ISIS CALIPHATE

Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) celebrate in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq July 9, 2017. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani
Alaa Al-Marjani / Reuters
THE WORLDPOST
When ISIS Falls, The Ideal Of A Caliphate In Islamic History Will Fall With It
By Graham E. Fuller, Contributor
Former Vice Chairman of the CIA’s National Intelligence Council
The extremist group has tarnished the idea of a caliphate in such a way that it can never be established again.
WORLDPOST
Islamic State Is Going Down
By Ronald Tiersky, Contributor
Eastman professor of political science emeritus, Amherst College
POLITICS
A Coup in ISIL-stan?
By Sami Moubayed, Contributor
Founder of The Damascus History Foundation
There are many things in life that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi doesn't like. For starters, he doesn't like to be called "Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi." His official name is Caliph Ibrahim. "Abu ِBaker al-Baghdadi" was his nom de guerre, used during his underground years in Iraq.
WORLDPOST
Follies of Denial: Jihad and the Islamic State
By Ida Lichter, M.D., Contributor
Author, 'Muslim Women Reformers: Inspiring Voices Against Oppr...
Western leaders who deny the religious foundation of the jihadist group Islamic State are blind to its raison d'être, which is firmly grounded in Islamic texts and the concept of offensive jihad. Furthermore, models for militias can be found in historic and contemporary jihads.
RELIGION
Qanta Ahmed's Message and Mission
By Ida Lichter, M.D., Contributor
Author, 'Muslim Women Reformers: Inspiring Voices Against Oppr...
As a campaigner for peace and pluralism, Ahmed is dismayed by the toxic lure of an Islamist doctrine that is supremacist, separatist, and hostile to secular Western values, and she calls for an urgent review of this ideology.
WORLDPOST
The 9 Biggest Myths About ISIS Debunked
By Andrew Hart
POLITICS
Colonial Baggage for America in Palestine
By Salam Al Marayati, Contributor
President of the Muslim Public Affairs Council
The U.S. aimlessly manages the symptoms rather than deal with root causes, which starts with the atrocities against the Palestinian people and extends to support for tyranny throughout the region to maintain the status quo.
WORLDPOST
Can ISIS Really Pose A Threat To Jordan?
By Wikistrat, Contributor
The World’s 1st Crowdsourced Consultancy
Some analysts have argued that Jordan may be the next target of this radical Sunni militant group. This may be the case, but it will likely have limited impact and could even present Jordan with an opportunity to strengthen its strategic position.
RELIGION
Turkey's Top Cleric Calls Islamic 'Caliphate' Illegitimate
WORLDPOST
Who's Afraid of the Caliphate?
By Graham E. Fuller, Contributor
Former vice chairman, CIA’s National Intelligence Council; Aut...
Today respected clerics exist here and there, but many Muslims see the absence of a single authority as one source of the weakness and paucity of Islamic vision in the Muslim world today. In an era when the West has repeatedly invaded Muslim countries, overthrown their leaderships, and commandeered their economic and energy sources over much of the 20th century, the weakness and lack of leadership in the Muslim world remains a vivid concern to Muslims. Thus when the term "caliphate" is invoked, it touches a chord in the historical sensibilities of many.
WORLDPOST
These Are the Three Most Common Myths About What's Happening in Iraq
By Ibrahim Al-Marashi , Contributor
Co-author, Iraq’s Armed Forces: An Analytical History
The series of events that led to the creation of an ISIS state has led to a flurry of pundits and policy makers spewing three common myths about Iraq. Attributing the current crisis to any of these misconceptions not only ignores the history of the region, but has resulted in flawed policy proposals, particularly from Washington.
WORLDPOST
The ISIS' 'Management of Savagery' in Iraq
By Alastair Crooke, Contributor
Fmr. MI-6 agent; Author, 'Resistance: The Essence of Islamic R...
The ISIS term "management or administration of savagery" in fact refers to that hiatus which occurs between the waning of one power and the consolidation of power of another. What is being assumed here is that a certain chaos will pertain, and that the disputed territory will be ravaged by violence as power oscillates back and forth between the "old" power and its incoming successor (the Islamic State). The author of the "Management of Savagery" treatise bluntly states that there is no room for "softness": "Softness" is the ingredient for failure: "our enemies will not be merciful to us, so it compels us to make them think one thousand times, before they dare attack us".
RELIGION
What Is A Caliphate?
By Yasmine Hafiz
WORLDPOST
As Militants Declared Caliphate, Iraqi Troops Battle For Tikrit