Islamic State’s Al Baghdadi Stays True to Sharia Doctrine

Earlier this week, the Islamic State’s al-Furqan media arm released a video featuring their self-proclaimed caliph, Abu Bakr a-Baghdadi.

This was the first video of al-Baghdadi seen in 5 years. His whereabouts are unknown, although the Russian military claimed at one point that they had killed him.

In the video al-Baghdadi’s beard was partially dyed red, following the sunnah of Mohammed (the “perfect” example for every Muslim to follow).

Here is a brief summary of the main points of al-Baghdadi’s statement:

• Al-Baghdadi accepted oaths of allegiance from Jihadis in the African nations of Mali and Burkina Faso. (Africa continues to be a key focus of the global jihadist insurgency.)
• Al-Baghdadi urged Islamic State followers to step up strikes on France.
• He praised the Easter Day attacks in Sri Lanka and claimed that those attacks were revenge for the Islamic State defeat in al-Baghuz in Syria (emphasis added).
• He directed Islamic State followers to double their work and intensify strikes on “Crusaders and apostates.”
• Al-Baghdadi urged Muslims to wage a war of attrition, proclaiming that jihad will continue until the Day of Judgment and that the “war on the cross” will be a “long battle.”

Perhaps what is most significant about al-Baghdadi’s video statement is what he did NOT say.

Al Baghdadi did not mention the mass shooting at the mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

This is significant for two reasons:

1. Sri Lankan leaders and the Western media immediately proclaimed the Sri Lanka church attacks to be in revenge for Christchurch. This is a prime example of non-Muslim observers groundlessly assigning motivation to Jihadi actions.
2. The reason given for the attacks was “revenge for the Islamic State defeat in al-Baghuz in Syria. This was the last battle in the roll up of the geographic caliphate, effectively ending the Islamic State’s “sharia paradise” and finishing the dispersion of its fighters and followers.

This shows the Islamic State’s strict adherence to sharia doctrine. Their main concern was the attack on the caliphate. According to mainstream Islamic doctrine, all Muslims are supposed to strive to the establishment of the global caliphate ruled by sharia. The caliphate is a global Islamic state that is to be ruled by a single ruler known as the caliph.

The Islamic State terrorist organization had declared itself the caliphate, with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as the caliph. The overwhelming majority of the world’s Muslims, including Al Qaeda, rejected the declaration.  Nevertheless, the Islamic State enjoyed a degree of support from Muslims around the world, including here in the United States.

Vanquishing them from their territory in Syria was a humiliating defeat for them and turned back the clock on the fulfillment of their dreams of a world ruled by sharia.