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Islamic State 'brand' spreading worldwide

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Rather than an organisation, it might be better to think of ISIS as an ideology, like Marxism or Fascism. And a rather nihilistic one based loosely on Islam but really just an excuse to create terror for no more reasons than power and just the hell of it. It is really the ultimate nightmare of civilisation.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

In most cases, these groups have no direct contact with the leadership of IS’s self-proclaimed caliphate, but the group is happy to claim responsibility for the blood spilled in its name

Like the guy in Philadelphia who tried to kill a police office by open firing at point blank range as se sat in his patrol car.

Of course some posters (like Plasticmonkey) in these forums would argue- religion (islam) had nothing to do with it, he was schizophrenic.

Or let's blame "guns" not radical islam.

He said there was no evidence to suggest that the IS leadership had visited the groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan

Of course not. Obama has already "contained" them.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

I hate to call them "Islamic State".. they are not Islam or Muslim.. They might be America and its allies agenda.

-7 ( +1 / -9 )

What ever happened to the Taliban?

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

I hate to call them "Islamic State".. they are not Islam or Muslim..

The problem is that ISIS offers an entirely plausible interpretation of Islam, even if it's one you strongly disagree with.

If it espoused an interpretation which was completely alien to what Muslims had been taught their entire lives, you wouldn't see thousands of them joining.

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I wonder how much the brand is worth?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"....a rather nihilistic one based loosely on Islam"

"Loosely"? Are you joking? it's based very strictly on Islam. Its founder has a Ph.D in Islamic studies from the University of Baghdad, so he knows as thing or two about what Islam is about.

ISIS followers are in the habit of reading the Koran and other authentic scriptures repeatedly so its teachings are drilled into them.

A security analyst recently corrected a CNN interviewer who referred to ISIS as being a "twisted" interpretation of Islam. "It's not 'twisted,' it's an extremely straight interpretation, given its fundamentalist nature," he pointed out.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

@JeffLee. Well, like, that's just your opinion, man. And that's the point. It's all opinion, whether PhD grade or yours or mine. That's why there are different sects and cults of all religions, even the "revealed" ones. Is fundamentalist Christianity or even fundamentalist economics the "straight interpretation"? So, no, I am not joking. And religion is, like political ideas, more often than not just ideology used to justify power. A fancy PhD man can conjure up the sophistry to justify the lunatic policy to the herd. But is Allah making them kill? I don't think so.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Is fundamentalist Christianity or even fundamentalist economics the "straight interpretation"?

The big difference is that most Christian sects have no hesitation to excommunicate followers who refuse to submit to the official interpretation of the faith. Islam either refuses to excommunicate or it might lack the power to do so.

In theory, Muslim religious leaders could get together and excommunitcate ISIS members by issuing a fatwah of Takfir. But they all seem reluctant to do this because excommunication of a true believer is unforgivable. Some Muslims also think that only the Prophet Mohammed had the power to excommunicate.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

In theory, Muslim religious leaders could get together and excommunitcate ISIS members by issuing a fatwah of Takfir

Perhaps not exactly excommunication, but fatwahs have been issued against ISIS. (google '70,000 Indian Muslim clerics have signed a fatwa against Isis')

it's an extremely straight interpretation

I don't think there can ever be a "straight" interpretation of religions based on ancient holy texts that are full of contradictions. But I agree that it might be no more "twisted" than those that only pick out the nice parts. ("The Prophet has taught us to respond with good deeds to those who are evil to us.") But what is worrying is we don't seem to understand what it is that attracts people to the ISIS interpretation.

In an odd contrast, I read an article recently about a liberal takeover of a mosque in Glasgow.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14213213.Analysis__the_new_generation_of_liberal_Scottish_Muslims_taking_control_of_Scotland_s_biggest_mosque/

I wonder how widespread that is. I think it deserves the description "radical" more than the uncaring violence of ISIS.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I hate to call them "Islamic State".. they are not Islam or Muslim.. They might be America and its allies agenda

Hmmm...they aren't Christian or Jewish and they invoke Sharia. They say, they are fighting for ISIS. Sorry, but the US has nothing to do with those statements or are you implying the words coming out of their mouths is controlled by a ventriloquist?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

IS has just made it more of a sick joke to murder innocent people and get plastered all over the news globally as your reward. I can't help but feel that the media plays right into their hands by running so many stories about the personalities of the perpetrators. It's just celebrity for sickos and I don't care about nor want to know about the nut jobs who do these things. If anything the victims should be the main focus of the press.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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