Islamic State (ISIS) Weekly Editorial Exploits Unrest In Ethiopia Over Demolishing Mosques, Calls On Ethiopian Muslims To Wage Jihad Or Join ISIS In East Africa

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On June 8, 2023, the Islamic State (ISIS) released issue 394 of its weekly newsletter Al-Naba'. The eight-page publication included an editorial titled "Jihad, Jihad, Oh People of Abyssinia," criticizing Muslim protests over the demolition of mosques in Ethiopia as a weak tactic.[1]

The editorial comes amid the escalating tension in Ethiopia over the government decision to demolish several mosques on the outskirts of Addis Ababa as part of a contentious urban planning project, sparking anger among Ethiopian Muslims.

'Destroying Mosques Is Crusader War On Islam'

Asserting that the current destruction of mosques in Ethiopia is part of the "Crusader war on Islam," the editorial criticized Muslims who opt to organize protests instead of waging jihad.

"Many of the people of Qibalah[2] [i.e. Muslims in name only] still seek solutions for life that are far from the light of Islam, which almighty Allah concluded with the shari'a of his last messenger and the Imam of Mujahideen, Muhammad."

It went on to remind Muslims that Prophet Muhammad urged his ummah (Islamic nation) to perform jihad, and warned of the grave consequences of abandoning this obligation.

Addressing the escalating tension in Ethiopia between Muslims and the government, the editorial said that demolishing mosques is the latest chapter of the Crusaders' campaign against Islam.

"Among the latest issues and tragedies of Muslims is the Crusader assaults on Muslims in the land of Abyssinia, which involve the demolition of their mosques, and the 'peaceful protests' that followed, which the Christians met with fire and iron! In the meantime, people talk about the danger of 'community divisions' and the need for co-existence regardless of beliefs!"

'No Laws But Shari'a'

Condemning those who call for unity and warn against civil strife, the editorial underlined that shari'a is the only rule under which Muslims should live and abide by. All other laws, constitutions, or values of equality and freedom are alien ideas that violate Islam, said the editorial.

Doubling down on its claim that what is happening in Ethiopia is another chapter of the war against Islam, the editorial said: "When we examine the truth about what happened, we find that it is a new chapter in the Crusader war against Islam, no description is more accurate than this. What happened is neither new nor surprising, this is the habit of the unbelievers in their war on Islam, whether in the past or now."

'Peaceful Protests Are Not An Option In Islam'

Urging Ethiopian Muslims to wage jihad, the editorial highlighted that "oppression" should be confronted through jihad, not protests:

"Strange that some [Muslims] insist, each time, to confront the oppression of the infidels with shouts and condemnation, without ever considering [the option] of fighting or conquest. As if jihad is not an obligation for Muslims! As if Allah did not order us in His book to wage jihad."

Citing Quranic verses that necessitate jihad, the editorial reiterated that peaceful protests have never been an option according to shari'a. "The Almighty is strong and he values a strong believer and He has ordered his worshipers to be prepared with force, he did not order them to be peaceful."

'Confront Them With Fire, Iron'

Calling for a different approach to dealing with local authorities, the editorial told "Muslims in the land of Abyssinia" to realize that the Christians' crimes against them are systematic, warning that they will escalate even further.

"This Crusader offensive on mosques and sacred sites can only be confronted with fire, iron, and strong force. The Christians are enemies of Islam, and the war against them will endure until Essa [Jesus], peace be upon him, returns. It is not a racial, national, or prejudiced war, rather it is a war between faith and disbelief."

The editorial warned Muslims in Ethiopia against listening to clerics or politicians who seek to deter them from performing jihad, describing them as "imams of delusions and parties of apostates."

'Join ISIS In East Africa Province'

Concluding, the editorial told the "Muslim brothers of Abyssinia," to abide by the Quran and the rulings of shari'a, and to remember that jihad is their path towards glory and empowerment. It further instructed them that if they cannot wage jihad in their own country, they might still join the ranks of ISIS in East Africa.

"Jihad, Oh people of Abyssinia, if not in the abode of the unbelievers and their cities, then head out to the mujahideen camps in the East Africa, join their ranks and expand its blackness [i.e. the number of Black members]. Some of your best sons have already preceded you," it said.