The following report is a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.
On August 9, 2015, the Islamic State (ISIS) media group Al-Hayat released the 11th issue of its English-language magazine Dabiq. The magazine, with 66 pages, including 13 articles and a foreword, was distributed via pro-ISIS Twitter accounts.
The cover story, titled "The battle of al-Ahzab [combined forces] to the War of Coalitions," explains that the Islamic State is having to stave off numerous enemies, including Shi'ites, tribal groups, members of the Western coalition, and its supporters. It specifies who the enemies of the Islamic State are:
"The new crusader coalition for Iraq and Syria – 'Operation Inherent Resolve' – officially includes the following countries and entities: Albania, the Arab League, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, the European Union, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and United States. Other regimes and forces backed by the West but not mentioned above partake in the war against the Islamic State in more distant regions. The African Union, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria are all involved in the war against Wilāyat West Ifrīqiyyah. Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, NATO, and Pakistan – in addition to many of the countries mentioned in the first list – are involved in the war against Wilāyat Khurāsān. Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, and Yemen are involved in the war against the Islamic State in their respective regions. The Jewish state is openly involved in the war against Wilāyat Saynā’ in addition to being covertly involved alongside the crusaders in most of the campaigns against the Islamic State wilāyāt. The Gulf Cooperation Council, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Organization of “Islamic” Cooperation, Kyrgyzstan, and Switzerland are also involved – on a political, financial, intelligence, and in the case of most of them, military level – in the campaign against Islam and its Khilāfah."
The article also encourages those who are unable to emigrate to the Islamic State to wage jihad in their own lands, and suggests specific cities and organizations to target: "As for the Muslim who is unable to perform hijrah from dārul-kufr to the Khilāfah, then there is much opportunity for him to strike out against the kāfir enemies of the Islamic State. There are more than seventy crusader nations, tāghūt regimes, apostate armies, rāfidī militias, and sahwah factions for him to choose from. Their interests are located all over the world. He should not hesitate in striking them wherever he can.
"In addition to killing crusader citizens anywhere on the earth, what, for example, prevents him from targeting Rāfidī communities in Dearborn (Michigan), Los Angeles, and New York City? Or targeting Panamanian diplomatic missions in Jakarta, Doha, and Dubai? Or targeting Japanese diplomatic missions in Bosnia, Malaysia, and Indonesia? Or targeting Saudi diplomats in Tirana (Albania), Sarajevo (Bosnia), and Pristina (Kosovo)? Or executing major Sahwah sponsors in Qatar, Kuwait, and 'Saudi' Arabia? What prevents him from targeting the allies of the PKK and Peshmerga in Europe and America including the Confederation of Kurdish Associations? What did the pathetic state of Panama expect to achieve for its citizens except more terror when it arrogantly entered into the American-led coalition against the Islamic State? in Europe (KON-KURD – based in Brussels) and the International Kurdish Businessmen Union (KAR-SAZ – based in Rotterdam), both of which are infamous for their financial support of the PKK?"
An article titled "The Danger of Abandoning Darul-Islam" warns refugees of the dangerous sins they would be committing if they emigrated to the West, as opposed to emigrating to the Islamic State.
It stated: "It should be known that voluntarily leaving Dārul-Islām for dārul-kufr is a dangerous major sin, as it is a passage towards kufr and a gate towards one's children and grandchildren abandoning Islam for Christianity, atheism, or liberalism. If one's children and grandchildren don’t fall into kufr, they are under the constant threat of fornication, sodomy, drugs, and alcohol. If they don’t fall into sin, they will forget the language of the Qur'ān – Arabic – which they were surrounded by in Shām, Iraq, Libya, and elsewhere, making the return to the religion and its teachings more difficult."
Other articles include highlights of ISIS military actions; news from territory controlled by ISIS; and previous releases of ISIS videos and reports.
The magazine also included two ads for a Norwegian and a Chinese prisoner for sale; the ads include contact information via the encrypted Telegram app.
The issue also featured an article titled "Wala and Bara Versus American Racism," discussing America's race issue and suggesting suggested that Muslims from all backgrounds need to band together to fight their common enemy.
