In new issue of Islamic State's newsletter "al-Naba," schadenfreude-infused editorial welcomes death of Qassem Suleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and attendant U.S.-Iran conflict regionally as expression of God's divine will: jihadology.net/2020/01/09/new…
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The editorial venerates the mujahideen, who fight on Earth to realize God's command – but recalls that victory belongs ultimately to God, Who chooses to deliver it at a time and through means of His choosing, and in ways that may not be evident to His followers.
The editorial analogizes recent events with the polytheists' attritive infighting in Yathrib (Madina), which paved the way for Prophet Muhammad's welcome arrival; and similarly exhausting war between the Persians and Byzantines, which facilitated the early Islamic conquests.
It thus casts U.S.-Iran conflict as God's work: "Now, everywhere, they kill each other, lie in ambush for each other, and muster their supporters and allies to fight, all of them indifferent to their intramural wars' impacts on their joint war on th Islamic State."
Translation–>
Translation–>
The editorial both:
• Instructs Islamic State members and supporters on how to rationalize their hated enemies' deaths, not at the organization's hands, but those of its other enemies;
• Highlights the obvious truth: this is all great news for the organization.
• Instructs Islamic State members and supporters on how to rationalize their hated enemies' deaths, not at the organization's hands, but those of its other enemies;
• Highlights the obvious truth: this is all great news for the organization.
.@CrisisGroup had warned U.S.-Iran conflict could undercut still-critical counter-ISIS efforts: crisisgroup.org/middle-east-no…
The Islamic State says new conflict is a divine gift – or, as I told @nytimes's @ddknyt, the sort of deus ex machina the group needed: nytimes.com/2020/01/04/wor…
The Islamic State says new conflict is a divine gift – or, as I told @nytimes's @ddknyt, the sort of deus ex machina the group needed: nytimes.com/2020/01/04/wor…
