A Brief Overview of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS): An Introduction

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is an armed fundamentalist Sunni Jihadist group currently operating in the Middle Eastern nations of Iraq and Syria. In Arabic it is known as ad Dawlah I-Islamiyyah, or the da’esh (state) for short.The title “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria” (ISIS) is but the latest in a long line of titles adopted by the group, whose history stretches back to 2003 and the US invasion of Iraq. Since ISIS has made many changes to it’s organization’s name and is referred to by international commentators and states in a wide variety of ways, the term “ISIS”  will be what this blog will use when discussing the group for clarity's sake. It’s stated aims are Salafist and Jihadist in nature. Essentially, this means that the group believes in the complete unity of God, affirms that God’s authority overrides all secular authority, rejects all theological innovation in Islam, accuses Muslims perceived to be outside the creed as takfir (apostate) for the purposes of execution, and finally supports and demands the use of external jihad against infidel states. Since it’s leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi has claimed the position of caliph (leader) for himself, the group effectively claims political dominion over all Muslims, though it’s immediate goals include achieving rule over Mesopotamia and the Levant.  It currently controls an area roughly the size of Pennsylvania, mostly in the country of Iraq, with territory in Syria as well. Below is a map of the region showing the extent of ISIS’s influence as of 09/12/2014.

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/76526000/jpg/_76526461_iraq_syria_isis_caliphate_25.07.14_624map.jpg

Though the Salafist ideology behind ISIS can be traced back to the high middle ages, as a discrete armed group, ISIS’s earliest incarnation was as Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn (Organization of Jihad’s Base in Mesopotamia)—later commonly known as al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and was founded by Jordanian Jihadist Abu Musab al Zarqawi in 1999. It’s first major activities took place in Iraq in response to the US led invasion in 2003. From 2003 to 2011, the group merged with other Sunni insurgents to become the Islamic State of Iraq or ISI. Excessive violence on the part of the group led to a Sunni movement in Iraq called “The Awakening” that was backed by the US, and was effective in curbing the group’s power until the beginning of the Syrian Civil War. It was in the revolution against Assad that the group found the chaotic conditions necessary to mount a strong resurgence in the years 2013 to 2014.

The relevance of ISIS to the region's geopolitical power balance and to the international community cannot be overstated. First, the ideology of ISIS is an extreme interpretation of Islam that posits that all 1.2 billion Muslims in the international ummah or community must answer to them as a caliphate. As over-ambitious as this sounds, it represents a dire threat to international security because it pulls in fighters from all over the world, including secular western states like the United Kingdom. Second, ISIS presents a direct threat to the security of the Assad regime and the Shi'a majority government led by al-Maliki in Iraq. Their armed forces are well trained, well equipped and well motivated in comparison to secular forces in the region. While unpopular and repressive with regards to their citizens, the loss of these secular power bases in the region would likely lead to further fragmentation and allow ISIS to fill the vacuum as the only viable governing group. The Syrian revolt's transformation into the Syrian civil war has given ISIS a flood of recruits from other more moderate rebel groups such as Free Syrian Army. Third and most critically, ISIS's use of violence has been and continues to be horrific, mostly targeted at civilians and at vulnerable minority groups such as the Yazidis. There have been killings of noncombatants, sexual assaults and rapes used to intimidate, ethnic and religious cleansing aimed at Yazidis and Arab Christians and the destruction and looting of pre-Islamic artifacts and buildings.

Citations:

Hafez, M. (2007). What is (Jihadi) Salafism? In Suicide bombers in Iraq: The strategy and ideology of martyrdom. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Institute of Peace Press.

Johnson, M. (2014, September 3). 'Deviant and Pathological': What Do ISIS Extremists Really Want? - NBC News. Retrieved September 9, 2014, from http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/deviant-pathological-what-do-isis-extremists-really-want-n19413

Susskind, Y. (2014, July 3). Under Isis, Iraqi women again face an old nightmare: Violence and repression. The Guardian. Retrieved September 10, 2014, from http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2014/jul/03/isis-iraqi-women-rape-violence-repression

Bilger, A. (2014, May 22). ISIS Annual Reports reveal a metrics-driven military command. The Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from http://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/ISIS-Annual-Reports-Reveal-Military-Organization

Mekhennet, S. (2014, August 14). The terrorists fighting us now? We just finished training them. The Washington Post. Retrieved September 13, 2014, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/08/18/the-terrorists-fighting-us-now-we-just-finished-training-them/

Grant, M., & Sharkov, D. (2014, August 20). 'Twice as Many' British Muslims Fighting for ISIS Than in UK Armed Forces. Newsweek. Retrieved September 10, 2014, from http://www.newsweek.com/twice-many-british-muslims-fighting-isis-armed-forces-265865

Jalabi, R. (2014, August 11). Who are the Yazidis and why is Isis hunting them? The Guardian. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/07/who-yazidi-isis-iraq-religion-ethnicity-mountains

Otten, C. (2014, August 11). Last remaining Christians flee Iraq's Mosul. Al Jazeera America. Retrieved September 13, 2014, from http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/07/last-remaining-christians-flee-iraq-mosul-201472118235739663.html

Zelin, A. (2014, June 1). The War between ISIS and al-Qaeda for Supremacy of the Global Jihadist Movement. Research Notes No. 20. Retrieved September 13, 2014, from http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/ResearchNote_20_Zelin.pdf

Islamic State. (n.d.). Australian National Security. Retrieved September 12, 2014, from http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/Listedterroristorganisations/Pages/IslamicState.aspx

ISIS Declares Islamic Caliphate, Appoints Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi As 'Caliph', Declares All Muslims Must Pledge Allegiance To Him. Report No. 5782. (2014, June 30). Retrieved September 13, 2014, from http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/8049.htm