The Muslim terrorist group formerly called the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL or ISIS), a split from Al Qaeda that has seized large portions of Iraq and Syria, has announced a caliphate called the Islamic State, dropping the rest of its name. It has proclaimed its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as “the caliph for the Muslims everywhere,” demanding allegiance from all Muslims, and announcing that “the legality of all emirates, groups, states and organizations becomes null by the expansion of the caliph’s authority” (“Sunni Militants declare Islamic state,” Fox News, Jun. 30, 2014). Its goal is to recreate the Islamic empire that existed during the Ottoman era, but they have as many enemies among fellow Muslims as they do outside of Islam. For one there are the leaders of all of the “emirates, groups, states and organizations” that are being ordered to submit and who have no intention of doing so. Then, too, there is the division of Muslims along Sunni-Shia (Shiite) lines, which began after the death of Mohammed in AD 632. The Shias trace their lineage back to Mohammed’s cousin Ali bin Abu Talib, whereas the Sunnis trace theirs to Mohammed’s advisor Abu Bakr. They have been killing one another ever since. “Tension and violence characterize the relationship between the two sects in countries where both communities reside” (“Sunni and Shiite Terrorist Networks,” Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, Dec. 18, 2002). Sunnis make up some 85-90% of Muslims today, including the majority in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Tunisia, Gaza, Turkey, Lebanon. But there are perhaps 100 million Shias and they form a majority in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, and probably Yemen. The ISIS is Sunni and has declared that Shia Muslims deserve death (“ISIL terrorists raises flag at Turkish border,” AhlulBayt New Agency, Jul. 1, 2014). Sunnis push the harshest form of Sharia law and have birthed the most infamous of the modern terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda, the Taliban, the Muslim Brotherhood, Salafists, Hamas, and the Chechnyan terrorists. It was reported that Sunnis committed 70% of terrorist murders in 2011 (National Counterterrorism Center, “Report on Terrorism,” Mar. 12, 2012). This is not to say that Shia Muslims are not terrorists. Hezballah is Shia, and Shia Iran is a terrorist state that threatens Israel’s existence and is near to possessing the nuclear bomb. Both Sunnis and Shias hate Israel and can unite in that hatred. (Friday Church News Notes, July 4, 2014, www.wayoflife.org, [email protected], 866-295-4143) Comments are closed.
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