Supervisor On Shumoukh Al-Islam Jihadi Forum: 'The Islamic State Is In A New Phase' Of Development – Of Stabilization And Establishing Its Rule

The following report is a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.

On August 30, 2015, the Shumoukh Al-Islam jihadi forum published a letter by one Anas Al-Ansari, identified as a "forum supervisor,"[1] in which he stated that the Islamic State (ISIS) was now in a new phase of its development. After ISIS had established a state in Syria and Iraq, proven its strength in the battlefield, expanded geographically, and terrorized its enemies, he said, it had now reached the stage in which it must establish its institutions, stabilize, and institute its rule. At the same time, Al-Ansari stressed that ISIS had not abandoned the sword, and that along with establishing its rule, it would continue to fight on the battlefield.

The letter came in response to queries and reactions he had received following the August 29, 2015 release of the ISIS video announcing the "Return of the Gold Dinar." The  video, produced by ISIS's official Al-Hayat media institute, deals with ISIS's issue of gold and silver coins, to replace all other currency.[2] Al-Ansari wrote that issuing gold coins is a natural part of ISIS's current development and establishment. Many ISIS supporters, he noted, had wondered why the film included none of the scenes of slaughter and killing of enemies that are usually included in official ISIS productions; in the letter he answered them at length, while praising and extolling the new currency.

Al-Ansari's actual status is in the ISIS hierarchy is not clear, but his answers may shed light on the organization's current policy and on the mindset of its leaders.

Banner for the film "Return of the Gold Dinar"

It should be noted that since the declaration of the establishment of the Islamic State in the summer of 2014, its leadership has devoted much effort to establishing bureaucratic regime institutions.[3] In the past few months, ISIS has noticeably stepped up its efforts to prove that it is a state that works to improve its residents' lives and to run its affairs in an orderly fashion, and that battles and killing are not the only things it does. The Islamic State's provincial information offices are constantly documenting the administrative activity of the various institutions, such as enforcement of sharia law by the Hasaba religious police,[4] the activity of the shari'a courts,[5] and the operation of the educational system.[6]

Office hours at the Islamic State's shari'a court in Al-Raqqa, Syria

The Islamic State signs a Dhimma contract with the Christians in Al-Qaryaten city, Syria (see MEMRI JTTM report ISIS Issues Dhimma Contract For Christians To Sign, Orders Them To Pay Jizyah, September 3, 2015)

The following are translated excerpts from Al-Ansari's letter to all ISIS members and supporters:

Al-Ansari's Letter: The Islamic State's New Phase Is One Of Stabilization And Establishment Of Its Rule

"Since this morning, I have been receiving messages from brothers close to my heart, via all channels of communication. All are indeed brothers close to my heart, and all disagree with each other in their views. Some ask me: 'Where is the blood [in the video 'The Return of the Gold Dinar']? Where is the slaughter? Where is the vengeance against the enemies of Allah? Some express their opinion about the meaning of the content presented [in the video]; some quote technical [experts] who specialize in film and photo production. Some of them express their view regarding the use of the new currency in the Islamic State, and its impact on the entire world, in that it will, Allah willing, cause the fall of the Zionist-Crusader economy and the collapse of all the technological means that make up the global economy. Some of them complain about the delay in the release of the fifth [episode of the] 'Clanging of the Swords' [a series of films that include brutally graphic content aimed at terrifying ISIS's enemies], while some are thankful for all the efforts by the brothers. Ultimately, everyone is grateful, but I would be grateful to you all if these opinions were posted on the forum in an orderly and regular fashion. For these reasons, I have decided to write this letter, and I hope that all the brothers will go [to the link to read it], express their opinions [about it], and give their interpretations in an orderly and wise manner, without extremism, calmly, and even without fear that their words will be deleted or disrupted."

"We Have Completed The First Stage, The Stage Of Founding"

"First [regarding the questions] of where is the blood and where is the slaughter [in the video], and where are the amputations: The answer, honored readers, is quite simply that the Islamic State is in a new phase of its life. Praised be Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, we have completed the first stage, the stage of founding, during which every day the state spreads towards new borders, that the world recognizes and even fears to approach. This is the stage that is like the stage that the first caliphate was in in the city of the Prophet, Allah's prayers and blessings on him, when matters required administration and control and the Great Believer [Al-Sadiq Al-Akar, a name for Caliph Abu Bakr Al-Sadiq] succeeded in helping the leaders of his headquarters and the generals of his army to reach a level of excellence [in all things connected to oversight and control of the first Islamic state]."

Noting that that the first caliphate, like the current Islamic State, first conquered Iraq and Syria, Al-Ansari expressed hope that "like Allah allowed the founders of the first caliphate to conquer Iran, He will allow ISIS to conquer Iran, and even beyond it... And as [bin Khattab] conquered all parts of the country, afterwards he laid down the foundations of the Islamic state by organizing offices, appointing provincial governors, and setting out the principles of the poll tax – the jiziya – and the land tax – the kharaj. He had, in his time, a great many matters that were unconnected to wars [to deal with] – matters that were purely administrative.

"It was he who divided the state into regions – Iraq, Syria, Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Persia. He divided every region into sub-regions. Thus, for example, the Arabian Peninsula was divided into 12 sub-regions; every sub-region was its own province. The Syria region he divided into the administrative/military provinces [that were primarily in Syria in the first centuries of Islam]: Ajnad, Jund Palestine, Jund Jordan, Jund Homs, Jund Damascus, and so on. After that, he appointed independent supervisors for the governors, such as 'Amar bin Yaser, Muhammad bin Musalma, [and] Abdallah bin Mas'oud, giving them special salaries and instilling methods that are still studied in books. Thus, for example, he told Mu'awiya, one of the governors, when he asked to consult with him on a matter: 'I do not visit you and I do not prevent you [from doing anything]' – thus placing responsibility on him."

 Next, Al-Ansari wrote about the caliph Omar bin Khattab: "Likewise, he issued coins. The currency was Persian, but he added to it 'bismallah' [short for 'in the name of Allah the All-Merciful'] and the people used it for commerce. During his time, he launched a postal [service], something that had not been known until then among the Arabs, and established it in a way that made inter-city communication possible. It was said that he divided all the postal stations into equal [geographic] locations, and the distance between each station was 12 miles. He was the first to imprison people. It was he who introduced the police and night watch apparatuses. It was he who laid the foundations for the court in all things connected to appointing and helping the judges. He instilled justice among the people...

"None of this – the Hasaba [religious police], the courts, the police, the postal [service], the treasury, and the sending of teachers to all parts of the country – is connected to bloodshed and destruction. [At the same time], he continued to send his armies to conquer lands. These were two different things. These two things [the administrative aspect and the military aspect] were given the appropriate handling and attention in the first Islamic state..."

"The Caliph [Al-Baghdadi] Is Just As Interested In Medical Studies As He Is In Firearms Training"

"It is the same in the new Islamic State: It is not just killing and destruction. There are other aspects that must be dealt with and given attention. Anyone who visits the Islamic State, or who will visit it later, [may] Allah give them an opportunity to migrate to it and to join its ranks, or may Allah allow the state to spread to him – will see with his own eyes that it has modern administration, and that advanced research is carried out in it. Thus, for example, scientific research in chemistry is underway, for finding powerful formulas for destroying and blowing up the enemy. In those very same laboratories, they are working on research for finding vaccinations and medicines, such as for treating children. And just as there are [in the Islamic State] schools for fighting, there are also schools for Koran studies, next to which is an institute for studying electronics or one where girls can learn sewing. Everyone work seriously and diligently.

"I swear that the caliph of the Muslims [i.e. Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi] is just as interested in medical studies as he is in firearms training. Everyone who lives in the [Islamic] State knows this well. Many Iraq residents have said that after the American Zoroastrian occupation, they lost hope that their children would complete their studies, because during the occupation, studies were stopped, and the children got lost in the streets. But in the caliphate state, if a teacher is absent from work, it is immediately noticed and the appropriate means are taken, whether finding a substitute or appointing someone more worthy under him. This is as true for Hadith studies as it is for math and engineering studies. There is no difference.

"It is true that in the video ['The Return of the Gold Dinar'] there are no [scenes of] killing. But it has in it things that are much more important. With the great victory of the issue of the currency, the Islamic State will cause the enemy much greater losses than the losses caused by launching intercontinental missiles."

Al-Ansari continues to praise the phenomenal achievement of the Islamic State's currency, and of its technological achievements in general, and presents articles from Western newspapers about its technological advances. Noting that the new coins are made of the best gold, and that the Koran itself praises gold, he says: "And the Islamic State says to them: Does the one who produces millions of pieces of gold think about stopping the manufacture of bullets?"

He continues: "I will give you an example so that you will better understand: When you want to get a job or an identity card (note that there are identity cards in the Islamic State) you use a photo showing your face serious, not smiling, as if you really feel revulsion at this. But when you send your photo to your fiancée to ask for her hand, in it you have a trimmed beard, pressed clothes, and all that is left is to add perfume so that your fiancée will smell it and relent. Isn't that so? In both situations, the person is the same person, but there is a photo for work and there is a photo for marriage purposes. By the same token, there is a photo of the state that you see by means of military productions, for example 'The Clanging of the Swords' (I know that you love these productions). But the photo redolent of perfume is the second photo, that must now be given attention, because the state is not an organization that is fleeing to the mountains like other [jihadi] groups whose only hope is to pray to Allah to save them from the Crusaders' missiles. Do not confuse the two.

"This film ['The Return of the Gold Dinar'] shows residents of the Islamic State of various origins. The handsome dark-skinned African brother appears there; he is seen with his daughter and son, and they are holding the blessed coins. Thus appears also our brother from Southeast Asia, holding the coins, and also your Algerian, European, and Arab, brothers, and your brothers of every kind and color, all holding the coins. Why not collect all these photos into an album, and disseminate it among the people, so that they will see the other face of the state?"

Moving on to the economic and humanitarian claims made in the video, he notes that the Egyptian and other Arab currencies are based on the strong dollar. He then notes: "Be among those who ask: How do we benefit from this essential turning point? The answer is that the economic experts of the [Islamic] State have recently concluded that the state is able to maintain its own currency – a currency by means of which the world will be able to trade with the state, such that it will accept gold in exchange for goods that it exports. The goods that it imports will also be paid for in gold. This means that gold is the ideal means for an economy; this is a fact. "

Al-Ansari concludes with the recommendation that everyone convert their money into Islamic gold dinars, because, he says, all other currencies are going to crash, as will the American economy – while the dinar, which is gold, not paper, will always survive.