Dabiq, the end of days (notional), and jihadi goals

"Now that it has taken Dabiq, the Islamic State awaits the arrival of an enemy army there, whose defeat will initiate the countdown to the apocalypse. Western media frequently miss references to Dabiq in the Islamic State’s videos, and focus instead on lurid scenes of beheading. “Here we are, burying the first American crusader in Dabiq, eagerly waiting for the remainder of your armies to arrive,” said a masked executioner in a November video, showing the severed head of Peter (Abdul Rahman) Kassig, the aid worker who’d been held captive for more than a year. During fighting in Iraq in December, after mujahideen (perhaps inaccurately) reported having seen American soldiers in battle, Islamic State Twitter accounts erupted in spasms of pleasure, like overenthusiastic hosts or hostesses upon the arrival of the first guests at a party.

The Prophetic narration that foretells the Dabiq battle refers to the enemy as Rome. Who “Rome” is, now that the pope has no army, remains a matter of debate. But Cerantonio makes a case that Rome meant the Eastern Roman empire, which had its capital in what is now Istanbul. We should think of Rome as the Republic of Turkey—the same republic that ended the last self-identified caliphate, 90 years ago. Other Islamic State sources suggest that Rome might mean any infidel army, and the Americans will do nicely."  Atlantic Magazine

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"Islam is a religion of peace and love..."  Yes, that is so for most or at least many Muslims, but for many others the "peace" is for other Muslims, and most especially for those who agree with one's own interpretation of scripture and law.  It is easy for apologists for Islam to ignore basic truths and for gullible, shallow politicians like Bush 43 and Kasich to accept a conveniently benign view of  islamicate civilization but their gullibility is always based on ignorance and the favorable impression made on them by Muslim apologists.

 There is currently a vast quantity of drivel abroad in the land concerning Islam, Salafism, jihadism, etc.  At the meeting I recently attended, a poly sci professor who occupies an endowed chair at a major university opined that what the Islamists want is to recover all the lands once held by the 'ummah.  That would include; Greece, the Balkans, Sicily, southern mainland Italy, Iberia, southern France, etc.  Another professor in the room laughed.  This one actually knew a lot about Islam and told the first,  "ah, you don't understand,  The ones who only want that are the moderates among them."  She was correct.

IS is often referred to by the Arabic acronym da'ish  (dawlat islamiyah f'il 'iraq wa ash-sham).  "Islamic State in Iraq and Syria"  For some reason it is said by Westerners that this is disparaging because it denies them statehood.  The first word "dawlat" means "state" so I don't get that.

Perhaps it is thought disparaging because it confines their statehood to Iraq and Syria.  Now, that might be since their goal as described (correctly in my view) by Wood is a fulfillment of the apocalyptic prophecy of a final cataclysmic battle on the  Plain of Dabiq north of Aleppo, a battle in which Jesus (a nice touch) will return to lead the army of the Muslims (IS) against the army of "Rome" probably us kuffar (infidels) generally but with Americans as a central feature.  According to their expectations, victory at Dabiq will lead to a general unraveling of things and the Day of Judgment.

Now, pilgrims, I understand that many of you whether kuffar or mu'mineen will insist that this is all BS and only oil is real, but Wood and I think you are wrong.

If my new best friend Wood and I are right then the ongoing wave of terror attacks are really intended to provoke us saliibiyeen (crusaders) into coming to Dabiq where they want to dance.  Save me a dance, children.  Save me a dance.  pl  

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/03/what-isis-really-wants/384980/

Comments

[Fred]

Kim,

What anti-muslim propaganda? You must watch some other MSM channels than I since all I see is the opposite along with a continued anti-Christian bias in American media.

[Babak Makkinejad]

This is a propaganda piece from Iran which does not contradict what Col. Lang has been saying.

Over the last two to three hundred years, for a number of reasons, including the invention & development of the Doctrine of Ijtihad 200 years ago in Iran among the Shia Doctors of Religion, Shia Muslims in Iran and elsewhere have come to delegate to their religious scholars the elucidation of what constitutes Islam.

There are a few ayatollahs and grand ayatollahs in Iran and else where among the Shia - in low hundreds - who collectively determine what Islam is to Shia Muslims.

They have that Spiritual Authority to define and demarcate Islam - earning it through their scholarly learning as well as through piety as well as through the popular acknowledgement of that authority by other scholars as well as lay persons.

Nothing like that obtains in Sunni Islam and is not likely to obtain for the immediate future - if ever.

Iranians publish such tracts to position themselves as champions of Islamic Unity- a fine ideal which, regrettably, does not seem within reach at the moment.

[bth]

Have any specific and identifiable (targetable) clerics floated to the top of the IS punch bowl? If this end of days mentality is so powerful, there must be some specific clerics promoting this rot. I continue to be amazed at how little we know.

[Babak Makkinejad]

All:

Ambassador Naas on search for a solution in Syria:

https://lobelog.com/the-search-for-a-syrian-solution-continues/

[mbrenner]

I think caution is in order when ascribing to a religion's theology a unique potential for instigating dramatic, sociopathic behavior. True, not all religions are the same. But Islam, Christianity and Judaism are first cousins; they share the same eschatology, they accept the validity of its antecedents' claims. Dabik/Day of Judgment are almost identical to Christianity's Armaggedon as viewed by believers in the Book of Revelations.
There are millions in this state who are prepared to receive it right now - or at least when football season ends.

It is a mentality that led to actins identical to that of ISIL. Indeed, at one time with the explicit blessing of Augustine of Hippo. A repellant feature of Augustine was his incitement to the zealous monks who rampaged through North Africa and the East destroying pagan temples, terrorizing Donatists, crushing the remnants of Gnostic communities and burning synagogues. Flying squads of black clad mad monks swept through targeted districts – intoxicated by their own incessant loud chanting. The calculated aim was to win converts by displays of power and militancy that intimidated the populace. Agitation and coercion were the methods. Augustine, as Bishop of Hippo, personally promoted these nasty forays to extend the Charity of Christ, i.e. boost the number of converts. That was the principal basis for his “just war” theory – not defensive response to an inter-state threat. Encouraging a campaign of violence would create “facts on the ground’ that could serve as a bulwark against any successor to the apostate Emperor Julian who might threaten the Christian Dominion – however far it had strayed from Christ.

“I would not have believed the Gospel had not the authority of the Church moved me” Contra Epistulam Fundamentic. 410 ch.5
Those glaze-eyed, foaming-at-the-mouth fanatics were actually “Ye of little faith” whose visionary prospects for the City of God could not dissolve their fears about the City of Julian - or The City of Alaric or the City of Genseric. The Church as temporal power as well as spiritual power was their Caliphate – not to be rendered to some other Caesar. (This is the stated goal of today’s American Dominionists – one of whose pastoral leaders is Ted Cruz’s father. The defining concept of dominionism is "that Christians alone are Biblically mandated to occupy all secular institutions until Christ returns”). Since Jesus’ prophecy of the imminent coming of the Day of Judgment had been shown to be inaccurate, the here-and-now had become inseparable from the hereafter. Augustine, possessing the mind of a shrewd political strategist – among other attributes, understood that securing the power of the state to instruct and to coerce was crucial for the Church’s long-term success.
There is a benefit to this aspect of Augustine: it provides us insight into the jihadist mentality that ravages civilization today. Furthermore, there is a direct line from that Augustine to our native salafist Christians – organized for political assaults as the so-called Christian Right. It is readily discernible

[turcopolier]

mbrenner

what demented Christians have done or might do is irrelevant. We are talking about Da'ish, not Augustine. you make an interesting theoretical argument but Da'ish must be dealt with in the real world. I am not saying that all Muslims are their kind of lunatic, but there are enough to have set the world on fire. pl

[turcopolier]

mbrenner

It does not matter if the IS freaks are Muslim. If they were Buddhists I would have the same attitude toward them. they are a menace to the world order. They must go. pl

[different clue]

Babak Makkinejad,

It seems to me that the first-step interim solution for now for strictly and only Syria is to give the R + 6 every bit of the help THEY ask for in the exact form THEY ask for it in bombing, shelling and shooting every trace of rebellion within Syria either into submission or into extinction. And then giving the Assad Administration every bit of help in all the exact forms it requests to keep the submissive in submission and keep the extincted safely extinct within the borders of Syria. ( Or whatever economically/culturally/strategically important parts of Syria that the Assad Administration wishes to retain).

Part of that process would involve strangling the petro-gulfie economies into such dire poverty that not one single person within those economies is left with enough money to even be able to afford to spare any money whatsoever beyond purchasing the means of their own brute day to day personal bodily survival. I hope smarter people than me are thinking in detail about how to strangle the petro-gulfie economies down to that safe and manageable state. We know that The Twisted Genius has suggested reaching into their various accounts, funds, etc. and digitally erasing all their digital money and all records of its ever having existed.

[Cee]

Col. Lang.

They conspire, I pay attention.

I do hope you're correct. If so, ISIS can be defeated.

Perhaps I've read too much Victor Ostrovsky and Ari Ben-Menashe about false flag terrorism. Not one thing that has been done has been of any benefit to any Muslim. Israel plans are moving along as written, they have infiltrated these groups and are calling the shots. May times, people aren't who they appear to be.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/your-muslim-husband-is-a-jew/story-e6frg6so-1226009693798

I won't change my mind until some massive blasts start going off that severely damage the welfare state that holds us hostage.

[bth]

Here is a pretty good article about the economics of IS from Bloomberg. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-19/why-u-s-efforts-to-cut-off-islamic-state-s-funds-have-failed

[Babak Makkinejad]

Thank you for your comments.

I just do not see it in the cards for NATO states helping R+6.

EU could remove her economic sanctions against Syrian Arab Republic tomorrow, but they won't.

Their aim stays the same, in Brussels as well as in Washington; in spite of the attacks in Paris, in Beirut, in Sinai, in Mali.

That this late in the day EU proposes to bring Iran and Saudi Arabia closer to diplomatic meeting on Syria shows how uncommitted they are to a military solution, which is the only one that is available in my opinion.

[bth]

Col., if we want to get into the head of IS, why don't we help the Russians occupy Dabiq, northeast of Aleppo? Wouldn't that require that IS to be drawn out to defeat the infidel there at that spot or loose all manhood and religious bona-fides?

[differenc clue]

Babak Makkinejad,

Well then, as long as they aren't with Assad, then they are with the terrorists. Because that is what the choice is. Either you are with Assad or you are with the terrorists.

Hopefully more and more people will get up in every possible face and say it just exactly that way, over and over and over.

[Babak Makkinejad]

Yes, an ugly situation reminiscent of the Spanish Civil War.

That great humanitarian, WT Sherman, once observed that the best thing you can do in war was to bring it to speedy end - that is if you wanted to help people.

NATO states are a politico-military alliance of over 1200 million souls. Their GDP is about one half of this planet's total GDP.

If Mr. Assad and SAR is so Evil (in the Manichean sense) these states could easily field an army of a million souls and sent it to Syria to destroy Assad and occupy Syria for say 40 or 60 years.

But they won't; one wonders why.

Is it because like Hitler and Stalin during the Spanish Civil War they wish to prolong the agony of Syria so the R+4 are further weakened?

Or is it because their Gulfie friends and allies - their best customers - have asked them to do so?

ISIS forced their hands last week, let us see if they rise up to the requirements that Honor imposes on NATO leaders not that blood has ben shed.

[turcopolier]

All

Just heard Graeme Wood try to explain to Joe Scarborough why IS wants to fight the West on the "Plain of Dabiq" when it is obvious to us that they will lose catastrophically in a stand up fight. "They believe God favors them," was Wood's answer. Scarborough could not integrate that thought and raved on for a while. BTW someone should tell Barnicle that there has not been a Fifth Marine Division since WW2. I suppose he meant the Fifth Mechanized Division, an Army unit. pl

[Fred]

Col.,

I think the leadership in the West has been so secularized that they can not recognize how anyone could have a religious belief. They certainly seem to have become hostile to Christians.

[bth]

If its a fight against the infidel at the Plain of Dabiq that is the put up or shut up event with IS, perhaps we should accept that invitation or helping the Russians or whomever on the ground.

[Generalfeldmarschall von Hindenburg]

I think who Rome is should be obvious. As Philip K. Dick observed, the Roman Empire never really fell.