Editorial in ISIS Weekly 'Al-Naba' Calls On Muslims To Turn Christian Holidays Into 'Funerals And Tragedies' For The Celebrators

The following are some of this week's reports from the MEMRI Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM) Project, which translates and analyzes content from sources monitored around the clock, among them the most important jihadi websites and blogs. (To view these reports in full, you must be a paying member of the JTTM; for membership information, send an email to jttmsubs@memri.org with "Membership" in the subject line.)

The December 30, 2021 issue of the Islamic State (ISIS) weekly Al-Naba features an editorial calling for attacks on the Christians during the holiday season. The editorial exhorts the organization's supporters to do their utmost to transform the Christian holidays into "funerals and tragedies," in retaliation for the Christians' attacks on the Muslims and as punishment for their belief in the divinity of Christ. The editorial also castigates Islamic preachers who permit Muslims to extend holiday greetings to Christians and even to participate in Christian holiday celebrations, contrary to the position of those ISIS considers the true Islamic scholars, some of whom even rule that whoever does this is an apostate.

Titled "'Issa [Jesus] Son of Maryam [Mary], the Messenger of Allah," the editorial says: "Every year, the infidel Christians mark what they claim is the birthday of God the Messiah, and [celebrate] this by filling the world with noise, promiscuity, adultery and madness. We ask: Could God have been created? Could He have been crucified and killed? Can this invented god be celebrated with adultery and Satanic rituals?"

Claiming that the tenets of the Christian faith are rife with contradictions and lies that are exposed by the Quran, and that Christianity is basically polytheistic, the editorial wonders how "reasonable people who consider themselves Muslim dare to take part in the Christian [celebrations] and to greet the Christians on their polytheist festivals! [But] the greatest criminals," it adds," are the [Muslim] preachers of evil who permit this, some of whom even regard it desirable or mandatory, when the Islamic scholars agree that it is forbidden and some have even ruled that whoever does this is an apostate…"

The editorial goes on to say that, in addition to their polytheism, today's Christians, and especially the "Crusader coalition" that is fighting ISIS, "spearhead the offensive war against Islam and the Muslims." Therefore, "it is the duty of the Muslims to treat the Christians just as the Christians treat the Muslims. Just as they tore Muslims to pieces with their attacks and bombardments, we must strive to turn the Christian holidays into funerals and tragedies, [which is] ‘a befitting recompense [for their deeds; Quran 78:26]. We must fight them by every means during their holidays and festivals, for that is more painful for them, and it is also easier for us to reach them [during their celebrations]. Their polytheism and their claim that 'Issa [Jesus] is God is reason enough to fight them, not to mention their war on Islam and the Muslims."

The editorial stresses that the hostility and war between the Muslims and Christians is eternal and will continue until the End of Days, when "'Issa will [return] and impose a just rule based on the shari'a of Islam and of Muhammad, [the shari'a] that the greatest Crusader coalition in history set out to eliminate." Finally, the editorial calls on the Muslims to prepare for the great battles that will take place ahead of 'Issa's return.[1]

This editorial joins a series of recent publications by pro-ISIS media outlets calling on ISIS supporters to attack Christians in the West and elsewhere. [2] The latest of these publications are two posters circulated by a pro-ISIS media outlet on December 30. One shows a hooded figure holding a bomb, against the backdrop of a Western city, with the Arabic text "To every monotheist everywhere: Prove your faith in the one and only Allah by acting against the infidels. Do not let these swine celebrate their holidays, in which they pray to a created God and claim that he has a son." Below this message are the English words "Christmas blood."

 
The other poster shows an ISIS operative ambushing Santa Claus, and is captioned "O Lone Wolf, Attack Them."[3]