The western world is appalled at their brutality of killing the men, raping the women and beheading anyone who stands in their way. In recent times, the public beheading of western captives who are innocent civilians and provoking anger of the western world. Finally, they get together to participate in a US-led bombardment of ISIS positions in Iraq and now in Syria. On the ground, the Iraqis and Kurds are regaining their territory but this is not enough. The only reason the western world is keen to stamp out ISIS is to prevent these foreigners from engaging in similar attacks back in their home countries, if they still have home countries to return to.
For the other Islamic nations, they collaborate with these western powers for different reasons. Their authority is undermined and they are trying to gain leadership advantage. Here's how each Islamic nation is using the ISIS situation to play their hand:
Saudi Arabia and allies - to avert a potential ISIS strike on Mecca and Medinah after they clearly threw the gauntlet at them from the start of the declaration of the so-called Caliphate. This action tantamounts to taking over the helm of Islam from Saudi Arabia.
Iran - to prevent ISIS from taking Bagdhad and the southern parts of Iraq as it is a buffer zone of Shia territory else ISIS will continue into Iran. That will be a serious threat to Iran.
Turkey - to position Edrogan as the new Islamic power replacing Gadhaffi and Saddam Hussein in the Suni world with negotiation powers with the Western world. Edrogan is a fundamentalist and will not be upstaged by ISIS leader Ibrahim. (UPDATE: As of today, Turkey has yet to allow its airbases for the US-led forces to launch their strikes.)
It is difficult for the western world to appreciate what ISIS is doing and why they are doing it. The vacuum created in the Syrian civil war spilling into Iraq mismanagement of the country gave ISIS a golden opportunity which they took with relative ease. It sprung up a group of jihadis that was able to attract muslims of like-minds from all over the world to join them. It was reported that citizens of UK, France, Spain, Germany, US, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Australia have found their way to Iraq and Syria to join up with ISIS. Estimates put them at nearly 10% to 20% of the ISIS army at the present time.
Why would such citizens give up their comfortable world and opt to join such a mission? It has to do with their belief of joining the jihad, their belief that the ISIS jihad is valid and to do their part to making that vision real. Their view of ISIS and Islam gave credence to their cause. Did they think wrong? Obviously they think they are right and have committed their lives to it. Some even brought their entire family believing in the just cause of ISIS.
They have access to social media and must have read the heinous acts of the ISIS jihadis as they slaughtered, raped and plundered the territories they fought in and yet stayed with them. It is not for the lack of information. It is because they believe Islam teaches that and ISIS has released such bulletin to defend their actions. These foreigners believe in the cause of ISIS and willingly join them, not for money but for a belief that ISIS is right and fighting with them will give them favor in judgment day.
The end goal of ISIS in declaring the Caliphate is world dominance, to continue what was not accomplished before and to bring Islam to the forefront of global attention and rule. While the other Islamic countries have been using more stealthy means like controlling the world through oil prices via OPEC, stealth jihad in exporting millions of muslims to take "refuge" in western countries and bring up their birth rates there, ISIS has chosen the more direct path of confrontation and its message is clear.
Some apologists say that while the world is shocked at the gruesome actions of ISIS in raping, forcing conversion by the gun, beheading captives and rampant killing of their enemies, they believe that ISIS is following the literal Islamic teachings stated in the Quran and Hadiths. Their Dabiq magazine also clearly attempts to justify along the same lines. In reality, ISIS has never hidden their intentions and have spoken ever so clearly.
Yet the opposing Islamic nations claim that ISIS has totally misinterpreted the Quran and Hadith. How is it that both side who read these books in Arabic can declare positions that are totally at odds with each other? One must be lying! Perhaps, these are times that will force the world to learn a bit more about the real Islam in the Quran and Hadith so that they can answer such questions.
One should not assume that Islam is like any other religions in the world and should appraise the Quran and Hadith by itself. Obviously, with ISIS claiming new grounds by the day, the world cannot sit back and watch the brutality over news channels. At this time, the US-led initiatives of bombing ISIS held areas have loosen their grip but not defeated them. The Kurds, the Yazidis, the minorities, the Shia in the south are all in danger of facing certain death, defeat, rape and plunder at the hands of ISIS. And all the while, the world ignores their religious beliefs that justified their actions. This is a serious problem in the west today.
Assertions that ISIS has hijacked Islam do not hold water and proponents against ISIS must clearly show how ISIS have done so against Islam and openly declare those grounds. Till today, not a single imam, mullah, ayatollah or religious leader have openly stated exactly how ISIS has hijacked Islam. All we hear are political claims and wild assertions that ISIS is unIslamic. But is it true? Just prove it to the world so that it is just as clear as ISIS has proclaimed their Caliphate.
It is time for the world to know the real ISIS and oppose them responsibly. Without knowledge of what drives ISIS, the western bombs will merely dent their positions but not stop their hearts and minds to doing what they do. They will continue taunting the western world with more beheadings. This war is beyond bombs and bullets, beyond Syria and Iraq. It will come to our own shores and lands before you realize it.
ISIS is going for world dominance whether you like it or not! Stop them before they stop us.
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