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ISIS
The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has been in the new a lot lately. But most
people really have no idea who they are or what they stand for. We have heard them called the
Al-Qaeda Junior Varsity team, or just a bunch of murders who are perverting Islam, even that
they have no connection at all to Islam. Some say they are an extremely dangerous organization
that we need to confront now, while others say we certainly need to be aware of them but they
dont present a real threat to the United States. So what is the real answer?
Graeme Woods article What ISIS Really Wants in the March, 2015 issue of The
Atlantic Magazine makes a convincing argument that ISIS poses a major threat to Muslims and
Non-Muslims worldwide. He begins his article by addressing the notion, held by the United
States government and many others, that ISIS has only a slight connection with Islam. He
acknowledges that many, what he terms Mainstream Muslims, reject ISISs connection to Islam
because of the brutal violence we see from that group. However, Wood argues that ISIS is in fact
Very Islamic. He argues convincingly that ISIS adheres to The Prophetic methodology, which
means following the pronouncements and example of Muhammad in exacting detail. In Woods
view we see this with ISIS in a number of ways. For example ISIS uses Crucifixion for those
who refuse to convert to Islam, that they will spare Christians if they are willing to pay a tax,
known as jizya and publicly proclaim their subordination to Islam. He notes as well ISIS
reinstitution of slavery, beheadings and dismemberment for thieves. Wood argues that all of
these can be found in the teachings of Muhammad.
The article argues that the establishment of a Caliphate makes ISIS much more dangerous
than other groups like Al-Qaeda and Hamas. A Caliphate is simply a form of government led by

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a Caliph. The first requirement of a Caliphate is physical control of territory, which ISIS has
established in Iraq and Syria. As Wood explains that is when the danger begins. As he explains,
once the Caliphate is declared it becomes incumbent upon the Caliph to do 2 things. First the
Caliph must strictly enforce Sharia Law and second the Caliph must wage constant war to
expand the Caliphate and the reach of Sharia Law. Wood goes on to explain what he sees as the
greatest danger from ISIS.
Wood shows that Islam allows the relaxation of adherence to Sharia Law if no Caliphate
has been established. However, he explains that once a Caliphate has been declared it becomes a
Muslims religious duty to swear allegiance to the Caliphate and move to the territory controlled
by the Caliph. This is where the danger begins. It is considered a sin, punishable by death, for a
Muslim to fail to adhere to Sharia Law once the Caliphate has been proclaimed. Non-Muslims
are given two options, convert or die. The one exception to this rule is reserved for Christians.
As mentioned earlier, Christians can escape death if they agree to an extra tax and profess
subservient to Islam.
Wood demonstrates that Muslims are flocking to the Caliphate and or swearing fealty to
the Caliph. He describes this as very similar to Germans reactions to Hitlers call for all true
Aryans to return to the Fatherland in the Mid-30s. Like Nazism, for the Germans, the Caliphate
promises Muslims a return to the glory days when Islam dominated the known world. The
article discusses how ISIS has been able to use social media to draw people to its message. It is
estimated that ISIS now has a 30,000 man strong army and is growing in strength every day and
that Muslims from around the world are coming to Iraq and Syria. This Woods argues is the
greatest threat. If ISIS is not confronted soon and is allowed to grow in territory and power, the
world may face a conflagration on the scale of World War II.

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