by Ghassan Kadi
In an audio message (published in the link below in the Lebanese daily Assafir on the 26th of December 2015), ISIS/ISIL/IS Chief, “Caliph” Abou Bakr Al-Baghdadi gives a rather lengthy 24 minute speech. Half of the message is addressed to Muslims, all Muslims, whilst the other half is addressed to the world; especially the nations that have taken upon themselves to fight the Islamic State.
The approach is not systemic and jumps from one “half” to the other, but with a bottom-line call for all Muslims to band together in order to fight what he perceives as the enemies of Islam.
“The world has united to fight Islam”, he argues, and this was to be expected. Either way, Muslims will be the victors, because they will either be martyred in battle and get elevated to heaven, or win the battle on the ground.
And who are the enemies of Islam in his view? All nations that are fighting the Islamic State, including Saudi Arabia that has recently formed a military alliance against terrorism. Al Baghdadi says that the proposed Saudi coalition is only intended to fight Islam and the Islamic State. If its objectives were to uphold Islam, it would be fighting in Syria alongside the Islamic State and protecting the defenseless Muslims in Syria and in Palestine.
On the mention of Palestine, he addresses Jews and says that they have neither been forgotten nor forgiven. They will soon find themselves surrounded by the Islamic State and they will have nowhere to run and hide.
He calls for Saudi youth to rise against their heretic rulers, and for all Muslims to join him and take up arms in the battle that they knew was one day coming.
He makes direct mention of America, Europe and Russia and promises them retaliation.
The timing of this speech is uncanny. Is it related to the killing of Zahran Alloush?
Alloush, the chief of the “Army of Islam” was Saudi Arabia’s right hand in Syria. He is the one who staged the fake chemical weapons attack in East Ghouta in July 2013. He is Bandar’s boy and danced to his master’s tunes, but he was also highly regarded and respected within the rank-and-file of all Islamists because he was able to steadfastly hold his positions very close to Damascus and at one stage was not very far from entering it.
His death alongside many high commanding officers left his brigade in huge disarray, and even though a replacement by the name of Abou Humam Al-Bouweidani has been appointed, there has already been negotiations taking place for clearing the fighters out of the area. Now, it is highly possible that Al-Baghdadi is trying to fill this void and to lure Alloush’s army of loyals to give him their pledge of allegiance.
But this alone cannot explain fully the reason behind Al-Baghdadi’s message. Al-Baghdadi is clearly taking advantage of the timing of events, the formation of different coalitions to fight him, and trying to use them to give himself credit, substance and religious validity.
In the minds of Muslim youth who subscribe to the theory that Islam is a combination of a “sword and a book”, the concept of perceiving Jihad as an armed struggle is not far from their hearts. Whilst this is a huge misconception of the true message, it is nonetheless accepted as what Islam is meant to be. In this context, the words of Al-Baghdadi fall onto receptive ears. Many youth will be listening to his words and asking themselves why are they sitting on their backs in the comfort and safety of their homes when their brothers and sisters are being slaughtered by a wave of international infidels?
They will feel ashamed of themselves if they do not get up and fight, and if they don’t just do this on their own accord, then their peer pressure will be so enormous and many of them will not be able to resist.
Most recruitments are done by peer pressure, especially from those who are a little older and more versed in Islamic rhetoric and are able to provide “proof” from the Quran to their argument and call for taking up arms.
The call of Al-Baghdadi is not very specific at all. He is calling for all Muslims, wherever they are, to do whatever they can to fight for the cause. Does this include self-planned mini terrorist attacks here and there all over the globe? The obvious answer to this is yes or at least why not, because God according to him, has ordered Muslims to fight their enemies wherever they find them, and until the whole world is united by Islam.
His words were carefully chosen, and theologically-speaking, he did not say anything at all that is against the concept of mainstream Islam. Moderate clerics will find it very difficult to make any arguments against the speech if and when challenged by their followers. Their inability to refute his message will be seen by some would be recruits as an indication that Al-Baghdadi speaks the truth and ought to be followed. To many new recruits, this will sound like the “call” they have been waiting for.
The Al-Baghdadi “call”, whether it gets followed by a huge recruitment drive or not, is a testimony of the fact that even the most determined of those who are poised to fight the Islamic State have not yet woken up to the enormity of its threat.
The Islamic State is much more than an organization of terrorists with an army and stolen oil fields. It is an ideology, an ideology that feeds on a religion, commonly-held misinterpretations of a religion, with more than a billion potential recruits in sight.
Now here’s the irony. Saudi Arabia has been based on Wahhabism, which is in turn founded on those violent misinterpretations of Islam. Saudi Arabia fed the ideology that created Al-Qaeda and later on the Islamic State, but they have politically collided with both of them later on.
The Islamic State has broken loose, and with the help of Turkey, its oil trade is generating enough revenues for itself to be self-supportive. The Islamic State has also broken its allegiance to the US, even though the Americans are indeed foolhardy enough to think that they can continue to wield them in the fight against Assad.
But even if the army of the Islamic State is defeated, its oil trade put to an end, Erdogan given a punch and sent to the naughty corner and Saudi Arabia goes bankrupt and unable to bankroll any more funds for rising Jihadists, the concept of an Islamic State akin to Al-Baghdadi’s will not go away for as long as there are Muslims who believe in the violent version of Islam. It will only be a question of time before a new Al-Baghdadi is born and attempts to resurrect the dream.
The simplistic view that the Islamic State was borne by the Saudis and the Americans and that they both continue to control it is just as stated; simplistic. The Jihadists will accept support from anyone when they need it, but puppets they are not. They are very highly indoctrinated people on a mission. And unless they are understood for what they are, what they believe in, and how they intend to achieve their objectives, they will never be defeated.
And whilst some Westerners keep changing the name of the Islamic State from ISIS to ISIL to IS and/or the Islamic State formerly known as ISIS, the Islamic State did not change its name at all, and continues to fester ideologically unopposed and little noticed.
The closest understanding of the Islamic State outside the Muslim world seems to be present in Russia. If anything, the downing of the Su-24 has broken the barriers of political correctness between Moscow and Ankara and Moscow is now openly talking about and reporting Turkey’s support to the Islamic State. Moscow has made similar but much more subtle remarks about the role of Saudi Arabia.
The impasse here is political, and no one can envisage Moscow urging for Muslim religious reform. Religious reform of any religion is the task of its followers, and obviously in the case of Islam, the onus is on Muslims.
Is this a joke? I read some time back that the guy, whatever his real name, was killed. Is he to be ‘killed ‘ again like ObL? No vid, just audio: I guess the c.i.a. got tired of making those cheesy fake ObL vids. Why fake? Because he threatened Israel & Jews.
Yes saker is brewing a strange brew indeed,he says its the Muslims job to undo what us,Israel,gcc Frankensteined.
The author is not the Saker, it is Ghassan Kadi.
It is often the case that someone else has to remedy the mess created by the Hegemon and its vassals, particularly if the Hegemon has no wish to effect a cure.
Tks, for the pointer.saker i take it back:-)
I agree it’s the muslims job to undo what has been a master plan for over 40 years to use Islam vs. Islam to control islam and destabilize the energy sources of Russia and China. This wahabbi radicalization of Islam didn’t happen over night there is cells of this hijacking of the Islamic faith all over the world, preying on the weak, the poor and uneducated- the hopeless …this is what CULTS do. Yes it’s the good people of islam who will undo it and get rid of the outsiders that use their ideology in a warped selfish way. Islam against Islam is wrong, and only the pure form of educated islam will undo this.
Baghdaddi is well educated, if you watch his speeches and mannerisms especially inside using the mosques as his back drop it’s obviously he is made and manufactured from outside sources. There was rumors he was born in Baghdad, a last name of Schimon and is Yahudi a member of Mossad. I don’t doubt it, then he comes up missing in action – reportedly he is in a hospital in Turkey. For all we know he could be home in Tel Aviv broadcasting this. It’s all too neatly orchestrated and very sophisticated …higher up but the street foot soldiers are just a bunch of unemployed poor young guys they get hooked on Captagon with promises of having sex slaves and working up to the ranks of “Abu” to have your own million dollar organized crime unit of looting stolen Sryian and Iraqis items, Sex slave industry, or stolen oil market if that doesn’t work they could make millions off the drug trade of Captagon. No terrorist group or organized crime operates without protection or a shield….there is ample proof that Saudis, Qatar, America, Turkey, Israel were involved and the one man figure missing who stays out of the limelight slipping in and out undetected is terrorist financier Yasin al Qadi (Yasin al Kadi) That would be the next angle I would like to see Ghassan or someone else write on he is another piece to the puzzle and has strong American ties (Made in America) Thanks again for an insightful piece of journalism, always walk away more educated.
The Wahhabi cult was created by our British Masters.
So you don’t believe that individual people who comprise into this larger picture of indoctrinated and drug invested uneducated, poverty stricken organized crime are not responsible for undoing the hijacking that outsiders have done to their religion? Killing them and cutting their neck and head off only slows them down but the ideology of conquering the world will proceed so long as there are no responsible muslims willing to re educate their religion away from misconceptions and into gangs that have nothing to do with Islam but everything to do with Cult-like organized crime. Do your research on the cult of Scientology or of the late Rev Sun Moon (Moonies) they were worth millions perhaps billions the largest Sushi distribution in the USA was started by the Moonies and they still have ownership of it. Also look into another Islamic cult started by CIA gladio program called the Gulen Turkish Movement they are estimated to be valued at $22-27 billion and operate the largest network of publicly funded charter schools in the USA. Cults and organized crime have always used / hijacked religion as a fake front to infiltrate into society. They are effective and very profitable., it’s up to educated leaders of every faith to undo the wrong. Currently Gulen is issuing press releases against the Islamic state and extremism. Gulen is backed by the CIA and Israel, he was originally an ally of Erdogan and AKP. Today they are bitter enemies locked in lawsuits and name-calling …my opinion is its 2 power hungry Islamic cults who have turned against each over power and greed. Until Islam undos these false organized crime syndicates away from hate, killing and false teachings the wizards in the background that finance these Islamic war lords will continually walk away laughing while muslims kill each other they march away with the oil control getting away with stealing more land and oil rights because muslims are too busy killing each other and everyone while getting addicted to Captagon and power.
I fully agree with your comments. It is Saker’s blog and it is his responsibility that Guest Poster are not pushing The Empire agenda or The Christianity agenda.
Best regards,
Mohamed
First, I don’t always agree with the authors I post here. ALL the articles posted here are offered as a basis for discussion
Second, I can promote any agenda I want (I chose to promote intelligent discussions and the quest for the truth)
Third, the author of this article is not a Christian
Fourth, neither does this article promote a Christian agenda.
Fifth – an article critical of some segments of the Muslim world should not be interpreted as promoting any Christian/Hindu/Shinto/Judaic/Pagan or any other agenda. One does not imply the other.
Please remain logical. Thanks.
I am a little anoyend by the whole mayhem because i dont understand why its such a big deal in the first place. I think the Cordoba House, is an opportunity for those insecure, narrow minded Americans to see what actually goes on in a muslim community service. The myths of bomb plotting or building a terrorist army would soon be wiped out, since like any other religion its a place for congregational gathering the only difference is Muslims take a great deal of pride in their belief.I think the protestors will continue regardless, i just want to know would such havoc be caused if it were a Synagogue, Church or Temple being built on site??? What gets forgotten that the poor civilians that were killed/affected in the 9/11 were not just Christians but Muslims, Jews, Hindus and people of many other faiths/religon. So the attack should not be regarded as a religious attack, i think the very poorly educated Americans need to be reminded this once in a while. The worst thing then to follow is that Barack Obama is now accused by a minority of American citizens of being muslim i mean come on how shallow can you go? Just because he is advocating or allowing this house to be built, people are judging him already..whats the big deal if he was muslim anyway???
This is a joke.. Like Israel is not in the news so they create a whole bunch to make it seem they are important.. There is no country scored than one that is insignificant and ignored..
IS is using punitive divisions to stop desertions.. They executed like 50 members yesterday for not willing to wear suicide vests.. Another 61 last week for running away.. Hundreds each month are executed for retreating and trying to flee..
Now that most of their officers have been pulled out the gangs dont know what to do.. There are still the thousands of small gangs around but no more that IS/FSA/NURSA moderate super power able to take any objective.. Easy to terrorize retreating soldiers without any support and civilians who cant fight.. You need quite a bit to discipline to face advancing forces with air power and bombs that can kill you in your hidey hole..
And as we saw last week, The leading edge by Hezbollah.. They might not have the latest gadgets but they are highly disciplined and experienced.. Balls of steel.. When was the last time any MSM said that about someone.. Seems even the highly paid mercenaries are nothing without their F16’s bombing the crap out of defenseless grunts and using C130 gunships against rifles.. The western narrative about invincibility seems to happen only when they have overwhelming firepower of at least 10x times their defenseless enemies.. Both the Houthis and Hezbollah is showing what determination can achieve..
RAMADI has fallen.. US said it would take years.. Guess plans to split Iraq into oil and no oil zones are now under threat because of Russia..
The dogs of war in the current battle field in Syria,Iraq,Libya and Yemen are controlled and funded by nato,erdagon,wahabbist,Qatarist headed by the US&Israel secret faction.Putin butting in changes the calculus.Lookout as the problem migrates to Libya and Afghanistan as Arabia and Turkey fragments.The world is a rich place for endless war for us&Israel secret faction the final battle is when they come for the sleeing Jews and Americans.
To mmirww; you would almost make coherent sense if you would explain and prove how the potential split of Iraq is somehow Russia’s fault. You almost resent the fact that Russia is a strong ally of Syria as if there is some other underlining sinister plan of Russia in Syria. Your undermining of nonsense and stupidity listening to drunks and deadbeats who live in Dubai or elsewhere is comical. If it wasn’t so comical the way you have actually conned some people who actually are Syrian or Iraqis it would be tragic at the amount of influence you may have over people who may not do their research and instead lazily read the rants and crap from a retired nurse who is living on disability and obsessed with something that really doesn’t concern her or her WAASP background or her so called work in Israel. Giving bad information is irresponsible of you but people need to wise up and see through this as well.
The plan to split Iraq into a north and south or as you labeled it “oil and no oil regions” started over 20 years ago with the partnership of the Barzani family and Israel. If you knew anyone of importance in the military or higher up this is well documented that when 9/11 happened it was the excuse Bush and the Carlyle group (investment firm owned partly by the Saudis) needed to point blame at Iraq who is nothing more than a gold mine bank for the USA and Israel. They used the Barzani Kurds with the initial lies and false testimony and narratives that “Hussein kills us, Hussein gases us” meanwhile the Barzani KDP family was being moved into the north area – Israel was building shopping centers and along the way killing Yezidi Kurds, Assyrians and Armenians just to get them out of the lucrative areas. I never heard once your white trash American government helping Iraqis but rather helping Israel carry out their plans for an expanded oil export business while slob fakes guzzle up lies that Russia is behind this. All the while where were you? off to Israel or ? we know you never were in Iraq or Syria. Then lets continue this plan of Israel’s new expanded oil exportation shall we……….
America creates chaos in Iraq, dismantles the government, the military meanwhile the north is being built up while the economy and social structures of Iraq are being destroyed the legacy of IPC and the first oil Baron of Iraq Calouste Gubekanian (Mr. 5%) his hospitals destroyed, schools destroyed and in marches the CIA / Israeli backed Turkish Gulen Movement who gets $11.8 billion in contracts to rebuild Iraq, and install Turkish Schools to brainwash children. Meanwhile Hussein is found, put on a fake trial where he is set up with fake witnesses (Barzani people) and then killed while his right hand man Christian Assyrian Tariq Aziz is put in jail and all is forgotten and people are silenced so the greater plan of America and Israel to slice up Iraq is further carried out with creating of more havoc on Iraqis and more criminals acts on the Iraqis people to gloss over the major plan of oil exportation. Even a signing of a 50 year energy contract with Israeli partner Turkey (Erdogan) to transport this oil via the main arteries of Turkey. Meanwhile more people killed and more history of Iraq DESTROYED because who cares in America or Israel we are going to carve it up the way we want and what suits the oil brokers of America and Israel.
Except one thing these criminals didn’t bargain for., their greed got in the way, they then wanted Syria to complete the plans and the coastal water that they need…Iraqis government fought back and blocked the sale of the KRG tankers and they were discarded into port of Ashod, Israel – so they created a bootlegging of the oil, (hey can’t sell it legitimately might as well steal it and kill more Syrians and Iraqis who cares) The only problem with this is now everyone is fighting over greed and there is no more alliances only greed and more fighting the only hope that Syria had besides their strong united front (despite the trouble created by Turkmen) was to build their alliances up with Iran, Lebanon, Russia and China and that is what we have today is the unity of these countries, together fighting evil greed -Lebanon, Iran know they are next on the list. Iraq is not separated yet, the people of Iraq don’t want this it’s Israel and some American factions pushing it. Turkey doesn’t care so long as Turkey is not divided up so they create chaos in Turkey. This master plan of Israel for a greater oil control is not in the interests of Russia, China and the world. There is no way this is done to benefit Russia or China but rather further isolate them. They cannot afford to have Iraq split, and her people destroyed cultures and deep history wiped off the earth as if they never existed. China is the trump card and has many interests in Iraq , should this get to a point of Israel’s plan working you will see the Chinese surface to even a greater extent of Russia. Your simplex remarks and finger pointing to Russia is completely mind blowing if not crazy talk. Look to the history and to the bigger puzzle and then at the pieces being played but mostly look who has the most to gain. Iraqis will not be split without a bloody fight to the end, and Syrians will not give up they will have to kill ever last Syrian patriot if they want to take her. The caveat to this all is that the Kurdish majority hate Barzani, Israel failed in gathering 40 million of them under the direction of criminal Barzani. Israel was behind capturing Abdullah Ocalan in Africa and he is in jail in Turkey that is who the Kurds respect not the Barzani Yahudi criminal clans of Iraq. No oil no power and that is what we have today. Lets not mislead people on facts and finger point to Russia as the blame or that there is a split of Iraq, that is not final yet and far off – without oil and power the KRG is only a faint wet dream of Israel and the gluttony of the Miltiary Industrial Complex of America.
You are quite right when talking about battle and tech superiority. NATO soldiers (+vassals) seem to think of themselves as invincible because they’ve been killing defenseless people from afar for a long time now.
In Serbia, there is an old saying “Boj ne bije vatreno oruzije, boj bije srce u junaka.”
Loosely translated – “A battle is not decided by the strength of weapons, it is decided by the hearts of heroes.”
The greatest example of this, today, is the battle of Yemenis vs. the technologically superior (many times over) army of Saudi Arabia coalition.
I think I disagree with the guest blogger.
“Religious reform of any religion is the task of its followers, and obviously in the case of Islam, the onus is on Muslims.”
This is not a religious problem where one religion just continues to create (in a vacuum) radical and violent adherents. This is simplistic rubbish.
The grievances that “Jihadists” have with the West are entirely political and very legitimate. I can’t imagine Christians or Buddhists would respond any differently if the world’s only military hyper power had bombed some 14 majority Christian or Buddhist countries over the last 25 years, routinely incinerating innocent Christian or Buddhist women and children. There would of course be a violent push back from a minority in the Christian or Buddhist community against the violence enacted against them. This is human nature and entirely unsurprising. That this push back wraps itself in Islamic ideology is also not surprising as the identification with Islam is one of the primary aspects of the Middle Eastern culture that we have been oppressing and exploiting for decades.
Instead of putting the “onus” on Muslim’s to “reform” why don’t we put the onus where it belongs which is on the West to stop meddling and bombing within the Muslim world? To anyone who has ever met a Muslim person, it is obvious that their religion is not the problem here. The problem is the violent, aggressive, exploitative, oppressive, and immoral policies of the West. Let’s place the onus where it actually belongs instead of distracting from the real problem by blaming an entire religion. A religion where it shouldn’t even be necessary to point out is comprised by a vast majority of non-violent and peace loving human beings.
Thanks for making this point that I omitted from my comment. However, Wahhabbii extremism’s been around long before the major assault on Muslim nations began and was responsible for the initial relations between India and Pakistan being poisoned at Partition. The issue of Palestine is also of a primary nature that reveals the nature of Daesh’s relations to its kindred Zionazis.
Well, this is my first time commenting here so I appreciate the feedback. I agree that Wahhabism itself predates 25 years of heightened aggression by the West against Muslim countries. However, it should be pointed out that in the 50’s and 60’s it was the West (primarily Brittan) that was supporting, funding, and encouraging Islamic Fundamentalism as a counter balance to Secular Arab Nationalism which at the time, was seen as a great threat to Western interests.
The West and the US in particular has a long history of using Islamic Fundamentalists to overthrow secular governments like Iran, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Chechnya, Libya, Syria, etc. etc.
My point is, I just don’t think that this warped, inhumane, perversion of Islam could survive without the funding, training, and supporting of the West on the one hand and their vicious, exploitative, and murderous policies on the other.
The real point is that Islam itself predate any Wahhabist “extremism”. The command to Islamize the World was given by Mahomet himself, is inscribed in the Koran, as are the means to realize this goal, jihad. “Mohammed is Allah’s apostle. Those who follow him are harsh to the unbelievers but merciful to one another” Quran 48:29.
The grievances of the “extremists” are that people resist Islam and Muslims leave it (seduced by the “unbelievers”).
The real idiocy of the West was to believe that Muslims don’t really believe in their ideology and only the “extremists” do.
Christianity is a proselytizing religion too and there are groups of Christians today whose eschatology dove tails nicely with that of the “IS”. At the end of the day there will always be those who are unable to read the truth between the lines of their holy books, but it nonetheless remains true that these ‘useful idiots’ have been whole heartedly exploited and encouraged by those powers with vested interests to do so. The British were meddling in the Gulf for centuries, first via the East India Company and then via state mechanisms and it was they who supported Ibn Saud and the Wahhabis, as they continue to do to this day.
I understand why a lot of the Muslim community would feel misunderstood and defensive, and many of their grievances with Western society are legitimate as are discussed every day in forums like these. Are individual Muslims anymore beholden to speak out against ‘Jihad’ than Christians are to speak out about the far right/Zio-crazy interpretations of the Bible that still inspire incredible acts of violence? I think Jihad had by and large died a death until it was resurrected in 1099 on a feedback loop from the church of Rome. Maybe there would be some merit in Muslims looking back to some of those post-conquest theologians as there would in Western society asking itself why it tolerates the provocative violence of their insane war mongers.
Learn what jihad really means:
http://islamicsupremecouncil.org/understanding-islam/legal-rulings/5-jihad-a-misunderstood-concept-from-islam.html?start=9
Thanks for this excellent and very sobering apraisal. Ghassan Kadi once again offers a provocative and compelling analysis that challenges our general western view that the humans in the Middle East are puppets, and not people with their own purpose and will.
I’m growing over time into closer agreement with two of his main theses, one that the US is consciously departing the ME, in its larger pivot to Asia, and two that the Islamic State is its own creature now, regardless of origins.
Against this backdrop, the presence of Russia, as Kadi has highlighted for us in earlier articles, takes on a profound aspect. Russia brings the rule of law that the US has broken. Cleaning up the terrorists will be a gigantic task, vastly larger than we thought in our Halford Mackinder worldview. And this will figure as a large story of our time.
And yet Russia shows impeccable credentials for the task. Kadi explains that the task is to overturn a profane interpretation of the sacred. Russia comes imbued with the sacred as an institutional certainty in its own society.
His call to all Muslims to clean up this interpretation themselves has always struck me as a little too hard on ordinary people. Russia’s call to the institutional heads of the doctrines is the correct one. People’s hearts must turn away from evil, both in the Christian and the Muslim world, but it will all happen through leaders. And perhaps, if we’re lucky, a touch of grace.
Interesting. Why no mention of Shia and Daesh’s vow to eliminate them as apostates, implying this cannot be a call to all Muslims.
If Daesh has “broken” its relations with the Outlaw US Empire, then what nation is ferrying Daesh into Afghanistan so they can target the Central Asian stans and China?
It would be educational for Mr Kadi to write an essay detailing the commonalities between the Abrahamic religions use of violence to further their influence and solidify their institutions.
The Kabbalists who created ISIL (larouchepub.com/eiw/public/2013/eirv40n31-20130809/15-22_4031.pdf) changed its name to ISIS because the ancient elites and Talmudists of various type communicate through SEMIOTICS – the language of signs and symbols (and buzzwords and buzz sentences).
ISIS was a goddess who copulated with her brother – i.e. “anything goes” is the motto of Satan/ists – and the one goddess that singers like Beyonce and other Illuminatists claim they embody.
vigilantcitizen.com (regarding semiotics in popular culture)
The Illuminati by renaming them ISIS they are signaling to their kin around the world that “these are ours”.
By again renaming them to IS after a while is because
1) their first objective of cognition among worldwide elites about ISIS is met.
2) thus they internationalize this manufactured threat that now gradually scares the Europeans and the world.
This is NOT SO BECAUSE I BELIEVE ITno caps please – its shouting, for I am not existentially necessary for this, but because actors are playing accordingly.
* Brigader Shahak testified about it.
* The computers captured in the Syrian SOF raid May when Delta Force evacuated a dominionist US general out of eastern Syria proved this is a spiritual war.
Anymouse; I’m sorry to say that the terms you are writing about (I.e) ISIS/IS are merely English translations of Arabic names and are not at all used in the Middle East.
As for your other comments these are totally foreign to Syrians and I can’t understand why you would know something about their war that none of them know.
Semiotics is not mysterious or secret, but the study of signing and reference, grammar, semantics, linguistic structure, syntax, and such.
Larouche goes off the wall at times.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/semiotics
se·mi·ot·ics
also se·mei·ot·ics (sē′mē-ŏt′ĭks, sĕm′ē-, sē′mī-)
n. (used with a sing. verb)
The theory and study of signs and symbols, especially as elements of language or other systems of communication, and comprising semantics, syntactics, and pragmatics.
n (functioning as singular)
1. (Linguistics) the study of signs and symbols, esp the relations between written or spoken signs and their referents in the physical world or the world of ideas. See also semantics,
free book, or can buy a copy:
http://visual-memory.co.uk/daniel/Documents/S4B/
Semiotics for Beginners Daniel Chandler
“Contemporary semioticians study signs not in isolation but as part of semiotic ‘sign systems’ (such as a medium or genre). They study how meanings are made: as such, being concerned not only with communication but also with the construction and maintenance of reality.”
You can’t use language without semiotics involved.
As I see it, seeing destroyed their main source of income, the illegal smuggling of oil on a large scale, thanks to the accurate bombing of Russian Air Force, ISIS has lost the ability to call on the global market of mercenaries, accustomed to a level of income beyond the reach of any honored worker from anyywhere.
Therefore, they have been forced to resort to advertising, calling for jihad against the West, using the MSM. What we wonder is on what basis someone lend them these MSM to spread their advertising. I never tire of saying that the diffusion of their videos, messages and propaganda benefits them to a great extent, especially for this call effect, not to mention the spreading of terror and hate between muslims and no muslims.
On the other hand, I do not think this is any evidence that the US and Saudi Arabia are no more behind ISIS, but on one side, facing the negotiations on the future of Syria and the increasingly clear evidence of their patronage of such terrorist entity, it is very convenient this representation of ISIS as “independent entity” from all its sponsors, and even threatening them. Also, ahead of the peace settlement, posing “a businessman resident in UK as Prime Minister” and the possibility for Assad to stand for election ( ie the Troika coup style, this new Syrian Prime Minister, who have chosen him ?), guarantee for themselves a place in the lucrative reconstruction of Syria, they who have turned it to ashes.
Last but not least, adding to this the recent attacks on mosques in different locations, reported by some commentators (I think vot tak and some other), all this makes us think that after their failed attempt to set off a global conflagration through the coup in Ukraine and the war in Syria, what better way to complicate matters both in Russia and in Europe ( which has always been the objective, that neither of them lift up its head) that unleash a war between Islam and the Western world, the worshiped Clash of Civilizations, with the USA, again, as transatlantic viewer, and Russia, again, a multifaith country with hot spots in areas of Muslim faith, the Balkans, again, with the wounds of the recent interreligious conflict still unhealed and recklessly resisting come into NATO, and Europe, again, resisting, at least in part, the renewal of sanctions against Russia and flooded with refugees from Islamic countries, among which have been conveniently infiltrated the agitators on duty, yes, we all, again, as in the past World Wars, taking the brunt!
I have noticed some very spirited comments under this article of Ghassan’s. It is a challenge for Western friends who want to understand what goes on in the Middle East. For someone who doesn’t speak Arabic, hasn’t read the Quran and doesn’t discern it’s true message from its misinterpretations, hasn’t studied Islamic history, never sat down with and listened to Islamists, how they recruit young people, knows the difference between what they say in their closed circles against what they say openly, it becomes very easy to either tow the line of simplistic conspiracies theories or blame the USA for a dogma that had been around since before the great grandfather of Columbus was born.
I also noticed in the last few years where we have worked very closely with many concerned Western friends of Syria that many feel a deep need to be in “control” of things. By this I mean it in a nice way but it has its limitations and has at times placed some at odds with us and even looked a little like some being Western “exceptionalists” in their handling of it all. This “control” I speak about involves a Western mind needing to have a Western centric methodology or framework to analyse and make sense of things around them – even in societies and places so alien and almost totally beyond their abilities to understand and then, instead of trying to see things through another paradigm, because they are dealing with another paradigm, they can disrespect some of the top indigenous analysts and condemn them for their lack of understanding.
Even more to point, I know of course of Ghassan but also of another very top of the list analyst from the Levant, who go through periods where they feel quite confounded. So they then watch, observe, some times consult each other and often wait as they know that “time” can help reveal something or bring clarity. Ghassan often talks about the years in the midst of the war in Lebanon, where in the space of an afternoon allegiances can completely change and then later in the day another change can occur and maybe again. To try to sit there and apply logic to it all is rather laughable. There are so many changing, fast pace dynamics going on that are related to so many factors that people from outside the region, let alone those within the region, will not be aware of or feel confused about!
Intibah,
Thank you for your insightful post.
I hear you, yes, I’m a Texan so I’ll never really understand what’s really going on in the middle east. I do my best to learn but I’m a quiet atheist so I’ll never really understand anyone who has religious beliefs. I respect everyone’s right to believe whatever they like as long as they respect my right to disbelieve.
We Americans are taught from birth that we are exceptional so it’s not really surprising that you can see it so clearly in how we understand the world and how we want to make it better. We have a really bad habit of projecting our own actions on others: the Russian intervention in Syria clearly means that Russia is trying to take over the world (because that’s what we would be doing if we were Russia).
That projection is a blindness: we always want to assign western motives to non-western action.
“We” also carry the “white man’s burden” to “enlighten” (dominate) the world. This is a very old theme and a cornerstone of American understanding. Of course “we” are completely wrong but it is such an important part of our consciousness that it’s part of our understanding of the world, despite that fact that it’s insane. This is how we justified the native American genocide and the Monroe doctrine and bombing Syria.
Peace my brother, I hope that one day we can find it.
Does anybody know if this Baghdadi nut has mentioned Israel/Palestine before? Is this something new or is it par for the course?
If the former it jibes with the theory detailed in my comment (page 2 about halfway down) on the Putin and Israel article. It would be the perfect excuse for Israel to come out strongly against Daesh etc. If Israel switches sides America will soon follow.
Should I be right you are all free to wonder wide eyed at my geopolitical genius and powers of prognostication. Should I be proven wrong by unfolding events a few “moth you idiot” type comments would not be unexpected or misplaced. We shall see.
Hi Ghassan, great article. Thanks very much. I wonder what solution there is to this violent form of Islam ?
Dear Ann,
There is no violent form of Islam. The Wahhabi cult was created by our British Masters, based on lies of ibn Taymiyyah.
I just finished hearing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09TI5CHQuac
Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time
Published on Jun 6, 2013
Karen Armstrong talked about her book Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time, published by Harper Collins in the Eminent Lives series. She described Muhammad, the prophet and founder of Islam, as a respectful man who …
Quite informative, from a recognized expert in these matters.
Thank you Ann. The solution is in Muslims returning to the Quran and trying to really understand it. This is the “reform” needed; one based on understanding, not on ancient well-accepted dogmas.
Important material starting at about 35 minutes in should not be missed, if you don’t watch the whole interview (which preferable).
Note the other videos with Karen Armstrong linked in the sidebar. Her work is very good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SyCCM2hxDA
Karen Armstrong: “Islam: A Short History” (Booknotes, 22/9/00)
Published on Jul 19, 2015
*** Ms. Armstrong talked about her book Islam: A Short History, published by Modern Library. The book traces the origins and growth of the Islamic faith from the revelations Muhammad received in the seventh century to the present. She also talked about how and why the faith is often misunderstood. ***
Damage limitation – that’s the Israeli game. Or, at least, it’s ruling clique’s game.
Too much is now known about the oil smuggling, especially that Israel is the main buyer.
Also, the Barzani clan are in league with IS gangs, whom they use to transport the oil via Turkey – Erdogan’s clan are the facilitators.
The Israeli involvement with al-Nusra in Golan Heights has been given a whitewash job in the British Press (Lord Dacre’s Daily Mail recently) : it’s all down to ‘humanitarian’ principles. Nothing at all to do with rescuing Mossad command and control before the Syrians/HZB get to them…
Now al-Bag in his Tel Aviv ‘bunker’ has been handed a new script – by his Mossad handlers.
Time to replay the ‘existential threat’ card. (Iran’s recent nuke-free ‘bill of health’ has rather spoilt that old reliable for hitting USG for cash) .
Who better to play that role than the ever-morphing, hydra-headed IS? They’re everyone’s bad guys right ? ‘Plucky little Israel’ could sure use a reboot after Gaza 2014, (and those ‘Breaking The Silence’ ‘asshats arent helping…) the Druze in the Golan Heights are leaking Israel/IS collusion daily, and the spin is getting harder to convince…
Four Israeli MPs were removed from the Knesset over their protests at the Jewish settler attacks on Palestinians.
This may be the beginning of the end of Israel as we know – and loathe – it. And the beginning of a Palestine/Israel re-set.
Nutty recently hoped for two more ‘Israels’ in the region. Be careful what you wish for.
But will the oil-cartels succeed in their new mafia-run statelets, ‘Sunnistan’ and ‘Kurdistan’?
Al-Baghdadi is a Mossad creation. That is all I need to know.
” But even if the army of the Islamic State is defeated, its oil trade put to an end, Erdogan given a punch and sent to the naughty corner and Saudi Arabia goes bankrupt and unable to bankroll any more funds for rising Jihadists, the concept of an Islamic State akin to Al-Baghdadi’s will not go away for as long as there are Muslims who believe in the violent version of Islam.”
Right, there are thousands of would-be Al-Baghdadis out there. But without the CIA’s infrastructure and Zion’s billions hey are just schoolyard bullies – annoying and despicable, but hardly a danger for humanity.
Bismillah al Rahman al Raheem (in the name of God the Most Gracious the Most Merciful)…….
I understand the approach of the dear author and what he is trying to get across:
how Muslims need to uproot extremism from their own societies…….and I believe no one can doubt the state of the Muslims and the corruption in their leadership and societies.
However, in order to answer or even solve a problem, you need to understand how the problem started and how it formed. You need to formulate the causes.
The Western intervention in the Middle-East pre-dates even the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the West occupied then broke up the Middle-East into nation states.
The West supported dictatorships and monarchs to crush or bribe the people into submission.
The West/Zionists uprooted Palestinians that are now all over the Middle-East.
The West bombed the hell out of Iraq then put 13 year sanctions on Iraq and if that was not enough, they literally occupied Iraq, destroyed its infrastructure and basically created generations of illiterate, angry, ignorant youth raised up in a land of sanctions, poverty, destruction, war and chaos.
It is absolutely impossible to root out extremism, corruption, dictatorialism, etc. in the Middle-East without getting rid of the Western yoke on the necks of the Arabs.
The Western powers are too powerful, have too much influence and interests (Zionistic, strategic, economic), military bases, and control too much of the leaderships in the countries they sliced up.
When you approach a topic like extremism, you have to be logic and understand the causes.
When you write about such a topic, you have to have the approach of a scientist, a scholar.
This is the basic steps and approach even if you lack enough knowledge in the initial stages of your problem solving.
Any type of sincere, honest and successful scientist or scholar will approach a problem using this method, whether he is in the social sciences, earth-and planetary sciences, medical, etc.
As for whether you only adhere to the Western observable/materialist form of science or believe in the unseen (God, prophets you have not witnessed in your time, heaven, hell) in your scientific and scholarly approach, this is another issue.
In my analysis, I conclude that the Arabs and Muslims will stay backwards in all forms until the Western control over them is removed, either in the form of direct occupation/intervention or through proxies, in the form of ruling elites/regimes and gangs, terrorists, etc.
For people who know this information, we are basically eagerly and patiently awaiting for the time when this will occur……..
@ Harry_Red:
“[..] In my analysis, I conclude that the Arabs and Muslims will stay backwards in all forms until the Western control over them is removed, either in the form of direct occupation/intervention or through proxies, in the form of ruling elites/regimes and gangs, terrorists, etc”
Can’t agree more. These people need to be left alone, to evolve in whatever way and whatever shape their own sails leads them to.
And for the millionth time; I don’t mean that in a bad way.
We can laugh all we like about Sci-Fi make-believe principles, but Start Trek ‘Prime Directive’ is sound. It pledges non interference with other cultures.
If only that rule was followed and respected by all the world’s powers, we wouldn’t be in the situation we are now, I suspect.
-TL2Q
@ Gasshan Kadi,
Quote by the author: The Islamic State is much more than an organization of terrorists with an army and stolen oil fields. It is an ideology, an ideology that feeds on a religion, commonly-held misinterpretations of a religion, with more than a billion potential recruits in sight.
Now here’s the irony. Saudi Arabia has been based on Wahhabism, which is in turn founded on those violent misinterpretations of Islam. Saudi Arabia fed the ideology that created Al-Qaeda and later on the Islamic State, but they have politically collided with both of them later on.
Please Ghassan, it is not based on misinterpretation but lies. either you don’t know the history of Wahhabism This sentence has been edited as the rules ofthe site clearly state not to attack guest contributors. Mod TR.
I usually end or start the post with Salam, but this time I will end it with,
Peace
OK, here’s a “fun” fact:
.
Oldest to Youngest Religions:
Egyptian
Sumerian
Akkadian-Babylonian
Hittite-Hurrian
Hindu
Greek
Judaism
Celtic
Buddhist
Roman
Mayan
Inca
Aztec
Nordic-Icelandic
Christian
Islamic
–
If you do a google search and overlook break-away sects [Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses (etc)] and non-religions such as Scientology (and others) you’ll see the youngest one is indeed Islam.
This is my question… how come Islam – the ‘new kid on the block’ of religions – is both; the most troublesome [tribal wars, this version of Islam vs. that version of Islam, extremists magnet (etc)] and the most backwards too, backwards in the sense of backwards-looking: back to a time of goat herders, desert wonderers, no modern-day facilities/inventions, let alone modern thinking (etc).
So that’s on the one hand; since they’re so ‘green,’ shouldn’t they sit on a corner quietly and learn from their elders? (Learn from the mistakes those who came before them – their fellow religious elders – committed. If you want me to be specific…).
On the other hand… why religious followers of older religions [the kind of religions that already went through the motions, reformed, broke-away, toss out drivel it didn’t make sense (etc)] are supposed sit down, shut up, and take crap from these new comers? Why?
Then you also have to contend with “devout” Muslims who don’t know their own ‘history’…
There was this protest in New York (I think), covered by RT at the time, against the visit of Modi, their grievance was that he was a persecutor of Muslims in India, and this Muslim lady said, (I’m paraphrasing); “He’s persecuting Muslims in India and Bangladesh, even though Muslims have been living there for thousands of years!”
Thousands of years? REALLY?!? Islam is not THAT old! Whether in India or elsewhere for that matter! […dear lord give me the strength!]
Maybe she meant to say hundreds instead of thousands of years, never the less… why can’t I shake this feeling that a lot of Muslims have an exaggerated sense of value about their own beliefs over anything and everything else?
-TL2Q
Nice list; yours or someone else’s? It’s not complete as it leaves out the oldest–animist, fire and helio based systems that are generic and upon which all modern religions are based. The oldest known religious texts are the Vedas, the celestial observations they include are over 10K years old. The oldest known pictoral religous representations are 50-70,000 years old. Proto-religious thought is older than language, IMO. The rise of religion is a very controversial topic that will likely never be settled since there’s too much guess work. IMO, the world would be a better place without the Abrahamic religions.
@ Outlaw Historian:
I’ve tried to brush-up a bit on my ancient civilizations before answering you (Dear dog! Fascinating as it all is, it’s also a headache when you’re looking for straight answers!), but yeah, the claim for the oldest texts are contested by archeologists and/or historians. Also, there are evidence of religiosity in the pre-historical era too. The further back you go the fuzzier the picture gets….
“[..] The oldest known pictoral religous representations are 50-70,000 years old. Proto-religious thought is older than language, IMO”
;-)
–
And I can see the contest gets even hotter about which is the oldest text/religion between the Hindus’ Vedas and the Egyptian Pyramid Texts… ultimately, that wasn’t the focus of my post: the newest one of the lot is Islam. And the general misconception might be that newer is better, well…
…not really if they keep looking back to by-gone times that don’t apply to modern times and our modern mores.
Windows 8 it sure ain’t better than Windows 7, nor 7 is better than XP (to give you a geek example), let alone if we start comparing Windows with other OP systems… Linux, Unix, Mac, hell, even Amiga wasn’t so bad for its time!
I suppose the point I’m trying to make is that ‘new’ doesn’t necessarily mean better, but neither does old (or sticking to old ways).
We need to take the actual value of whatever it is that is presented to us for what it’s for, what it’s worth and how much ‘usefulness’ we can get out of it. (If that makes sense?)
“The rise of religion is a very controversial topic that will likely never be settled since there’s too much guess work [..]”
Controversial? Oh yes!
Will it never be settled?
Contrary to my pessimistic nature; I’d like to believe it will. Otherwise I have to believe, us humans are hopelessly retarded :/
-TL2Q
I miss the Zoroastrianism, ancient religion of the Persians, from which I had news when I visited Iran.
I remember it governed by three principles:
*Humata, Hukhta, Huvarshta, which mean: Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds.
*There is only one path and that is the path of Truth.
*Do the right thing because it is the right thing to do, and then all beneficial rewards will come to you also.
It sounds very sensible, right?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism
No arguments from me, elsi :-)
They American/israeli scriptwriters who penned this screed from Al-Baghdadi are losing their touch.
They need to watch some more Hollywood action films in order to create a credible bogeyman, like they did with Uncle USAMa Bin Laden.
So now does this give KSA and Israel permission to do what in the name of self defence?
Upon reading the comments, positive ones, negative, and in between, makes it imperative to make a general statement.
Mainstream Islam is not based on proper interpretations of the word of the Koran. It is based on controversial and different versions of Hadith and their interpretations and misinterpretations of the Koran.
The essay makes direct reference to certain key Koranic words that have been given meanings that are different to their etymological meanings. There are also words that can have more than one meaning, but the meanings chosen by the clergy have always been the ones that suit their dogma and agenda.
The reform Islam needs has got to be based on going back to the drawing board.
Ironically, the strongest opposition above to this didn’t come from Muslims, but from fanatics and bigots who think they are Christians. They have an image of Islam and they do not wish to see it addressed in a manner that makes Islam look good because they have a vested interest in the upkeep of the violent image.
To use the commonly held beliefs of mainstream Islam against this essay does not stack up logically, unless backed by irrefutable proof provided by language.
Some will never understand the message inside the essay and some will fight tooth and nail to suppress it. On the side of positive comments however, it is good to see that the essay made sense to some enlightened spirits.
The comments above however cannot be a representation of anything close to a global response. The main response, or the lack of it, has to come from Muslims. They can ignore the call for reform, but this can only mean one of two things: they are either unaware of need for reform or unable to do it. In either case, the existing problems associated with what is seen as violence in Islam will only get worse.