Terrorism : ISIS’s appeal to Islamist recruits grows as al Qaeda seen as stale, tired, and ineffectual

Published 29 July 2014

Advances by militant groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the midst of turmoil in the Arab world, while al-Qaeda’s aging leaders remain relatively silent, have led would-be terrorists and Islamic scholars to question al-Qaeda’s influence on global Jihad and its would-be fighters. Within the social circles of potential militant recruits, al-Qaeda is increasingly seen as stale, tired, and ineffectual.

Advances by militant groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the midst of turmoil in the Arab world, while al-Qaeda’s aging leaders remain relatively silent, have led would-be terrorists and Islamic scholars to question al-Qaeda’s influence on global Jihad and its would-be fighters.

Within the social circles of potential militant recruits, al-Qaeda is increasingly seen as stale, tired, and ineffectual. Many Islamist recruits who were young at the time of the 9/11 attacks look to ISIS for inspiration, as the group has not only captured territories in Syria and Iraq, but has also declared a caliphate, furthering the battle for global Jihad, a future al-Qaeda’s former leader Osama bin Laden once alluded to. “Al Qaeda is an organization and we are a state,” said an ISIS fighter who gave his name as Abu Omar to the New York Times. “Osama bin Laden, God have mercy on him, was fighting to establish the Islamic state to rule the world, and — praise God — we have achieved his dream.”

The New York Times reports that ISIS supporters admire the group’s sectarian attacks on Shi’ites in Iraq and Alawite government forces in Syria, confident that such violence is part of the broader war with the West and its supporters. ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi fell out with al-Qaeda in 2013 over ISIS expansion into Syria, where his followers have carried out mass executions, beheadings, and crucifixions. The majority of the 7,000 foreign fighters battling government troops in Syria are fighting inISIS ranks, which also deploys them to Iraq. Saudi dissident Saad al-Faqih was quoted as saying that for young militants, the importance of declaring a caliphate is secondary to the military advancements ISIS has made beginning with the capture of Mosul on 10 June. “The declaration is a very loud noise, but not as effective as the success in conquering vast areas of Iraq,” he said. “That conquest has had a huge psychological effect in the whole region,” the exiled dissident said.

Al-Qaeda has not officially endorsed ISIS. Instead, its leader Ayman al-Zawahiri continues to post nostalgic videos memorializing bin Laden on al-Qaeda’s social media networks. Islamic scholars warn that al-Qaeda’s silence will only make it more irrelevant among young militants. “The silence of the … leaders and their branches on the announcement of a new caliphate is not wise,” said London-based Egyptian Islamic scholar Hani al-Sibai. “Hinting and insinuation will not be of use … There needs to be a clear, comprehensive and prohibitive statement.”

The Afghan Taliban, which gave bin Laden sanctuary in the 1990s, publicly urge Muslims to avoid extremism and remain united as ISIS continues to shift the battle to Sunni versus Shi’ite, instead of focusing all aggression towards the West. Privately, however, some Taliban commanders are enthusiastic about ISIS, though they do not want to anger al-Qaeda, which they consider as partners in the fight against NATO troops in the region. One Taliban militant commander in Pakistan told reporters, “we are happy with the great efforts of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Dozens of my colleagues from here are with them. Soon Sham and Iraq will be Islamic states.” He added, “I like the way of fighting … it is very effective. We need that here in Pakistan. Many of our fighters have gone there. 

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