A Brief Guide to Islamic State (2015)

Sadly, as cruel as Saddam Hussein and the Assad gang have been the violence thrashed out by America and her allies has been just as bad, if not worse, I mean who can justify sanctions that lead to the deaths of up to half a million children?

In early May 2015, a US airstrike slaughtered up to fifty women and children in the northern Syrian village of Bir Mahli in what is surely to be described as a ‘mishap’, and even if this were the case where is the compensation for the victims, and where is the international outcry for such a horrible miscalculation? And if only it were a miscalculation, but sadly my experiences of American military action in the Islamic State casts a dark shadow of doubt over this.

Rewind to 28th December 2014, and I am in the popular town of Bab, Syria talking casually to a friend outside his house. It is a cool winter night and everything seems normal. In a matter of moments the haunting shriek of a missile fills the air, and crashes into a building one hundred meters away, followed by an almighty explosion. As the ground shakes beneath our feet we see the bright light of a second missile pierce the sky and strike again. Silence.

More than forty civilians were killed in that building that day, and I can still smell the charred aftermath of that cowardly act of war, and I also remember feeling angry — very angry. That building was not a training camp or bomb factory it was a regular police station housing prisoners, and that airstrike was precise and deliberate.

Outrages like these are just the tip of the iceberg, but they help show what life has been like for ordinary people in Iraq and Syria, because prior to the entrance of the Islamic State it was considerably worse. The horrors of Bashar Assad and the Shia government, across the now demolished border, had everyone in despair and so when the Islamic State came rolling in with the justice of the shariah[19] everyone was understandably in euphoria.

As a muhajir and citizen of the Caliphate you are a symbol of liberation and change. You are loved and supported, because you are a walking reminder that tyranny now has a formidable foe. You are also a symbol of Islam, and so do not be surprised if people here seek your counsel and advice and beware of self-conceit and pride.

As for the future, then expect great things because the foundations have been set for an electrifying confrontation in which the Muslims will, ultimately, emerge victorious and that requires great minds and incredible sacrifices in the form of amazing people.

In the past year, America and her allies have gone to extraordinary lengths to convince the world that the Islamic State is nothing more than a militant organisation, but with every day that passes this is proving more and more difficult.

I vividly remember my first steps in the Caliphate and being taken back by the sheer expansiveness of the land that was wrestled away from Bashar Assad, and as we were escorted by car through the rocky plains of the province of Halab, Abu Ishaaq al Britani who also managed to make it with me exclaimed whilst smiling jubilantly, “This is our country!” and however strange it sounded to me at that time he was right — Muslims now had a homeland. It was only a few months later from that timeless statement that Abu Ishaaq attained martyrdom in battle, and I ask Allah to accept him and elevate his status in Paradise.

The point here is that the Islamic State has land — a lot of land, and it also has infrastructure with all the hallmarks of a country, and by this I mean hospitals, courts, fire brigades, an electricity grid, prisons, a working transport network, agriculture etc. which all converges to point out one extraordinary thing — a remarkable education system.

The improved quality of life experienced in the Caliphate was not the result of a fortunate set of circumstances it was deliberate, and borne out of hard work and patience. The Islamic State takes training very seriously. There are no cowboy academies here, and so whatever field you end up in keep in mind that you will need to reach certain benchmarks.

This disclosure will, of course, be very comforting for Muslim parents who too want to take that plunge with their children and migrate to the Islamic State, and I hope it does act as a reassurance, because there is no better place to bring up your loved ones.

Institutes are already springing up across the country offering courses on Arabic, maths and science and astonishingly in Raqqah, less than a year from the announcement of the Caliphate, citizens now have the fantastic opportunity to study medicine.

The chance to immerse yourself in an academic subject that interests you is, of course, very fulfilling but remember the other perks including segregated schooling and above all a healthy learning environment that Muslim students naturally find impossible to get in Dar ul Kufr.