ISIS, Threat Or Treat?

ISIS, or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, is one of the most talked-about topics in global discussions today. Often labeled as a radical military organization by the media, ISIS is a Sunni jihadist group in the Middle East. Self-proclaiming itself as a caliphate, it asserts religious authority over all Muslims worldwide, aiming to bring most Muslim-majority regions under its political control. Its territorial ambitions began with Iraq and Syria, expanding to other parts of the Levant, including Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Cyprus, and parts of southern Turkey. The group has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia. The United Nations, along with Western and Middle Eastern media, has labeled it as a terrorist group, while other nations, like Colombia, refer to ISIS as a fundamentalist and extremist organization. The United Nations and Amnesty International have condemned ISIS for committing severe human rights abuses.

ISIS gained significant momentum under the leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who capitalized on alleged political and economic discrimination against Iraqi Sunnis to garner support. As it entered the Syrian Civil War, the group expanded its presence in key Syrian provinces, including Ar-Raqqah, Idlib, Deir ez-Zor, and Aleppo. By June 2014, ISIS had amassed at least 4,000 fighters in Iraq. It took responsibility for countless attacks on government and military targets, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians. By August 2014, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the number of fighters in ISIS had swelled to 50,000 in Syria and 30,000 in Iraq. ISIS was once allied with al-Qaeda, but the two groups severed ties in February 2014 after an eight-month power struggle, largely due to ISIS’s extreme brutality and intractable nature.

The initial goal of ISIS was to establish a caliphate in the Sunni-majority regions of Iraq. But after becoming involved in the Syrian Civil War, it expanded its aims to include the Sunni-majority areas of Syria. On June 29, 2014, ISIS declared the establishment of a caliphate, with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi—now known as Amir al-Mu'minin Caliph Ibrahim—declared as its leader. The group was then renamed the Islamic State.

Many experts agree that ISIS’s actions have created a complex and unresolved web of problems, impacting social, political, and cultural landscapes, particularly in secular countries like the USA, the Netherlands, the UK, and Germany. In these nations, ISIS is viewed as a dire threat—on par with Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, and other so-called “terrorist” organizations.

However, from my perspective, ISIS is the true victim. Mainstream media outlets, often under the influence of the United States, have painted a horrific image of Islam. The true objective of ISIS was to liberate Sunnis from the brutal persecution by radical Shia forces in Iraq. Yet, this goal has been overshadowed by the negative media portrayal of the group since its first broadcasts. As a result, social, political, and cultural dynamics in Muslim countries have been drastically affected. People wearing t-shirts emblazoned with the words “La Ilaha IllAllah” (There is no god but Allah) have been arrested, nations have severed diplomatic ties with Iraq, including Indonesia, and many individuals—without fully understanding the ISIS situation—have been misled to despise the group based on biased media narratives, such as images of “hate speech” and “beheadings” held by ISIS militants.

What most people don’t realize is that many of the ISIS fighters shown on television are, in fact, brainwashed individuals from the West, particularly the United States. Even the statements attributed to their leader are often unverifiable. This might be because the United States has a vested interest in halting the rise of Islam, especially in countries like Indonesia, where the Muslim population is growing rapidly. The West has developed a strategic plan to curb the spread of Islam, and many of their people have been sacrificed—driven by hatred and vengeance—to fulfill a larger goal of creating a New World Order (NWO).

In Indonesia, secular Muslims in the government have been so terrified by ISIS that they’ve made irrational decisions. For instance, a cendol vendor, who was completely unaware of the situation, was arrested simply for wearing a black shirt with the words “La Ilaha IllAllah” on it. Was this a smart decision? I don’t think so. It seems more like a childish response by an overly fearful secular government in Indonesia, which is acting out of fear rather than reason.

The real objective of ISIS—something not widely reported by the media—is to unite Muslim nations worldwide in the fight against the secular influence of the United States. It’s only a matter of time before Muslims everywhere come to realize whether ISIS is a threat or a force for unity.

Let me be clear: I’m not 100% supportive of ISIS, but we must acknowledge the reality of what is happening in the Muslim world today—not just blindly accept the narrative put forth by mainstream media.

-Ahmad Endry Husein-

*Some sources taken from Wikipedia

           

           

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