ISIS-Affiliated Media Company Praises Paris Attacks, Justifies Targeting Civilians

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On November 16, 2015, the Al-Battar media company, which is affiliated with  the Islamic State (ISIS), released a short video praising the November 13 attacks in Paris and the October 31, 2015 downing of the Russian passenger airplane over the Sinai. The video justifies the targeting of non-Muslim civilians on the grounds that they have no security pact with Muslims and they support their countries' war against Muslims.  

The video, 4:38 in duration, features a message from an unidentified man speaking in French. In addition, it includes inserts from old ISIS videos showing the execution of Christians in Libya and from a recent video threatening Russia.[i] It was released on November 16 via the Internet Archive account of @gharib59, and the following day via the Twitter account of the Al-Battar media company (@azeen127). It is subtitled in English and Arabic, and was also released in a Russian version.  

Noting ISIS's downing of the Russian passenger plane over the Sinai as well as the Paris attacks, the speaker denigrates any retaliation that the countries affected might undertake, saying that any such action will likely be poorly calculated and backfire: "Do you think we are afraid of your reaction to our operation? No, we wait for it with patience. You will act with the same stupidity as [President George W.] Bush [following 9/11,] when he destroyed his nation's economy [and] its might, so that all the nations stood up to it and were liberated from its domination."

The speaker then states that ISIS is awaiting the day when it achieves ultimate victory, presumably against France. He adds: "[ISIS] gave you the option of a truce... [but] you refused." Challenging France and Russia, he says, "Gather your soldiers and your weapons. Bring on the planes, raise the cross... and march towards us." He reiterates ISIS's desire to draw Western countries into face-to-face combat on the ground in Dabiq [a town in present-day Syria which is mentioned in a hadith as the site of an end-of-days battle between Islam and Christianity]: "We are here ready to face you, ready to massacre you. Welcome to the arena that we want [to fight in]. Welcome to the place that God chose for us. Welcome to Dabiq."

The speaker then moves on to justify the killing of civilians in the recent ISIS attacks, saying that only non-Muslims who have a signed security pact with Muslims or dhimmis living under Islamic State rule are entitled to protection: "Today, there are no Christians who are mu'ahideen[ii] or dhimmis  except those who are living under the caliphate rule… which means that [all other Christians'] blood and money are permissible." He adds that those killed in the attack supported their countries' war against Muslims with "slogans" and "protests." He praises the perpetrators of the attacks, praying for Allah to reward them and accept their martyrdom.