinterpretation of Shariah:
ISIS distorts the interpretation of Islamic Shariah to align with their own desires, manipulating its tenets to validate their illicit actions through selective and misinterpreted references.
In Islamic Shariah, the unjustified taking of an innocent life is akin to the extermination of all of humanity. Nonetheless, the ISIS-Khawarij routinely martyr innocent Muslims without rationale, assaulting them and perpetuating their conflict even within an Islamic nations.
3. Spreading Fear and Terror:
ISIS endeavors to attain its malevolent and illicit objectives through fear, tyranny, and brutality. They sow chaos wherever they traverse, mercilessly killing children, oppressing young females, exploiting them as slaves, and using these heinous acts to besmirch the reputation of the Islamic caliphate.
The actions and behaviors of ISIS clearly indicate that it is an extremist, takfiri, and barbaric faction. Their aim is to besmirch Islam, dismantle the revered concept of the Islamic caliphate that governed with dignity for centuries and upheld the sanctity of Islam.
Their True Objectives:
ISIS aspires to fracture the Muslim Ummah into myriad factions, eliminate unity among Muslims, and dismantle the Islamic system in regions like Afghanistan. However, their aspirations will never come to fruition as long as the true guardians of Islam and valiant Mujahideen endure in this religion, by the will of Allah.
The ISIS agenda:
Most Islamic scholars and researchers concur that the leaders and members of ISIS exhibit deceitfulness in their actions and beliefs. They manipulate the principles and values of Islam to further their political agendas and deceive individuals with distorted interpretations.
According to religious scholars, the actions of ISIS are in direct opposition to Islamic principles, as Islam is a religion of peace, compassion, and fairness, while ISIS advocates for violence and radicalism.
The following are the primary reasons why Islamic scholars identify ISIS leaders as deceitful:
1. Misrepresentation of Religion
ISIS leaders and members distort Islamic texts and Prophetic sayings to suit their own objectives, presenting them inaccurately to mislead individuals into supporting their agendas.
2. Killing of Muslims
Islamic teachings strictly forbid the killing of Muslims and innocent individuals, yet ISIS frequently engages in such acts, falsely categorizing them as enemies of infidels or non-believers, which lacks any basis in Islamic doctrines.
3. Extremism and Rigidity
Islam advocates for a moderate approach, whereas ISIS embraces extremism and rigidity, inaccurately depicting these traits as essential to Islam. This constitutes a flagrant violation of Islamic precepts.
4. Claiming the Caliphate
ISIS claims to have established an Islamic caliphate and demands obedience, but in Islam, the caliphate requires specific conditions and consensus among scholars and the Muslim community. ISIS fails to meet these criteria and deceives individuals with fraudulent assertions of a caliphate for personal gain.
5. Distortion of Jihad
ISIS misuses the concept of jihad, which has specific rules and conditions in Islam. Inflicting harm upon innocent individuals, women, children, and non-combatants is not aligned with jihad. Nevertheless, ISIS portrays jihad as violent and extreme, directly opposing the genuine essence of Islam.
6. Killing Innocent People
ISIS kills innocent people, including Muslims, and oppresses them. Islam forbids the killing of innocent people, and the Quran states that killing one innocent person is like killing all of humanity. But ISIS disregards these principles, falsely justifying these acts in the name of Islam.
7. Distorting the Concept of Martyrdom
ISIS claims that anyone who carries out a suicide attack in their fight is a martyr and will go to paradise. However, in Islam, a martyr is someone who dies for the sake of Allah. ISIS falsely considers those who die in unjust acts as martyrs.
8. Attributing Divine Support to Their Extremism
ISIS falsely claims that their fight and actions are supported by Allah and that those who oppose them are enemies of Allah. This claim is a way to deceive people because Islam calls on every Muslim to follow its true principles, not extremism.
All of these points underscore the falsehoods perpetuated by ISIS, who improperly leverage the name of Islam to rationalize extremism and violence.
How ISIS recruits people in their ranks:
3. The Use of Social Media:
In light of the internet and virtual media’s significant role in shaping public opinion, ISIS extensively leverages virtual channels to disseminate its message globally and attract diverse audiences.
In this modern era, media and social networks serve as crucial platforms for furthering political, military, social, and cultural agendas. ISIS’s unrestrained and widespread activity on social platforms facilitates the achievement of specific objectives.
The propaganda tools employed by ISIS can be categorized into two distinct groups:
1. Virtual Media and Social Networks: This encompasses propaganda efforts conducted through platforms such as WhatsApp, X, Facebook, Telegram, and others.
2. Traditional Media: This involves utilizing radio and television to disseminate messages and advertisements.
Through various media channels, ISIS conveys three significant messages. Firstly, by publicizing its brutal acts and atrocities, the group aims to instill fear and terror in individuals. Secondly, through the dissemination of fabricated and staged reports, it seeks to project authority and control.
The third media stream of ISIS portrays certain humanitarian scenes that are in stark contrast to its primary stream.
ISIS utilizes this dual and contradictory strategy to both display strength and cultivate a degree of popularity among a global audience. However, it is unlikely to achieve these objectives.
Overall, ISIS’s agenda on these networks includes capturing attention, legitimizing its presence, establishing acceptance, and demonstrating power.
While various groups and movements have utilized media power, ISIS has effectively maximized available media resources to further its goals. Consequently, some analysts have labeled the internet as “ISIS’s primary battlefield.”
