By Ithar Abdul Haq; Translation by Yusra Ahmed
(Zaman Al Wasl)- The sixth issue of English version of DABIQ, The Islamic State’s official magazine, has identified many facts and points of views, which were before vague and unbiased, maybe to be able to deny them later.
DABIQ, as the tongue of the Islamic State, used to present two different versions of its attitude and speech in English and Arabic. That did not result from the difference in expressions between the two languages, but it reflected the real double faces of the Islamic State, where it showed the suitable attitude according to different circumstances.
DABIQ's way of talking about other Islamic Jihadi organizations and their leaders, showed the amount of disrespect the State has toward them and their history, using plain and direct English expressions to show contempt.
Expressions like: “the Qa’idah of Adh-dhawariti, al-Harari, and An-Nadhari”, gives an idea about the attempt of DABIQ to restrict and summarize a huge Islamic Organization like al-Qaeda into three people, unlike the way it talks about the unanimous Islamic State which had become a Caliphate.
It is clear that DABIQ tries to under-estimate al-Qaeda’s figures as a response to their attitude toward the Islamic State and their rejection to announcing the Caliphate.
DABIQ tried to defame the prominent figures of al-Qaeda by giving them description could be humiliating to anybody, not only for leaders of an Islamic Organization. The Magazine described An-Nadhari of devious complimentary, al-Harari of hinting before openly showing the hatred and envy, Abo Abdulah al-Shami was mentioned as over-talkative, sophisticated and malicious, while the Magazine criticized al-Zawahiri of his contradictions.
Almost 42% of the 62-page- issue of DABIQ, were allocated to attacking al-Qaeda and its figures, which points out that the Islamic State considered al-Qaeda a real enemy to the Caliphate, not only a litigant.
The magazine attacked and criticized all Islamic formations and their leaders, putting the Islamic State in a merit to question all, but keep itself away from criticism. Even the dead were not protected from bad descriptions, like the killed leaders from Ahrar al-Sham, who were described as “ Sahwat’s apostates”. However, it is well known that they were the elites and Ahrar al-Sham was one of the most active formations in fighting Syrian regime
There is no doubt that cutting relationships and any connection with al-Qaeda is considered a serious step of the Islamic State, However, attacking, criticizing and dismissing the Salafi Jihadis and there figures like Abo Mohammed al-Maqdisi and Abo Kotata al-Falestini, is far more serious step, it can reflect one of two background: either the Caliph feels confident of his power and the Caliphate and does not need any support from other Islamic formation, or simply it is a condition of megalomania.
In page 38 of the 6th issue of DABIQ,, a proof of attacking Salfis, as the magazine presented a darkened pictures of Abo Kotata and al-Maqdisi under a provocative caption: “the Misleading Scholars” with a reference to a “Hadith” of Prophet Mohammed in which he warned of the misleading Imams, who were considered more dangerous on the nation than deceitful “Dajjal”
Opposite those darkened pictures of Jihadi leaders, a bright and eye-catching image of Haron Monis, the newly known Iranian man who was killed during a raid to free hostages he kept in Australia. The irony was that even the Australian and Iranian government mentioned that he had psychological problems without indicating any terrorist background of his action, or even any Islamic background.
Monis was unknown until he carried out his attack and kept hostages in Australia, but DABIQ insisted on making him a religious knowledgeable person, only because he swore allegiance to the Caliph, despite they know he was Shiite, as the magazine quoted : “In the past, I had raised a flag other than the flag of Islam, I ask forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him. I swear by Allah the Almighty that I will never raise a flag other than the flag of Rasūlullāh. I used to be a Rāfidī, but not anymore. Now I am a Muslim, All praise is due to Allah who honored me with giving bay’ah to the Imām of our times. Those who give bay’ah to the Khalīfah of the in actuality are giving”
The double standard in raising people and dismissing others the Islamic State follows, proved that the only criteria it uses is “loyalty to the Caliph”, where immoral people become respected once they swear allegiance to the Caliph, while honest figures got their morals and histories destroyed the moment they rejected giving loyalty to the Caliph.
Syrian people are the most people who suffer from that, when murders and corrupted people became “Emirs”, only because they announced loyalty to the Caliph, and the same principle is applied for Monis, as he was accused of killing his wife and 50 cases of sexual assault.
The Islamic State’s attitude presented in the last issue of DABIQ, has been different from before, and it leaves the door open wide about the extent the state is planning to reach, especially with cutting relationships with other Islamic and Jihadi formations.
DABIQ tried to use the interview with the Jordanian pilot to draw attention to the importance of the Islamic state, besides separating and distinction the Islamic state from al-Qaeda.
Comments About This Article
Please fill the fields below.