Old page wikitext, before the edit (old_wikitext) | '{{distinguish|Islamic state|Islamic republic}}
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{{redirect-multi|5|ISIL|ISIS|Daish|Daesh|Islamic State group||ISIL (disambiguation)|and|ISIS (disambiguation)|and|Daish (disambiguation)|and|Islamic state (disambiguation)}}
{{very long|rps=105|date=June 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}
<!-- Please see [[Talk:Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant#RfC: infobox country?]] before changing infobox type. -->
{{Infobox war faction
|name = Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
|native_name = {{rtl-lang|ar|الدولة الإسلامية في العراق والشام}}<br /><small>''{{transl|ar|ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah fī 'l-ʿIrāq wa-sh-Shām}}''</small>
|war = the [[Iraq War]] (2003–2011), [[Iraqi insurgency (2011–13)|Iraqi insurgency]], [[Syrian Civil War]], [[Iraqi Civil War (2014-present)|Iraqi Civil War]], [[Libyan Civil War (2014–present)|Second Libyan Civil War]], [[Boko Haram insurgency]], [[War in North-West Pakistan]], [[War in Afghanistan (2015–present)|War in Afghanistan]], [[Yemeni Civil War (2015)|Yemeni Civil War]], and [[List of wars and battles involving ISIL|other conflicts]]
----
<small>Primary target of [[Operation Inherent Resolve]] and of the [[military intervention against ISIL]]: [[American-led intervention in Syria|in Syria]], [[American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)|Iraq]], [[2015 Egyptian military intervention in Libya|Libya]], and [[Boko Haram insurgency|Nigeria]].</small><!-- For wikilinks, if diff from name -->
|image = AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg{{!}}border
|caption = The [[Black Standard]] used by ISIL<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-flag-what-do-the-words-mean-and-what-are-its-origins-10369601.html |title=Isis flag: What do the words mean and what are its origins? |date=7 July 2015 |work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref>
|active =
{{Collapsible list | title = 1999 – present | bullets = on | 1 = Established under the name of [[Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad]]: 1999 | 2 = Joined [[al-Qaeda]]: October 2004 | 3 = Declaration of an [[Islamic state]] in Iraq: 13 October 2006 | 4 = Claim of territory in the [[Levant]]: 8 April 2013 | 5 = Separated from [[al-Qaeda]]:<ref name="JamestownFoundation20041018" /><ref name="qaedaisil">{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-26016318 |title=Al-Qaeda disavows ISIS militants in Syria |publisher=BBC News |date=3 February 2014 |accessdate=3 February 2014}}</ref> 3 February 2014<ref name="al-Qaeda severs link with ISIL">{{cite news |last=Holmes |first=Oliver |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/03/us-syria-crisis-qaeda-idUSBREA120NS20140203 |agency=Reuters |title=Al Qaeda breaks link with Syrian militant group ISIL |date=3 February 2014 |accessdate=6 July 2014}}</ref> | 6 = Declaration of [[caliphate]]: 29 June 2014|7=Claim of territory in:
* Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen: 13 November 2014
*South Asia: 29 January 2015<ref name="Khorasan" />
* Nigeria: 12 March 2015<ref name="BokoHaramIS" /><ref name="cnn-boko-haram-isis" />
* North Caucasus: 23 June 2015<ref name="caucasus" /> | 8 = [[Battle of Mosul (2016–17)|Recapture]] of [[Mosul]] by Iraqi forces: 21 July 2017 | 9 = [[Battle of Raqqa (2017)|Recapture]] of [[Raqqa]] by SDF forces: 17 October 2017 }}
|ideology ={{plainlist|
*[[Caliphatism]]
*[[Salafi movement|Salafism]]<ref name="NS">{{cite web |title=Islamic State |url=http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/Listedterroristorganisations/Pages/IslamicState.aspx |accessdate=22 July 2014 |work=Australian National Security |publisher=Australian Government}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Islamic State |url=http://web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-bin/groups/view/1 |website=Mapping Militant Organizations |publisher=Stanford University |date=23 January 2015 |accessdate=23 April 2015}}</ref><ref name="quilliamfoundation.org">{{cite report |first1=Erin Marie |last1=Saltman |first2=Charlie |last2=Winter |title=Islamic State: The Changing Face of Modern Jihadism |url=http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/publications/free/islamic-state-the-changing-face-of-modern-jihadism.pdf |publisher=Quilliam Foundation |date=November 2014 |isbn=978-1-906603-98-4 |accessdate=23 April 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226115714/http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/publications/free/islamic-state-the-changing-face-of-modern-jihadism.pdf |archivedate=26 February 2015}}</ref>
*[[Salafi jihadism]]<ref name="quilliamfoundation.org" /><ref name="huffpost-wahhabi">{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alastair-crooke/isis-wahhabism-saudi-arabia_b_5717157.html |last=Crooke |first=Alastair |title=You Can't Understand ISIS If You Don't Know the History of Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia |date=5 September 2014 |work=[[The Huffington Post]]}}</ref>
*[[Wahhabism]]<ref name="huffpost-wahhabi" /><ref name=ISIS-NYT>{{cite news |last1=Kirkpatrick |first1=David |title=ISIS Harsh Brand of Islam Is Rooted in Austere Saudi Creed |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/25/world/middleeast/isis-abu-bakr-baghdadi-caliph-wahhabi.html |accessdate=6 May 2015 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=24 September 2014}}</ref>
*[[Anti-Zionism]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.algemeiner.com/2014/07/08/isis-threatens-to-commit-another-holocaust-against-jews/ |title=ISIS Threatens to Commit Another Holocaust Against Jews |website=Algemeiner.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://nationalinterest.org/feature/why-isis-fears-israel-17286 |title=Why ISIS Fears Israel |first=Graham |last=Allison |publisher=}}</ref>
*[[Antisemitism]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/israel/2015-10-28/what-isis-talks-about-when-it-talks-about-palestine |title=What ISIS Talks About When It Talks About Palestine |first1=Samar |last1=Batrawi |first2=Samar |last2=Batrawi |date=28 October 2015 |publisher= |via=www.foreignaffairs.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/ISIS-Threat/ISIS-fanatics-call-on-supporters-to-terrorize-Jewish-people-in-the-West-482987 |title=ISIS fanatics call on supporters to 'terrorize' Jewish people in the West |publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.adl.org/blog/new-isis-and-al-qaeda-propaganda-prioritize-the-us-and-jews-as-targets |title=New ISIS and Al-Qaeda propaganda prioritize the US and Jews as targets |website=Anti-Defamation League}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.adl.org/blog/isis-augments-its-threats-against-israel |title=ISIS Augments Its Threats Against Israel |website=Anti-Defamation League}}</ref>}}
|clans=
* [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Libya|Libyan Province]]
* [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Sinai Province|Sinai Province]]
* [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Yemen Province|Yemen Province]]
* [[Jund al-Khilafah|Algerian Province]]
* [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province|Khorasan Province]]
* [[Boko Haram|West Africa Province]]
* [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Caucasus Province|Caucasus Province]]
* [[Islamic State in Somalia|Somalia group]]
|leaders =
* '''Leader'''<!-- e.g. "Chair", "President", etc. but not caliph -->: [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]]<ref name="Caliph Ibrahim">{{cite news |last1=Rubin |first1=Alissa J. |title=Militant Leader in Rare Appearance in Iraq |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/06/world/asia/iraq-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-sermon-video.html |accessdate=6 July 2014 |work=The New York Times |date=5 July 2014}}</ref>
* '''Deputy leader in Iraq''': [[Abu Fatima al-Jaheishi]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aymennjawad.org/2016/01/an-account-of-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-islamic-state |title=An Account of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi & Islamic State Succession Lines |first=Aymenn Jawad |last=Al-Tamimi |work=Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi's Blog |date=24 January 2016}}</ref>
* '''Deputy leader in Syria''': [[Abu Ali al-Anbari]]{{KIA}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli |url=https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/abd_al_qaduli.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518171235/https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/abd_al_qaduli.html |dead-url=yes |archive-date=18 May 2015 |website=Rewards for Justice |publisher=U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security |date=5 May 2015 |accessdate=7 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Schmidt |first=Michael |title=A Top ISIS Leader Is Killed in an Airstrike, the Pentagon Says |work=The New York Times |date=25 March 2016 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/26/world/middleeast/abd-al-rahman-mustafa-al-qaduli-isis-reported-killed-in-syria.html |accessdate=26 March 2016}}</ref>
* '''Deputy leader in Libya''': Abdel Baqer Al-Najdi<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-16/islamic-state-spreads-in-north-africa-in-attacks-ignored-by-west |title=Islamic State Spreads in North Africa in Attacks Ignored by West}}</ref>
* '''Military chief''': Abu Saleh al-Obaidi<ref>{{cite report |title=An Account of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi & Islamic State Succession Lines |first=Aymenn |last=Jawad Al-Tamimi |url=http://www.aymennjawad.org/2016/01/an-account-of-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-islamic-state |work=Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi's Blog |date=January 2016 |accessdate=8 May 2016}}</ref>
* '''Head of the Shura Council''': Abu Arkan al-Ameri<ref>{{cite news |title=ISIS Leadership |url=http://apps.frontline.org/isis-leadership/ |accessdate=14 August 2015 |publisher=[[PBS]] |work=[[Frontline (U.S. TV series)|Frontline]] |date=2015}}</ref>
* '''Chief spokesperson''': [[Abu Mohammad al-Adnani]]{{KIA}}<ref name=Chulov/><ref name="brookings.edu">{{cite report |title=Islamic State Senior Leadership: Who's Who |first=Charles |last=Lister |url=http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Research/Files/Reports/2014/11/profiling-islamic-state-lister/en_whos_who.pdf?la=en |publisher=Brookings Institution |date=2014 |accessdate=11 May 2015}}</ref><ref name="Here's What We Know About The 'Caliph' Of The New 'Islamic State'">{{cite news |title=Here's What We Know About the 'Caliph' of the New Islamic State |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-we-know-about-the-caliph-of-the-new-islamic-state-2014-6 |accessdate=18 July 2014 |agency=Agence France-Presse |work=[[Business Insider]] |date=29 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="Ibrahim">{{cite news |url=http://news.siteintelgroup.com/Jihadist-News/isis-spokesman-declares-caliphate-rebrands-group-as-islamic-state.html |title=ISIS Spokesman Declares Caliphate, Rebrands Group as Islamic State |date=29 June 2014 |accessdate=29 June 2014 |work=Jihadist Threat |publisher=SITE Intelligence Group}}</ref><ref name="DoD">[http://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/941787/pentagon-confirms-US-strike-in-Syria-killed-isil-leader Pentagon Confirms U.S. Strike in Syria Killed ISIL Leader] 12 September 2016</ref>
* '''Chief of Syrian military operations''': [[Abu Omar al-Shishani]]{{KIA}}<ref name="brookings.edu" /><ref>[http://www.stripes.com/news/islamic-state-says-top-commander-is-dead-pentagon-unsure-1.419088 Islamic State says top commander is dead; Pentagon unsure] Stars and Stripes (14 July 2016)</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-confirms-death-of-hugely-popular-minister-of-war-omar-al-shishani-a7135446.html |title=Isis has confirmed the death of hugely popular 'minister of war' Omar al-Shishani |date=13 July 2016 |work=The Independent}}</ref><ref name="confirmation">{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/14/politics/u-s-confirms-death-of-isis-operative-omar-al-shishani/index.html |publisher=CNN |title=U.S. confirms death of ISIS operative Omar al-Shishani |date=14 March 2016 |accessdate=14 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili |url=https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/tarkhan_batirashvili.html |website=Rewards for Justice |publisher=U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security |date=5 May 2015 |accessdate=7 May 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518171047/https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/tarkhan_batirashvili.html |archivedate=18 May 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
* '''Minister of War''': [[Gulmurod Khalimov]] <ref name="Khalimov"/>
* '''Minister of Information''': Wa’il Adil Hasan Salman al-Fayad{{KIA}}<ref name="confirmation2">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/16/isis-propaganda-chief-dr-wail-killed-in-airstrike |work=The Guardian |title=Isis's propaganda chief, Dr Wa'il, killed in airstrike, Pentagon confirms |date=16 September 2016 |accessdate=18 September 2016}}</ref>
* '''Spokesman''': [[Abul-Hasan Al-Muhajir]] (foreign fighter)
|headquarters = {{plainlist|
* [[Baqubah]], Iraq (2006–2007)
* ''No central headquarters'' (2007–2013)
* [[Raqqa]], Syria (2013–2017)
* [[Mayadin]], Syria (June–October 2017)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rt.com/news/385731-isis-moves-out-raqqa-deir-ezzor/ |title=ISIS ‘essentially moved’ its Syria HQ from Raqqa to Deir ez-Zor province – report |publisher=}}</ref><ref name="captures Mayadin">{{cite web|url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/141020174|title=Syrian army captures Mayadin from ISIS near Deir ez-Zor|author=|publisher=Rudaw|date=14 October 2017|accessdate=5 November 2017}}</ref>
* [[Al-Qa'im (town)|Al-Qa'im]], Iraq (October–November 2017)<ref name="last big fight">{{cite web|url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/26102017|title=Iraq forces launch 'last big fight' against IS|author=Sarah Benhaida with Ahmad al-Rubaye|publisher=Rudaw|date=26 October 2017|accessdate=27 October 2017}}</ref>
* [[Abu Kamal]], Syria (November 2017)<ref name="converge">{{cite web|url=https://sg.news.yahoo.com/anti-forces-converge-syria-border-town-113315169.html|title=Anti-IS forces converge on Syria border town|author=|publisher=Yahoo Singapore News|date=4 November 2017|accessdate=5 November 2017}}</ref><ref name="Kamal">{{cite web|title=Syrian army & allies capture last major ISIS held town in Syria|url=https://www.rt.com/news/409274-syrian-army-capture-last-isis-town/|website=RT|publisher=TV-Novosti|accessdate=8 November 2017}}</ref>
* [[Rawa, Iraq|Rawa]], Iraq (8 - 17 November 2017)<ref>[https://www.vox.com/world/2017/11/17/16669650/iraq-isis-syria-rawa ISIS just lost its last town in Iraq]</ref>
}}
|area = [[File:Syrian, Iraqi, and Lebanese insurgencies.png|230px]]<br />Areas of control as of {{#invoke:Iraq_Syria_map_date|date}}, in the [[Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)|Iraqi]], [[Syrian Civil War|Syrian]], and [[Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon|Lebanese]] conflicts<div style="text-align: left;">
{{Collapsible list
| title = Map legend
| 1 = {{legend|#b4b2ae|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}
| 2 = {{legend|#db8ca6|[[Federal government of Iraq|Iraqi government]]}}
| 3 = {{legend|#ebc0b3|Syrian government}}
| 4 = {{legend|#ffa067|Lebanese government}}
| 5 = {{legend|#D2CD7E|[[Iraqi Kurdistan]] forces}}
| 6 = {{legend|#e2d974|[[Rojava|Syrian Kurdistan forces]]}}
| 7 = {{legend|#cae7c4|[[Syrian opposition]] forces}}
| 8 = {{legend|#ffffff|[[Tahrir al-Sham]] (HTS)}}
| 9 = {{legend|#3e79ff|[[w:Hezbollah|Hezbollah]]}}
| 11 = '''Note:''' Iraq and Syria contain large desert areas with sparse populations. These areas are mapped as under the control of forces holding roads and towns within them.
}}</div>
{{Collapsible list
| title = Detailed maps
| 1 = [[Template:Syrian, Iraqi, and Lebanese insurgencies detailed map|Detailed map of the Syrian, Iraqi, and Lebanese conflicts]]
| 2 = [[Template:Libyan Civil War detailed map|Detailed map of the Libyan Civil War]]
| 3 = [[Template:Sinai insurgency detailed map|Detailed map of the Sinai insurgency]]
| 4 = [[Template:Nigerian insurgency detailed map|Detailed map of the Nigerian insurgency]]
| 5 = [[Template:Yemeni Civil War detailed map|Detailed map of the Yemeni Civil War]]
| 6 = [[Template:Taliban insurgency detailed map|Detailed map of the Taliban insurgency]]
}}
|strength =
{{Collapsible list| title = List of combatant numbers
|Inside Syria and Iraq: {{plainlist|
*200,000<ref name="Kurdish">{{cite news |last1=Cockburn |first1=Patrick |title=War with Isis: Islamic militants have army of 200,000, claims senior Kurdish leader |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/war-with-isis-islamic-militants-have-army-of-200000-claims-kurdish-leader-9863418.html |accessdate=8 December 2014 |work=The Independent |date=16 November 2014 |location=London}}</ref> (Kurdish claim in 2014)
*100,000<ref name="saddam" /> (Jihadist claim in 2015)
*20,000–31,000<ref>{{cite news |first1=Jim |last1=Sciutto |first2=Jamie |last2=Crawford |first3=Chelsea J. |last3=Carter |title=ISIS can 'muster' between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters, CIA says |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/11/world/meast/isis-syria-iraq/ |publisher=CNN |date=12 September 2014 |accessdate=6 July 2015}}</ref> (CIA estimate in 2014)
*19,000–25,000<ref>{{cite news |title=New U.S. intelligence estimate sees 20-25K ISIL fighters |work=[[USA Today]] |first=Jim |last=Michaels |date=4 February 2016 |location=Washington, DC |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/02/03/isil-fighters-new-estimate-25000-iraq-syria/79775676/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=ISIS fighters in Libya surge as group suffers setbacks in Syria, Iraq |date=4 February 2016 |publisher=CNN |first1=Jim |last1=Sciutto |first2=Barbara |last2=Starr |first3=Kevin |last3=Liptak |location=Washington, DC |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/04/politics/isis-fighters-libya-syria-iraq/index.html}}</ref> (CIA estimate in early 2016)
*6,500 (U.S. military estimate in October 2017)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/isis-down-to-6500-fighters-holds-only-3-percent-of-iraq/article/2637810 |title=ISIS down to 6,500 fighters, holds only 3 percent of Iraq|work=Washington Examiner |date=17 October 2017 |accessdate=12 November 2017}}</ref>}}
|Outside Syria and Iraq: 32,600–57,900 (See [[Military of ISIL]] for more detailed estimates.)
|Estimated total: 39,100 – 257,900 }}{{Collapsible list| title = Civilian population |In 2015 (near max extent): 6 million<ref>{{cite web |title=How many Fighters Does the Islamic State Really Have? |first=Daveed |last=Gartenstein-Ross-ROSS |date=9 February 2015 |publisher=War on the Rocks |url=https://warontherocks.com/2015/02/how-many-fighters-does-the-islamic-state-really-have/}}</ref>}}
|previous = [[Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad]] (1999)<ref name="winepJune14">{{cite report |first=Aaron Y. |last=Zelin |date=June 2014 |title=The War between ISIS and al-Qaeda for Supremacy of the Global Jihadist Movement |url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/ResearchNote_20_Zelin.pdf |work=Research Notes |volume=20 |publisher=Washington Institute for Near East Policy |accessdate=15 October 2014}}</ref>
| allies =
| opponents = '''State opponents'''
* {{flagcountry|Australia}}<ref>{{cite web|title=OKRA Home|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/Operations/Okra/default.asp|website=Global Operations|publisher=Department of Defense - Government of Australia|accessdate=25 October 2017}}</ref>
* {{flag|China}}<ref>http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-china-threaten-terror-attack-muslim-islamist-group-islamic-state-a7606211.html</ref>
* {{flagcountry|France}}
* {{flagcountry|Iran}}
* {{flagcountry|Iraq}}
* {{flagcountry|Lebanon}}
* {{flagcountry|Russia}}
* {{flagcountry|Saudi Arabia}}
* {{flagcountry|Syria}}
* {{flagcountry|Turkey}}
* {{flagcountry|United Kingdom}}
* {{flagcountry|United States}}
'''Non-state opponents'''
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Syrian Democratic Forces.svg}} [[Syrian Democratic Forces]]
* {{flagicon image|InfoboxHez.PNG}} [[Hezbollah]]
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Kurdistan.svg}} [[Peshmerga]]
* {{flagicon|Syrian opposition}} [[Free Syrian Army]]
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Jabhat al-Nusra.jpg}} [[Al-Nusra Front]] ({{small|[[Tahrir al-Sham]] since 2017}})
* {{flagicon image|Emblem of the Jaish al-Fatah.svg}} [[Army of Conquest]] ({{small|2015–17}})
|image_size = 200px
|active2=
}}
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The '''Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant''' ('''ISIL''', {{IPAc-en|IPA|ˈ|aɪ|s|@l}}), [[Names of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|also known]] as the '''Islamic State of Iraq and Syria'''{{refn|group=note|or '''Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham'''}} ('''ISIS''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|aɪ|s|ᵻ|s}}),<ref name="ISIS or ISIL? The debate"/> '''Islamic State''' ('''IS''') and by its Arabic language acronym '''Daesh''' ({{lang-ar|داعش}} ''dāʿish'', {{IPA-ar|ˈdaːʕɪʃ|IPA}}),<ref name="DAESH shift">{{cite news |last1=Schwartz |first1=Felica |title=One More Name for Islamic State: Daesh |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/12/23/one-more-name-for-islamic-state-daesh/ |accessdate=25 December 2014 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=23 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.freewordcentre.com/explore/daesh-isis-media-alice-guthrie |title=Decoding Daesh: Why is the new name for ISIS so hard to understand? |first=Alice |last=Guthrie |date=19 February 2015 |accessdate=15 November 2015 |publisher=Free Word Centre}}</ref> is a [[Salafi jihadism|Salafi jihadist]] militant group and [[diplomatic recognition|unrecognised]] [[proto-state]] that follows a [[Islamic fundamentalism|fundamentalist]], [[Wahhabism|Wahhabi]] doctrine of [[Sunni Islam]].<ref name=Wahhabism>{{cite news |author=Fouad al-Ibrahim |title=Why ISIS is a threat to Saudi Arabia: Wahhabism's deferred promise |work=Al Akhbar English |url=http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/21234 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140824121659/http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/21234 |date=22 August 2014 |archive-date=24 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://orientalreview.org/2014/09/23/islamic-state-and-the-policy-of-the-west/ |title=Islamic State and the policy of the West |last1=Dolgov |first1=Boris |work=Oriental Review |date=23 September 2014}}<p>{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ejgkDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA178&lpg=PA178&dq=islamic%20unrecognised%20state%20isis&source=bl&ots=FxgFQd586j&sig=fnjh0lbWavoYJVIhGsD_L_XQ6E0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi2gsC11q3QAhXHCMAKHSzHD1cQ6AEITTAJ#v=onepage&q=islamic%20unrecognised%20state%20isis&f=false |title=Islam and Economic Policy |first=Rodney |last=Wilson |date=15 May 2015 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |via=Google Books}}<p>{{cite web |url=http://www.lrb.co.uk/v38/n05/patrick-cockburn/end-times-for-the-caliphate |title=End Times for the Caliphate? |first=Patrick |last=Cockburn |date=3 March 2016 |publisher= |pages=29–30 |via=London Review of Books}}<p>{{cite web |title=Does Islamic State have the economic and political institutions for future development? |first1=Dmitry |last1=Pastukhov |first2=Nathaniel |last2=Greenwold |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/economics/non-seminar/explore-econ16/accordian/greenwold_pastukhov-poster.pdf}}<p>{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A8nuBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA99&lpg=PA99&dq=islamic%20unrecognised%20state%20isis&source=bl&ots=JPF8tvGE6Z&sig=hCainZZmFnQfVW2i1fR75C1RtxY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj8gurD1q3QAhXCFsAKHXtiCOg4ChDoAQg4MAY#v=onepage&q=islamic%20unrecognised%20state%20isis&f=false |title=A Word Before Leaving: A Former Diplomat's Weltanschauung |first=John |last=Pedler |date=28 April 2015 |publisher=Troubador Publishing Ltd |via=Google Books}}<p>{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=koeMCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21&dq=islamic%20unrecognised%20state%20isis&source=bl&ots=RWKFjmQmIR&sig=07zTECZTRiIOfWKFrVdTBdi5GcU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj8gurD1q3QAhXCFsAKHXtiCOg4ChDoAQg7MAc#v=onepage&q=islamic%20unrecognised%20state%20isis&f=false |title=The Alawis of Syria: War, Faith and Politics in the Levant |first1=Michael |last1=Kerr |first2=Craig |last2=Larkin |date=1 January 2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |via=Google Books}}</ref> ISIL gained global prominence in early 2014 when it drove [[Iraqi security forces|Iraqi government forces]] out of key cities in its [[Anbar campaign (2013–14)|Western Iraq offensive]],<ref name=CNNanbar>{{cite news |title=John Kerry holds talks in Iraq as more cities fall to ISIS militants |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/23/world/meast/iraq-crisis/ |publisher=CNN |date=23 June 2014 |accessdate=10 December 2015}}</ref> followed by its [[Fall of Mosul|capture of Mosul]]<ref name=NYTmosul>{{cite news |author1=Suadad Al-Salhy |author2=Tim Arango |title=Sunni Militants Drive Iraqi Army Out of Mosul |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/world/middleeast/militants-in-mosul.html |date=10 June 2014 |accessdate=10 December 2015}}</ref> and the [[Sinjar massacre]].<ref name=CapturedSinjar>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/04/world/middleeast/iraq.html |title=Sunni Extremists in Iraq Seize 3 Towns From Kurds and Threaten Major Dam |work=The New York Times |last1=Arango |first1=Tim |date=3 August 2014 |accessdate=20 August 2014}}</ref>
This group has been designated a [[List of designated terrorist organizations|terrorist organisation]] by the [[United Nations]] and many individual countries. ISIL is widely known for [[ISIL beheading incidents|its videos of beheadings]]<ref name=PropagandaVideos>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/11/isis-propaganda-videos_n_6846688.html |title=A Short History Of ISIS Propaganda Videos |work=[[The World Post]] |date=11 March 2015}}</ref> of both soldiers and civilians, including journalists and aid workers, and [[Destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL|its destruction of cultural heritage sites]].<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219092526/http://mawtani.al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/iii/features/2015/02/13/feature-01 |url=http://mawtani.al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/iii/features/2015/02/13/feature-01 |title=Iraq churches, mosques under ISIL attack |first=Khalid |last=al-Taie |publisher=Al-Shorfa |date=13 February 2015 |archive-date=19 February 2015 |access-date=27 February 2015 |dead-url=yes}}</ref> The United Nations holds ISIL responsible for [[human rights abuses by ISIS|human rights abuses]] and [[war crime]]s and [[Amnesty International]] has charged the group with [[ethnic cleansing]] on a "historic scale" in northern Iraq.<ref name=amnestyethnic>{{cite web |title=Ethnic cleansing on a historic scale: The Islamic State's systematic targeting of minorities in northern Iraq |url=https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/8000/mde140112014en.pdf |publisher=Amnesty International |date=2 September 2014 |accessdate=19 October 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312220534/https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/8000/mde140112014en.pdf |archivedate=12 March 2015}}</ref>
ISIL originated as ''[[Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad]]'' in 1999, which pledged allegiance to [[al-Qaeda]] and participated in the [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–11)|Iraqi insurgency]] following the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]] by Western forces. The group proclaimed itself a [[worldwide caliphate]]<ref>{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Roggio |author-link=Bill Roggio |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/06/isis_announces_formation_of_ca.php |title=ISIS announces formation of Caliphate, rebrands as 'Islamic State' |work=[[Long War Journal]] |date=29 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="newname">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-declares-new-islamic-state-in-middle-east-with-abu-bakr-albaghdadi-as-emir-removing-iraq-and-syria-from-its-name-9571374.html |last=Withnall |first=Adam |title=Iraq crisis: Isis changes name and declares its territories a new Islamic state with 'restoration of caliphate' in Middle East |date=29 June 2014 |accessdate=29 June 2014 |work=The Independent |location=London}}</ref> and began referring to itself as the Islamic State ({{lang|ar|الدولة الإسلامية}} ''{{transl|ar|ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah}}'') or IS<ref name="What is IS">{{cite news |title=What is Islamic State? |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29052144 |publisher=BBC News |date=26 September 2014 |accessdate=9 March 2015}}</ref> in June 2014. As a caliphate, it claims religious, political and military authority over all [[Ummah|Muslims worldwide]].<ref name=caliphate>{{cite web |title=What does ISIS' declaration of a caliphate mean? |work=Al Akhbar English |url=http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/20378 |date=30 June 2014 |accessdate=25 November 2014}}. See also: {{harvc |contribution=Caliph, caliphate |first1=Wadad |last=Kadi |first2=Aram A. |last2=Shahin |url={{Google books|q1I0pcrFFSUC|page=81|plainurl=y}} |in=Bowering |year=2013}}</ref> Its adoption of the [[Names of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|name Islamic State]] and its idea of a [[caliphate]] have been widely criticised, with the United Nations, various governments and mainstream Muslim groups rejecting its [[state (polity)|statehood]].<ref name="NYT-20151221">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/21/opinion/a-medieval-antidote-to-isis.html |title=A Medieval Antidote to ISIS |last=Akyol |first=Mustafa |date=21 December 2015 |work=The New York Times |accessdate=4 January 2016}}{{failed verification|date=October 2016}}</ref>
In Syria, the group conducted ground attacks on both [[Syrian government|government forces]] and [[Syrian opposition|opposition factions]] and by December 2015 it held a large area in western Iraq and eastern Syria containing an estimated 2.8 to 8 million people,<ref name="politico2015"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2015/02/05/how-isis-rules/ |title=How ISIS Rules |last=Birke |first=Sarah |website=The New York Review of Books|access-date=2017-04-13}}</ref> where it enforced its interpretation of [[sharia law]]. ISIL is now believed to be operational in [[#Territorial control and claims|18 countries]] across the world, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, with "aspiring branches" in Mali, Egypt, Somalia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines.<ref>{{cite news |title=Islamic State and the crisis in Iraq and Syria in maps |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27838034 |accessdate=27 October 2016 |agency=BBC News |date=18 October 2016}}</ref><ref name="reuters-turfwar">{{cite news |title=Exclusive: In turf war with Afghan Taliban, Islamic State loyalists gain ground |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/29/us-afghanistan-islamic-state-idUSKCN0P91EN20150629 |agency=Reuters |date=29 June 2015 |accessdate=6 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="Pakistani Taliban pledges allegiance to ISIL">{{cite news |title=Pakistan Taliban splinter group vows allegiance to Islamic State |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/18/us-pakistan-militants-is-idUSKCN0J20YQ20141118 |agency=Reuters |date=18 November 2014 |accessdate=19 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="ISIL gains supporters" /> As of 2015, ISIL was estimated to have an annual budget of more than US$1 billion and a force of more than 30,000 fighters.<ref>{{Cite book |title=A History of ISIS |last=Gerges |first=Fawaz A. |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2016 |isbn=9780691170008 |location=Princeton, New Jersey, USA |pages=21–22}}</ref>
In July 2017, the group lost control of its largest city, [[Mosul]], to the Iraqi army.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |url=http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/07/11/528164/Lebanon-Hezbollah-Nasrallah-Mosul-liberation-Daesh-terrorists-Middle-East |title=PressTV-'US created, allowed regional funding of Daesh'|access-date=2017-07-11 |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711234141/http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/07/11/528164/Lebanon-Hezbollah-Nasrallah-Mosul-liberation-Daesh-terrorists-Middle-East |archivedate=11 July 2017 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Following this major defeat, in August 2017 ISIL continued to lose territory to the various states and other military forces allied against it, resulting in significant territorial losses for ISIL in the areas of Syria and Iraq.<ref name="territorial-losses">[http://iswresearch.blogspot.com/search/label/ISIS Russia's Syria Mirage] Institute for Study of War website. By Matti Suomenaro, et all. Aug. 13, 2017. Downloaded Aug. 23, 2017.</ref>
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== Name{{anchor|Nomenclature|Name}} ==
{{Main article|Names of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}
{{See also|Name changes due to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}
{{anchor|ISIS}}In April 2013, having expanded into Syria, the group adopted the name ''{{transl|ar|ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah fī 'l-ʿIrāq wa-sh-Shām}}'' ({{rtl-lang|ar|الدولة الإسلامية في العراق والشام}}). As ''[[wikt:الشام|al-Shām]]'' is a region often compared with the [[Levant]] or [[Greater Syria]], the group's name has been variously translated as "Islamic State of Iraq and [[al-Sham]]",<ref>{{cite web |last1=Irshaid |first1=Faisal |title=Isis, Isil, IS or Daesh? One group, many names |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-27994277 |publisher=BBC |accessdate=2 December 2015 |date=2 December 2015}}</ref> "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria"<ref name="AlArabiya_9-4-2013">{{cite news |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/09/Al-Qaeda-in-Iraq-confirms-Syria-s-Nusra-Front-is-part-of-its-network.html |title=AlQaeda in Iraq confirms Syria's Nusra Front is part of its network |publisher=[[Al Arabiya English]] |date=9 April 2013 |accessdate=15 June 2014}}</ref> (both abbreviated as ISIS), or "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (abbreviated as ISIL).<ref name="ISIS or ISIL? The debate">{{cite news |last1=Tharoor |first1=Ishaan |title=ISIS or ISIL? The debate over what to call Iraq's terror group |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/06/18/isis-or-isil-the-debate-over-what-to-call-iraqs-terror-group/?_ga=1.75244306.1823250761.1403224335 |accessdate=21 June 2014 |work=The Washington Post |date=18 June 2014}}</ref>
While the use of either one or the other [[acronym]] has been the subject of debate,<ref name="ISIS or ISIL? The debate" /><ref name="ISIS vs ISIL">{{cite news |last1=Saxena |first1=Vivek |title=ISIS vs ISIL – Which One Is It? |url=http://www.inquisitr.com/1306844/isis-vs-isil-which-one-is-it/ |accessdate=20 June 2014 |work=The Inquisitr |date=18 June 2014}}</ref> the distinction between the two and its relevance has been considered not so great.<ref name="ISIS or ISIL? The debate" /> Of greater relevance is the name Daesh, which is an acronym of ISIL's [[Arabic language|Arabic]] name ''al-Dawlah al-Islamīyah fī l-ʻIrāq wa-sh-Shām.'' ''Dāʿish'' ({{rtl-lang|ar|داعش}}), or Daesh. This name has been widely used by ISIL's Arabic-speaking detractors,{{clarify|date=December 2015}}<ref name="daesh2">{{cite web |url=https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/05/226067.htm |title=Terrorist Designations of Groups Operating in Syria |publisher=United States Department of State |date=14 May 2014 |accessdate=18 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="daesh3">{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27994277 |title=Isis, Isil or Da'ish? What to call militants in Iraq |date=24 June 2014 |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=16 August 2014}}</ref> although – and to a certain extent because – it is considered derogatory, as it resembles the Arabic words ''Daes'' (lit. "one who crushes, or tramples down, something underfoot") and ''Dāhis'' (loosely translated: "one who sows discord").<ref name="DAESH shift" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Randal |first1=Collin |title=Why Does a Simple Word like Daesh Disturb Extremists so Much |url=http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/why-does-a-simple-word-like-daesh-disturb-extremists-so-much |work=The National |location=Abu Dhabi |accessdate=22 November 2014}}</ref> Within areas under its control, ISIL considers use of the name Daesh punishable by flogging<ref name="daesh">{{cite web |last=Abouzeid |first=Rania |title=Syria's uprising within an uprising |publisher=European Council on Foreign Relations |date=16 January 2014 |url=http://ecfr.eu/content/entry/commentary_syrias_uprising_within_an_uprising238 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140125092845/http://ecfr.eu/content/entry/commentary_syrias_uprising_within_an_uprising238 |archivedate=25 January 2014 |accessdate=15 August 2014}}</ref> or cutting out the tongue.<ref>{{cite news |first=Maria |last=Vultaggio |title=ISIL, ISIS, Islamic State, Daesh: What's The Difference? |date=16 November 2015 |work=International Business Times |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/isil-isis-islamic-state-daesh-whats-difference-2187131}}</ref>
In late June 2014, the group renamed itself ''{{transl|ar|ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah}}'' ({{literal translation|Islamic State}} or ''IS''), declaring itself a worldwide [[caliphate]].<ref name="newname" /> The name "Islamic State" and the group's claim to be a caliphate have been widely rejected, with the UN, various governments, and mainstream Muslim groups refusing to use the new name.<ref name="Moore">{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Jack |date=2 July 2014 |title=Iraq Crisis: Senior Jordan Jihadist Slams Isis Caliphate |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/iraq-crisis-senior-jordan-jihadist-slams-isis-caliphate-1455041 |work=International Business Times UK |accessdate=2 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite news |last1=Mandhai |first1=Shafik |title=Muslim leaders reject Baghdadi's caliphate |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/07/muslim-leaders-reject-baghdadi-caliphate-20147744058773906.html |accessdate=12 July 2014 |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=7 July 2014}}</ref> The group's declaration of a new caliphate in June 2014 and its adoption of the name "Islamic State" have been criticised and ridiculed by Muslim scholars and rival Islamists both inside and outside the territory it controls.<ref name="Moore" /><ref name="Al Jazeera">{{cite news |title=Iraq's Baghdadi calls for 'holy war' |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/07/iraqi-rebel-leader-calls-holy-war-201471202429388292.html |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=2 July 2014 |accessdate=2 July 2014}}</ref>
In a speech in September 2014, United States President Barack Obama said that ISIL is not "Islamic" on the basis that no religion condones the killing of innocents and that no government [[Diplomatic recognition|recognises]] the group as a state,<ref name="potus-statement" /> while many object to using the name "Islamic State" owing to the far-reaching religious and political claims to authority which that name implies. The [[United Nations Security Council]],<ref name="un.org">{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/2178%20(2014) |title=United Nations Official Document |publisher=United Nations |accessdate=13 October 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028111035/http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S%2FRES%2F2178+%282014%29 |archivedate=28 October 2014 |df=dmy}}</ref> the United States,<ref name="potus-statement">{{cite web |url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/10/statement-president-isil-1 |title=Statement by the President on ISIL |publisher=White House |accessdate=13 October 2014}}</ref> Canada,<ref name="ottawacitizen.com">{{cite news |first=David |last=Pugliese |url=http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/details-about-the-canadian-governments-motion-about-going-to-war-against-isil |title=Details about the Canadian government's motion about going to war against ISIL |work=Ottawa Citizen |accessdate=13 October 2014}}</ref> Turkey,<ref name="aa.com.tr">{{cite web |url=http://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/397771--turkish-govt-files-motion-to-parliament-to-fight-isil |title=Turkish government files motion to Parliament to fight ISIL |publisher=Andalou Agency |accessdate=14 October 2014}}</ref> Australia,<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/10/australia-says-ready-strike-isil-iraq-201410344429911502.html |title=Australia says ready to strike ISIL in Iraq |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=3 October 2014 |accessdate=13 October 2014}}</ref> Russia,<ref name="presstv.ir">{{cite news |title=Russia urges Iran's participation in anti-ISIL battle |url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/09/28/380328/russia-urges-iran-role-against-isil/ |publisher=Press TV |accessdate=21 November 2014 |date=28 September 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012093942/http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/09/28/380328/russia-urges-iran-role-against-isil/ |archivedate=12 October 2014}}</ref> the United Kingdom<ref name="gov.uk">{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/isil-uk-government-response |title=ISIL: UK government response |publisher=Government of the United Kingdom |date=13 October 2014}}</ref> and other countries generally call the group "ISIL", while much of the Arab world uses the [[Arabic]] acronym "Dāʻish". France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said "This is a terrorist group and not a state. I do not recommend using the term Islamic State because it blurs the lines between Islam, Muslims, and Islamists. The Arabs call it 'Daesh' and I will be calling them the 'Daesh cutthroats.'"<ref name="ReferenceC">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/09/17/france-is-ditching-the-islamic-state-name-and-replacing-it-with-a-label-the-group-hates/ |title=France is ditching the 'Islamic State' name—and replacing it with a label the group hates |date=17 September 2014 |accessdate=6 October 2014 |work=The Washington Post |first=Adam |last=Taylor}}</ref> Retired general [[John R. Allen|John Allen]], the U.S. envoy appointed to co-ordinate the coalition; [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] Lieutenant General [[James L. Terry|James Terry]], head of operations against the group; and [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[John Kerry]] had all shifted towards use of the term DAESH by December 2014.<ref>{{cite news |first=Alan |last=Yuhasin |title=US general rebrands Isis 'Daesh' after requests from regional partners Leader of operations against group uses alternative name – a pejorative in Arabic that rejects fighters' claims on Islam |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/19/us-general-rebrands-isis |accessdate=22 December 2014 |date=19 December 2014}}</ref>
== Purpose and strategy ==
=== Ideology ===
{{Main article|Ideology of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}
ISIL is a [[theocracy]], [[proto-state]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tobey |first1=Mark |title=The ISIS Crisis: What You Really Need to Know |date=2015 |location=chapter 6 reference 13 |quote=The final expression of Islamic government found in the Middle East would seem to be the purest, yet actually represents the most dangerous form: '''theocratic''' Islam.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Belanger-McMurdo |first1=Adele |title=A Fight for Statehood? ISIS and Its Quest for Political Domination |url=http://www.e-ir.info/2015/10/05/a-fight-for-statehood-isis-and-its-quest-for-political-domination/ |quote=Nevertheless, ISIS is neither a terrorist organization nor a political party; instead, it is a '''theocratic proto-state'''.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Caldwell |first1=Dan |title=Seeking Security in an Insecure World |date=2016 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |page=195 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DqNaCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA195 |quote=It is a '''theocratic state''' that considers itself unbound by the Westphalian principle of sovereignty with its corollaries of nonaggression and nonintervention}}</ref> and a [[Salafi movement|Salafi]] or [[Wahhabism|Wahhabi]] group.<ref name="huffpost-wahhabi" /><ref name="guardian-traincamp">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/25/inside-isis-training-camps |title=The secret world of Isis training camps – ruled by sacred texts and the sword |last=Hassan |first=Hassan |work=The Guardian |date=24 January 2015 |accessdate=2 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/islamic-state-affiliate-takes-root-amid-libyas-chaos-1422837545 |title=Islamic State Affiliate Takes Root Amid Libya's Chaos |last=Bradley |first=Matt |date=1 February 2015 |accessdate=2 February 2015 |work=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> It follows an extremist interpretation of [[Islam]], promotes religious violence, and regards Muslims who do not agree with its interpretations as [[infidel]]s or [[Apostasy|apostates]].<ref name="NS" /> According to Hayder al Khoei, ISIL's philosophy is represented by the symbolism in the [[Black Standard]] variant of the legendary battle flag of [[Muhammad|Prophet Muhammad]] that it has adopted: the flag shows the [[Seal of Muhammad]] within a white circle, with the phrase above it, "[[Shahada|There is no god but Allah]]".<ref name=time-2014-09-09>{{cite news |last1=Prusher |first1=Ilene |author-link=Ilene Prusher |date=9 September 2014 |title=What the ISIS Flag Says About the Militant Group |url=http://time.com/3311665/isis-flag-iraq-syria/ |work=Time |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140909202210/http://time.com/3311665/isis-flag-iraq-syria/ |archivedate=9 September 2014 |accessdate=29 September 2014}}</ref> Such symbolism has been said to point to ISIL's belief that it represents the restoration of the caliphate of early Islam, with all the political, religious and eschatological ramifications that this would imply.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/anne-speckhard/isis-iraq_b_5541693.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140917040453/http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/anne-speckhard/isis-iraq_b_5541693.html |archivedate=17 September 2014 |title=Endtimes Brewing |work=Huffington Post (UK) |first=Anne |last=Speckhard |date=29 August 2014}}</ref>
According to some observers, ISIL emerged from the ideology of the [[Muslim Brotherhood]], the first [[Ottoman Empire|post-Ottoman]] Islamist group dating back to the late 1920s in Egypt.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hussain |first=Ghaffar |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/iraq-crisis-what-does-the-isis-caliphate-mean-for-global-jihadism-9573951.html |title=Iraq crisis: What does the Isis caliphate mean for global jihadism? |date=30 June 2014 |website=The Independent |accessdate=6 July 2014 |location=London}}</ref> It adheres to global [[Jihadism|jihadist]] principles and follows the hard-line ideology of [[al-Qaeda]] and many other modern-day jihadist groups.<ref name="al-Qaeda severs link with ISIL" /><ref name="NS" />
However, other sources trace the group's roots to [[Wahabbi movement|Wahhabism]].
{{quote|text=For their guiding principles, the leaders of the Islamic State ... are open and clear about their almost exclusive commitment to the Wahhabi movement of Sunni Islam. The group circulates images of Wahhabi religious textbooks from Saudi Arabia in the schools it controls. Videos from the group's territory have shown Wahhabi texts plastered on the sides of an official missionary van. |author=David D. Kirkpatrick |source=''The New York Times''<ref name=ISIS-NYT />}}
According to ''[[The Economist]]'', dissidents in the former ISIL capital of [[Raqqa]] report that "all 12 of the judges who now run its court system ... are Saudis". Saudi practices also followed by the group include the establishment of [[Islamic religious police|religious police]] to root out "vice" and enforce attendance at [[salat]] prayers, the widespread use of capital punishment, and the destruction or re-purposing of any non-Sunni religious buildings.<ref name="economist-behead">{{cite magazine |title=Crime and punishment in Saudi Arabia: The other beheaders |magazine=The Economist |date=20 September 2014 |url=https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21618918-possible-reasons-mysterious-surge-executions-other-beheaders |accessdate=7 November 2014}}</ref> [[Bernard Haykel]] has described ISIL leader [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi|Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's]] creed as "a kind of untamed Wahhabism".<ref name=ISIS-NYT /> Senior Saudi religious leaders have issued statements condemning ISIL<ref>{{cite news |last1=Staff writer |title=‘ISIS is enemy No. 1 of Islam,’ says Saudi grand mufti |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/08/19/Saudi-mufti-ISIS-is-enemy-No-1-of-Islam-.html |accessdate=5 October 2017 |work=Al Arabiyah News English |date=19 August 2014}}</ref> and attempting to distance the group from official Saudi religious beliefs.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Staff writer |title=Some Saudi clerics condemn Isil but preach intolerance |url=http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/some-saudi-clerics-condemn-isil-but-preach-intolerance-1.1383191 |accessdate=5 October 2017 |work=Gulf News |agency=Reuters |issue=10 September 2014}}</ref>
ISIL aims to return to the early days of Islam, rejecting all [[Bid‘ah|innovations]] in the religion, which it believes corrupts its original spirit. It condemns later caliphates and the [[Ottoman Empire]] for deviating from what it calls pure Islam, and seeks to revive the original Wahhabi project of the restoration of the caliphate governed by strict Salafist doctrine. Following Salafi-Wahhabi tradition, ISIL condemns the followers of secular law as disbelievers, putting the current Saudi Arabian government in that category.<ref name=Wahhabism />
Salafists such as ISIL believe that only a legitimate authority can undertake the leadership of [[jihad]], and that the first priority over other areas of combat, such as fighting non-Muslim countries, is the purification of Islamic society. For example, ISIL regards the Palestinian Sunni group [[Hamas]] as apostates who have no legitimate authority to lead jihad and see fighting Hamas as the first step toward confrontation by ISIL with Israel.<ref name=ISIS-NYT /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mamouri |first1=Ali |title=Why Islamic State has no sympathy for Hamas |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/07/islamic-state-fighting-hamas-priority-before-israel.html |date=29 July 2014 |work=Al-Monitor |accessdate=1 August 2014}}</ref>
=== Islamic eschatology ===
{{see also|Islamic eschatology}}
One difference between ISIL and other Islamist and jihadist movements, including [[al-Qaeda]], is the group's emphasis on [[Islamic eschatology|eschatology]] and [[apocalypticism]] – that is, a belief in a final [[Last Judgment#Islam|Day of Judgment]] by God, and specifically, a belief that the arrival of one known as Imam [[Mahdi]] is near. ISIL believes that it will defeat the army of "Rome" at the town of [[Dabiq, Syria|Dabiq]], in fulfilment of prophecy.<ref name="what-isis-really-wants" /> Following its interpretation of the [[Hadith of the Twelve Successors]], ISIL also believes that after al-Baghdadi there will be only four more legitimate caliphs.<ref name="what-isis-really-wants" />
The noted scholar of militant Islamism [[Will McCants|William McCants]] writes:
{{quote|text=References to the End Times fill Islamic State propaganda. It's a big selling point with foreign fighters, who want to travel to the lands where the final battles of the apocalypse will take place. The civil wars raging in those countries today [Iraq and Syria] lend credibility to the prophecies. The Islamic State has stoked the apocalyptic fire. [...] For Bin Laden's generation, the apocalypse wasn't a great recruiting pitch. Governments in the Middle East two decades ago were more stable, and sectarianism was more subdued. It was better to recruit by calling to arms against corruption and tyranny than against the Antichrist. Today, though, the apocalyptic recruiting pitch makes more sense than before. |first=William|last=McCants |source=''The ISIS Apocalypse: The History, Strategy, and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State''<ref>{{Cite book |title=The ISIS Apocalypse: The History, Strategy, and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State |last=McCants |first=William |publisher=St. Martin's Press |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-250-08090-5 |location=New York |page=147 |url=https://www.amazon.com/The-ISIS-Apocalypse-Strategy-Doomsday/dp/1250080908}}</ref>}}
=== Goals ===
Since at least 2004, a significant goal of the group has been the foundation of a [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] [[Islamic state]].<ref name="Beauchamp14">{{cite web |url=https://www.vox.com/cards/things-about-isis-you-need-to-know/isis-goal-theocracy |title=17 things about ISIS and Iraq you need to know |first=Zack |last=Beauchamp |date=2 September 2014 |website=Vox |accessdate=5 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="dni.gov">{{cite news |last1=Abu Mohammad |title=Letter dated 9 July 2005 |url=http://www.dni.gov/press_releases/letter_in_english.pdf |accessdate=22 July 2014 |publisher=Office of the Director of National Intelligence |at=See page 2 onwards |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522153638/http://www.dni.gov/press_releases/letter_in_english.pdf |archivedate=22 May 2011}}</ref> Specifically, ISIL has sought to establish itself as a [[caliphate]], an Islamic state led by a group of religious authorities under a supreme leader – the [[caliph]] – who is believed to be the successor to Prophet [[Muhammad]].<ref name=Johnson14 /> In June 2014, ISIL published a document in which it claimed to have traced the lineage of its leader al-Baghdadi back to Muhammad,<ref name="Johnson14" /> and upon proclaiming a new caliphate on 29 June, the group appointed al-Baghdadi as its caliph. As caliph, he demands the allegiance of all devout Muslims [[worldwide caliphate|worldwide]], according to Islamic jurisprudence (''[[fiqh]]'').<ref name="aj140707">{{cite news |url=http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/inside-story/articles/2014/7/7/isil-s-leader-emergesfromtheshadowswhoisabubakralbaghdadi.html |title=Who is the U.S. targeting in Iraq air strikes? |date=7 July 2014 |first=Laith |last=Kubba |publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref>
ISIL has detailed its goals in its ''[[Dabiq (magazine)|Dabiq]]'' magazine, saying it will continue to seize land and take over the entire Earth until its:
{{quote|text=Blessed flag...covers all eastern and western extents of the Earth, filling the world with the truth and justice of Islam and putting an end to the falsehood and tyranny of jahiliyyah [state of ignorance], even if American and its coalition despise such. |source=5th edition of ''Dabiq'', the Islamic State's English-language magazine <ref name="Joscelyn">{{cite news |last=Joscelyn |first=Thomas |title=US counterterrorism efforts in Syria: A winning strategy? |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/09/us-counterterrorism-efforts-in-syria-a-winning-strategy.php |work=Long War Journal |date=29 September 2015}}</ref>}}
According to German journalist [[Jürgen Todenhöfer]], who spent ten days embedded with ISIL in Mosul, the view he kept hearing was that ISIL wants to "conquer the world", and that all who do not believe in the group's interpretation of the [[Quran]] will be killed. Todenhöfer was struck by the ISIL fighters' belief that "all religions who agree with democracy have to die",<ref name=Withnall>{{cite news |last1=Withnall |first1=Adam |title=Middle East. Inside Isis: The first Western journalist ever to be given access to the 'Islamic State' has just returned – and this is what he discovered |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/inside-isis-the-first-western-journalist-ever-given-access-to-the-islamic-state-has-just-returned-9938438.html |accessdate=3 October 2015 |work=The Independent |date=21 December 2014}}</ref> and by their "incredible enthusiasm" – including enthusiasm for killing "hundreds of millions" of people.<ref name=Greyvenstein>{{cite news |last1=Greyvenstein |first1=Hester Maria |title=Q&A: German journalist on surviving ISIL |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/2014/12/qa-german-journalist-surviving-isil-20141224164752725983.html |accessdate=4 October 2015 |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=15 January 2015 |quote=Something that I don't understand at all is the enthusiasm in their plan of religious cleansing, planning to kill the non-believers... They also will kill Muslim democrats because they believe that non-ISIL-Muslims put the laws of human beings above the commandments of God. These were very difficult discussions, especially when they were talking about the number of people who they are willing to kill. They were talking about hundreds of millions. They were enthusiastic about it, and I just cannot understand that.}}</ref>
When the caliphate was proclaimed, ISIL stated: "The legality of all emirates, groups, states and organisations becomes null by the expansion of the khilafah's [caliphate's] authority and arrival of its troops to their areas."<ref name="Johnson14" /> This was a rejection of the political divisions in [[Southwestern Asia]] that were established by the UK and France during [[World War I]] in the [[Sykes–Picot Agreement]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tran |first1=Mark |last2=Weaver |first2=Matthew |date=30 June 2014 |title=Isis announces Islamic caliphate in area straddling Iraq and Syria |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/30/isis-announces-islamic-caliphate-iraq-syria |work=The Guardian |accessdate=6 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=McGrath |first1=Timothy |title=Watch this English-speaking ISIS fighter explain how a 98-year-old colonial map created today's conflict |url=http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20140702/watch-this-english-speaking-isis-fighter-explain-how-a-98-year-old-colonial-map-created-todays-conflict |accessdate=22 July 2014 |work=Los Angeles Times |agency=GlobalPost |date=2 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://carnegieendowment.org/syriaincrisis/?fa=54017 |title=The Islamic State: Leaving al-Qaeda Behind |first=Romain |last=Caillet |date=27 December 2013 |publisher=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace}}</ref>
All non-Muslim areas would be targeted for conquest after the Muslim lands were dealt with, according to the Islamist manual ''[[Management of Savagery]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2016/june/1464703200/robert-manne/mind-islamic-state |title=The mind of the Islamic State: An ideology of savagery |work=The Monthly |date=June 2016 |first=Robert |last=Manne}}</ref><ref name="MoghadamFishman2011">{{cite book |first1=Assaf |last1=Moghadam |first2=Brian |last2=Fishman |title=Fault Lines in Global Jihad: Organizational, Strategic, and Ideological Fissures |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MLE68zW_7LUC&pg=PA55 |date=10 May 2011 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-136-71058-2 |page=55}}</ref><ref>{{cite report |editor-first1=Assaf |editor-last1=Moghadam |editor-first2=Brian |editor-last2=Fishman |title=Self-Inflicted Wounds: Debates and Divisions within al-Qa’ida and its Periphery |publisher=Harmony Project, Combating Terrorism Center at West Point |date=16 December 2010 |url=https://www.ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Self-Inflicted-Wounds.pdf}}</ref>
=== Strategy ===
Documents found after the death of Samir Abd Muhammad al-Khlifawi, a former colonel in the intelligence service of the [[Iraqi Air Force]] before the US invasion who had been described as "the strategic head" of ISIL, detailed planning for the ISIL takeover of northern Syria which made possible "the group's later advances into Iraq". Al-Khlifawi called for the infiltration of areas to be conquered with spies who would find out "as much as possible about the target towns: Who lived there, who was in charge, which families were religious, which Islamic school of religious jurisprudence they belonged to, how many mosques there were, who the imam was, how many wives and children he had and how old they were". Following this surveillance and espionage would come murder and kidnapping – "the elimination of every person who might have been a potential leader or opponent". In Raqqa, after rebel forces drove out the Assad regime and ISIL infiltrated the town, "first dozens and then hundreds of people disappeared".
<ref name=Reuter-4-18-2015>{{cite news |last1=Reuter |first1=Christoph |date=18 April 2015 |title=The Terror Strategist: Secret Files Reveal the Structure of Islamic State |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/islamic-state-files-show-structure-of-islamist-terror-group-a-1029274.html |accessdate=4 December 2015 |work=Der Spiegel}}</ref>
Security and intelligence expert Martin Reardon has described ISIL's purpose as being to psychologically "break" those under its control, "[...] so as to ensure their absolute allegiance through fear and intimidation," while generating, "[...]outright hate and vengeance" among its enemies.<ref name=Reardon-6-7-15>{{cite news |last1=Reardon |first1=Martin |title=ISIL and the management of savagery |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/07/isil-management-savagery-150705060914471.html |accessdate=20 November 2015 |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=6 July 2015}}</ref> [[Jason Burke]], a journalist writing on [[Salafi jihadism]], has written that ISIL's goal is to "terrorize, mobilize [and] polarize".<ref name=Gude-2015-3 /><ref>{{cite news |first=Jason |last=Burke |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/14/islamic-state-goes-global-paris-attacks |title=Islamic State ‘Goes Global’ with Paris Attacks |work=The Observer |date=14 November 2015}}</ref> Its efforts to terrorise are intended to intimidate civilian populations and force governments of the target enemy "to make rash decisions that they otherwise would not choose". It aims to mobilise its supporters by motivating them with, for example, spectacular deadly attacks deep in Western territory (such as the [[November 2015 Paris attacks]]), to polarise by driving Muslim populations – particularly in the West – away from their governments, thus increasing the appeal of ISIL's self-proclaimed caliphate among them, and to: "Eliminate neutral parties through either absorption or elimination".<ref name=Gude-2015-3>{{cite book |last1=Gude |first1=Ken |title=Anti-Muslim Sentiment Is a Serious Threat to American Security |date=November 2015 |publisher=Center for American Progress |page=3 |url=https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/25074358/ISISTrap.pdf |accessdate=4 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite report |first=Harleen |last=Gambhir |url=http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/INTSUM_Summary_update.pdf |title=ISIS Global Intelligence Summary: January 7 – February 18 |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Institute for the Study of War |date=February 2015}}</ref> Journalist [[Rukmini Maria Callimachi]] also emphasises ISIL's interest in polarization or in eliminating what it calls the "grey zone" between the black (non-Muslims) and white (ISIL). "The gray is moderate Muslims who are living in the West and are happy and feel engaged in the society here."<ref name="slate-12-7-2016">{{cite news |last1=Chotiner |first1=Isaac |title=The ISIS Correspondent [interview with Rukmini Callimachi] |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/interrogation/2016/07/rukmini_callimachi_the_new_york_times_isis_reporter_discusses_her_beat.html |date=12 July 2016 |work=Slate.com}}</ref>
A work published online in 2004 entitled ''[[Management of Savagery]]''<ref name=MoS>{{cite book |first=Abu Bakr |last=Naji |title=The Management of Savagery: The Most Critical Stage Through Which the Umma Will Pass |date=23 May 2006 |publisher=John M. Olin Institute for Strategic Studies at Harvard University |url=https://azelin.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/abu-bakr-naji-the-management-of-savagery-the-most-critical-stage-through-which-the-umma-will-pass.pdf |accessdate=20 November 2015}}</ref> (''Idarat at Tawahoush''), described by several media outlets as influential on ISIL<ref>{{cite web |last=McCoy |first=Terrence |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/08/12/the-calculated-madness-of-the-islamic-states-horrifying-brutality/ |title=The calculated madness of the Islamic State's horrifying brutality |work=The Washington Post |date=12 August 2014 |accessdate=1 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Alastair |first=Crooke |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alastair-crooke/iraq-isis-alqaeda_b_5542575.html |title=The ISIS' 'Management of Savagery' in Iraq |work=The Huffington Post |date=30 June 2014 |accessdate=1 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hassan |first=Hassan |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/08/isis-islamic-state-ideology-sharia-syria-iraq-jordan-pilot |title=Isis has reached new depths of depravity. But there is a brutal logic behind it |work=The Guardian |date=8 February 2015 |accessdate=10 February 2015}}</ref>
and intended to provide a strategy to create a new Islamic caliphate,<ref name="nyJune14">{{cite web |last=Wright |first=Lawrence |title=ISIS's Savage Strategy in Iraq |url=http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/isiss-savage-strategy-in-iraq |work=The New Yorker |date=16 June 2014 |accessdate=1 September 2014}}</ref> recommended a strategy of attack outside its territory in which fighters would, "Diversify and widen the vexation strikes against the Crusader-Zionist enemy in every place in the Islamic world, and even outside of it if possible, so as to disperse the efforts of the alliance of the enemy and thus drain it to the greatest extent possible."<ref name=Atran-nybooks-11-16-15>{{cite news |last1=Atran |first1=Scott |last2=Hamid |first2=Nafees |title=Paris: The War ISIS Wants |url=http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2015/nov/16/paris-attacks-isis-strategy-chaos |work=The New York Review of Books |accessdate=20 November 2015 |date=16 November 2015}}</ref>
The group has been accused of attempting to "bolster morale" and distract attention from its loss of territory to enemies by staging terror attacks abroad (such as the [[2017 Tehran attacks|6 June 2017 attacks on Tehran]], the [[2017 Manchester Arena bombing|May 22, 2017 bombing in Manchester, UK]], and the [[June 2017 London Bridge attack|3 June 2017 attacks in London]] that ISIL claimed credit for).<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/07/world/middleeast/iran-parliament-attack-khomeini-mausoleum.html |title=Iran Assails Saudi Arabia After Pair of Deadly Terrorist Attacks |last=Erdbrink |first=Thomas |date=2017-06-07 |work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-06-07 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Change-point analyses show that the rate of ISIL terror attacks has decreased significantly since the February 19, 2017 <ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/19/africa/libya-us-airstrike-isis/index.html|title=U.S. strikes ISIS camp in Libya; 49 killed - CNN|last=CNN|first=Greg Botelho and Barbara Starr,|work=CNN|access-date=2017-11-02}}</ref> American bombing in Libya that resulted in the death of Noureddine Chouchane but the mean number of fatalities for each attack increased giving further credence to the morale boosting accusations. <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://adventuresinstatistics.wordpress.com/2017/10/31/modeling-isil-terror-attacks-and-their-intensities-via-marked-point-process-bayesian-models/|title=Modeling ISIL terror attacks and their intensities via marked point process Bayesian models|date=2017-10-31|work=adventuresinstatistics|access-date=2017-11-02|language=en-US}}</ref>
== Organisation ==
[[Raqqa]] in Syria had been under ISIL control since 2013 and in 2014 it became the group's ''de facto'' capital city.<ref name="nytimesraqqa">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/24/world/middleeast/islamic-state-controls-raqqa-syria.html |date=24 July 2014 |title=Life in a Jihadist Capital: Order With a Darker Side |accessdate=5 September 2014 |first=Ben |last=Hubbard |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> In October 2017, ISIL lost control of Raqqa.
=== Leadership and governance ===
{{Further information|List of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant members}}
[[File:Mugshot of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, 2004.jpg|thumb|upright|Mugshot of al-Baghdadi by US armed forces while in detention at [[Camp Bucca]] in 2004]]
ISIL is headed and run by [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]]. Before their deaths, he had two deputy leaders, [[Abu Muslim al-Turkmani]] for Iraq and [[Abu Ali al-Anbari]] (also known as Abu Ala al-Afri)<ref name="confusion">{{cite web |title=Everything We Knew About This ISIS Mastermind Was Wrong |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/15/everything-we-knew-about-this-isis-mastermind-was-wrong.html |publisher=The Daily Beast |date=15 April 2016 |accessdate=1 May 2016}}</ref> for Syria, both ethnic [[Iraqi Turkmen|Turkmen]]. Advising al-Baghdadi is a cabinet of senior leaders, while its operations in Iraq and Syria are controlled by local governors.<ref name="The Islamic State">{{cite web |title=The Islamic State |url=http://soufangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/TSG-The-Islamic-State-Nov14.pdf |website=Soufan Group |date=November 2014 |accessdate=23 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ISIS Replace Injured Leader Baghdadi With Former Physics Teacher |url=http://europe.newsweek.com/isis-replace-injured-leader-baghdadi-former-physics-teacher-324082 |website=Newsweek |date=22 April 2015 |accessdate=7 May 2015}}</ref> Beneath the leaders are councils on finance, leadership, military matters, legal matters (including decisions on executions) foreign fighters' assistance, security, intelligence and media. In addition, a [[shura]] council has the task of ensuring that all decisions made by the governors and councils comply with the group's interpretation of [[sharia]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Thompson |first1=Nick |last2=Shubert |first2=Attika |title=The anatomy of ISIS: How the 'Islamic State' is run, from oil to beheadings |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/18/world/meast/isis-syria-iraq-hierarchy/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 |accessdate=21 September 2014 |publisher=CNN |date=18 September 2014}}</ref> While al-Baghdadi has told followers to "advise me when I err" in sermons, according to observers "any threat, opposition, or even contradiction is instantly eradicated".<ref name=NYRoB-7-9-2015>{{cite magazine |last1=Ruthven |first1=Malise |title=Inside the Islamic State. Review of Islamic State: The Digital Caliphate by Abdel Bari Atwan |work=[[The New York Review of Books]] |date=9 July 2015 |url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2015/07/09/inside-islamic-state/}}</ref>
According to Iraqis, Syrians and analysts who study the group, almost all of ISIL's leaders—including the members of its military and security committees and the majority of its [[emir]]s and princes—are former Iraqi military and intelligence officers, specifically former members of [[Saddam Hussein]]'s [[Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region|Ba'ath]] government who lost their jobs and pensions in the [[de-Ba'athification]] process after that regime was overthrown.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/the-hidden-hand-behind-the-islamic-state-militants-saddam-husseins/2015/04/04/aa97676c-cc32-11e4-8730-4f473416e759_story.html The hidden hand behind the Islamic State militants? Saddam Hussein’s.], ''Washington Post''</ref><ref name="nytimes27Aug14" /><ref name="ind5Apr2015">{{cite news |last=Sly |first=Liz |date=5 April 2015 |title=How Saddam Hussein's former military officers and spies are controlling Isis |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/how-saddam-husseins-former-military-officers-and-spies-are-controlling-isis-10156610.html |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |access-date=21 April 2015 |quote=But American officials didn't anticipate that they would become not only adjuncts to al-Qaeda, but core members of the jihadist group. They were instrumental in the group's rebirth from the defeats inflicted on insurgents by the US military, which is now back in Iraq bombing many of the same men it had already fought twice before.}}</ref> The former Chief Strategist in the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism of the US State Department, [[David Kilcullen]], has said that "There undeniably would be no Isis if we had not invaded Iraq."<ref name="Indie ISIL">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iraq-war-invasion-caused-isis-islamic-state-daesh-saysus-military-adviser-david-kilcullen-a6912236.html |title=Former US military adviser David Kilcullen says there would be no Isis without Iraq invasion |work=The Independent |date=4 March 2016 |accessdate=8 March 2016}}</ref>
It has been reported that Iraqis and Syrians have been given greater precedence over other nationalities within ISIL because the group needs the loyalties of the local Sunni populations in both Syria and Iraq in order to be sustainable.<ref>{{cite web |title=Foreign Recruits Are Islamic State's Cannon Fodder |publisher=Bloomberg News |date=11 February 2015 |url=http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-02-11/foreign-fighters-are-islamic-state-s-cannon-fodder}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Iraqis, Saudis call shots in Raqa, ISIL's Syrian 'capital' |publisher=[[Channel NewsAsia]] |date=19 June 2014 |url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/specialreports/mh370/news/iraqis-saudis-call-shots/1178866.html |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212174907/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/specialreports/mh370/news/iraqis-saudis-call-shots/1178866.html |archivedate=12 February 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Other reports, however, have indicated that Syrians are at a disadvantage to foreign members, with some native Syrian fighters resenting "favouritism" allegedly shown towards foreigners over pay and accommodation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Splits in Islamic State Emerge as Its Ranks Expand |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/islamic-state-feels-growing-pains-1425903933 |website=The Wall Street Journal |date=9 March 2015 |accessdate=11 April 2015 |first=Maria |last=Abi-Habib}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=In Islamic State Stronghold of Raqqa, Foreign Fighters Dominate |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-islamic-state-stronghold-of-raqqa-foreign-fighters-dominate-1423087426 |website=The Wall Street Journal |date=4 February 2015 |accessdate=11 April 2015 |first=Yaroslav |last=Trofimov}}</ref>
In August 2016, media reports based on briefings by Western intelligence agencies suggested that ISIL had a multilevel [[secret service]] known in Arabic as [[Emni]], established in 2014, that has become a combination of an internal police force and an external operations directorate complete with regional branches. The unit was believed to be under the overall command of ISIL's most senior Syrian operative, spokesman and propaganda chief [[Abu Mohammad al-Adnani]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20160804-islamic-state-group-emni-group-exporting-terror-world-europe |title=IS group unit known as 'Emni' aims to export terror around the world – France 24 |date=4 August 2016 |publisher=}}</ref><ref name=network>{{cite web |title=How a Secretive Branch of ISIS Built a Global Network of Killers |date=3 August 2016 |accessdate=7 August 2016 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/04/world/middleeast/isis-german-recruit-interview.html |work=The New York Times}}</ref> until his death by airstrike in late August 2016.<ref name=Chulov>{{cite web |first=Martin |last=Chulov |title=Abu Muhammad al-Adnani's death does not signal the demise of Isis |date=31 August 2016 |accessdate=31 August 2016 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/31/abu-muhammad-al-adnanis-death-does-not-signal-the-demise-of-isis |work=Reuters}}</ref>
=== Civilians in ISIL-controlled areas ===
{{Main page|Human rights in ISIL-controlled territory}}{{anchor|war crimes}}
In 2014 ''The Wall Street Journal'' estimated that eight million people lived in the Islamic State.<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HzMucorCwo |title=The Islamic State: How Its Leadership Is Organized |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=8 September 2014 |via=YouTube}}</ref> The [[United Nations Commission on Human Rights]] has stated that ISIL "seeks to subjugate civilians under its control and dominate every aspect of their lives through terror, indoctrination, and the provision of services to those who obey".<ref name="UNRuleOfTerror">{{cite web |title=Rule of Terror: Living under ISIS in Syria |url=http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/CoISyria/HRC_CRP_ISIS_14Nov2014.pdf |publisher=United Nations Commission on Human Rights |accessdate=29 November 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204115327/http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/CoISyria/HRC_CRP_ISIS_14Nov2014.pdf |archivedate=4 February 2015}}</ref> Civilians, as well as the Islamic State itself, have released footage of some of the human rights abuses.<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-hidden-footage-reveals-reality-of-life-in-raqqa-a6928721.html |title=Two women release extraordinary footage of what life is really like living under Isis |work=The Independent |date=13 March 2016 |via=The Independent}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/10/deserters-describe-life-isil-rule-161010132353949.html |date=13 October 2016 |title=Deserters describe life under ISIL rule |accessdate=21 October 2016 |work=Al Jazeera}}</ref>
[[Social control]] of civilians is by imposition of ISIL's reading of sharia law,<ref name="McCoyTop"/> enforced by [[Islamic religious police|morality police]] forces known as ''Al-Hisbah'' and the all-women [[Al-Khanssaa Brigade]], a general police force, courts, and other ''entities managing recruitment, tribal relations, and education''.<ref name="UNRuleOfTerror"/> ''Al-Hisbah'' is led by Abu Muhammad al-Jazrawi.<ref name="officials">{{cite web |url=http://aranews.net/2016/12/islamic-state-replaces-syrian-officials-foreign-jihadists-raqqa/ |title=Islamic State replaces Syrian officials by foreign jihadists in Raqqa |publisher=[[ARA News]] |author=Haytham Mustafa |date=31 December 2016 |accessdate=31 December 2016}}</ref>
=== Military ===
{{Main article|Military of ISIL|Military equipment of ISIL}}
==== Number of combatants ====
{{Bar chart
| float=right
| title = Country origins of ISIL fighters (500 or more)<ref>[http://economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Global-Terrorism-Index-2015.pdf "Global Terrorism Index 2015"]. Institute For Economics and Peace. October 2015. Pages 46–47.</ref>
| label_type = Country
| label1 = Tunisia | data1 = 5,000
| label2 = Saudi Arabia | data2 = 2,500
| label3 = Russia | data3 = 2,400
| label4 = France | data4 = 2,000
| label5 = Jordan | data5 = 2,000
| label6 = Morocco | data6 = 1,500
| label7 = Turkey | data7 = 1,400
| label8 = Lebanon | data8 = 900
| label9 = Germany | data9 = 700
| label10 = Libya | data10 = 600
| label11 = United Kingdom | data11 = 600
| label12 = Indonesia | data12 = 500
| label13 = Uzbekistan | data13 = 500
| label14 = Pakistan | data14 = 500
<!-- | label15 = Belgium | data15 = 440
| label16 = Turkmenistan | data16 = 360
| label17 = Egypt | data17 = 600
| label18 = Serbia | data18 = 350
| label19 = Bosnia | data19 = 330
| label20 = China | data20 = 300
| label21 = Kosovo | data21 = 300
| label22 = Sweden | data22 = 300
| label23 = Australia | data23 = 250
| label24 = Kazakhstan | data24 = 250
| label25 = Netherlands | data25 = 250
| label26 = Austria | data26 = 200
| label27 = Algeria | data27 = 200
| label28 = Malaysia | data28 = 200
| label29 = Tajikistan | data29 = 190
| label30 = United States | data30 = 180
| label31 = Norway | data31 = 150
| label32 = Denmark | data32 = 150
| label33 = Albania | data33 = 140
| label34 = Canada | data34 = 130
| label35 = Palestine | data35 = 70–80
| label36 = Yemen | data36 = 110
| label37 = Sudan | data37 = 100
| label38 = Kyrgyzstan | data38 = 100
| label39 = Spain | data39 = 100
| label40 = Italy | data40 = 80
| label41 = Somalia | data41 = 70
| label42 = Kuwait | data42 = 70
| label43 = Finland | data43 = 70
| label44 = Ukraine | data44 = 50
| label45 = Israel | data45 = 40–50
| label46 = Switzerland | data46 = 40
| label47 = Ireland | data47 = 40
| label48 = India | data48 = 18
| label49 = Portugal | data49 = 10–12
| label50 = Philippines | data50 = 3–200 -->
}}
Estimates of the size of ISIL's military vary widely, from tens of thousands<ref>{{cite web |url=http://top-channel.tv/lajme/artikull.php?id=293580&fundi |title=Sa është numri i xhihadistëve të ISIS-it? |trans-title=How Many Jihadists ISIS? |language=Albanian |publisher=Top Channel |location=Tirana, Albania |accessdate=22 February 2015}}</ref> up to 200,000.<ref name="Kurdish" />
In early 2015, journalist Mary Anne Weaver estimated that half of ISIL fighters are foreigners.<ref name=NYT-HMJ>{{cite news |last1=Weaver |first1=Mary Anne |title=Her Majesty's Jihadists |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/magazine/her-majestys-jihadists.html |accessdate=14 April 2015 |work=The New York Times |date=19 April 2015}}</ref> A UN report estimated a total of 15,000 fighters from over 80 countries were in ISIL's ranks in November 2014.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/571503/20141103/isis-un-report-haaretz-caliphate-security-council.htm |title=UN Report on 15,000 Foreigners Joining ISIS Fighters in Syria And Iraq Will Shock You |work=International Business Times |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110162633/http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/571503/20141103/isis-un-report-haaretz-caliphate-security-council.htm |archivedate=10 November 2014}}</ref> US intelligence estimated an increase to around 20,000 foreign fighters in February 2015, including 3,400 from the [[Western world]].<ref name=NBCforeignfighters>{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Windrem |title=ISIS By the Numbers: Foreign Fighter Total Keeps Growing |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/isis-numbers-foreign-fighter-total-keeps-growing-n314731 |publisher=NBC News |date=28 February 2015 |accessdate=10 December 2015}}</ref> In September 2015, the CIA estimated that 30,000 foreign fighters had joined ISIL.<ref>Sarhan, Arme. "CIA: 30,000 foreign fighters have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS". Iraq News. 29 September 2015.</ref>
According to Abu Hajjar, a former senior leader of ISIL, foreign fighters receive food, petrol and housing, but unlike native Iraqi or Syrian fighters, they do not receive payment in wages.<ref>{{cite news |title=World's Richest Terror Army |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05s4ytp/this-world-worlds-richest-terror-army |publisher=BBC |date=24 April 2015 |page=25:06 – within a 59 minute programme |quote=excerpt from, interview with Abu Hajjar, a former "senior leader of IS": "How much money would a foreign fighter receive as a wage?" "A foreigner? They aren't given a salary. They are given food and housing, not money."}}</ref>
{{anchor|Equipment}}
==== Conventional weapons ====
ISIL relies mostly on captured weapons with major sources including [[Saddam Hussein]]'s Iraqi stockpiles from the [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–11)|2003–11 Iraq insurgency]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Insight into How Insurgents Fought in Iraq |url=http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/17/insight-into-how-insurgents-fought-in-iraq/ |date=17 October 2013 |work=The New York Times |accessdate=22 August 2014 |first=John |last=Ismay}}</ref> and weapons from government and opposition forces fighting in the [[Syrian Civil War]] and during the [[Iraqi insurgency (2011–present)|post-US withdrawal Iraqi insurgency]]. The captured weapons, including armour, guns, surface-to-air missiles, and even some aircraft, enabled rapid territorial growth and facilitated the capture of additional equipment.<ref name="huffpo7aug">{{cite news |first=Charles |last=Lister |title=Not Just Iraq: The Islamic State Is Also on the March in Syria |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charles-lister/not-just-iraq-the-islamic_b_5658048.html |work=The Huffington Post |date=7 August 2014 |accessdate=11 August 2014}}</ref> For example, ISIL captured US-made [[BGM-71 TOW|TOW anti-tank missiles]] supplied by the United States and Saudi Arabia to the [[Free Syrian Army]] in Syria.<ref>"[http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-used-us-made-anti-tank-missiles-near-palmyra-2015-6 ISIS used US-made anti-tank missiles near Palmyra]". ''Business Insider.'' 9 June 2015.</ref><ref>"[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/10/world/u-s-missile-brought-russian-helicopter-syria-report/ U.S. missile brought down Russian helicopter in Syria: report]". Japan Times. 10 July 2016.</ref>
==== Non-conventional weapons ====
The group uses truck and [[car bomb]]s, [[suicide bombers]] and [[Improvised explosive device|IEDs]], and has used [[chemical weapon]]s in Iraq and Syria.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/sm103.aspx |publisher=[[United States Department of the Treasury]] |title=Treasury Targets ISIS Leader Involved in Chemical Weapons Development |date=June 12, 2017 |quote=Al-Jaburi is an Iraq-based, ISIS senior leader in charge of factories producing improvised explosive devices (IEDs), vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs), and explosives, and he is involved in the development of chemical weapons}}</ref> ISIL captured nuclear materials from [[Mosul University]] in July 2014, but is unlikely to be able to convert them into weapons.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cowell |first1=Alan |title=Low-Grade Nuclear Material Is Seized by Rebels in Iraq, U.N. Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/11/world/middleeast/iraq.html |accessdate=15 July 2014 |work=The New York Times |date=10 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sherlock |first1=Ruth |title=Iraq jihadists seize 'nuclear material', says ambassador to UN |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10958388/Iraq-jihadists-seize-nuclear-material-says-ambassador-to-UN.html |accessdate=15 July 2014 |work=The Telegraph |date=10 July 2014 |location=London}}</ref>
In September 2015 a US official stated that ISIL was manufacturing and using [[mustard agent]] in Syria and Iraq, and had an active chemical weapons research team.<ref name=bbc-20150911>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34211838 |title=US official: 'IS making and using chemical weapons in Iraq and Syria' |first=Paul |last=Blake |publisher=BBC |date=11 September 2015 |accessdate=16 September 2015}}</ref><ref name=independent-20150911>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-manufacturing-and-using-chemical-weapons-in-iraq-and-syria-us-official-claims-10496094.html |title=Isis 'manufacturing and using chemical weapons' in Iraq and Syria, US official claims |first=Lizzie |last=Dearden |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |date=11 September 2015 |accessdate=16 September 2015}}</ref> ISIL has also used water as a weapon of war. The group closed the gates of the smaller Nuaimiyah dam in Fallujah in April 2014, flooding the surrounding regions, while cutting the water supply to the [[Shia]]-dominated south. Around 12,000 families lost their homes and 200 km² of villages and fields were either flooded or dried up. The economy of the region also suffered with destruction of cropland and electricity shortages.<ref>{{cite report |title=Water and Violence Link: Crisis of Survival in the Middle East |url=http://strategicforesight.com/publication_pdf/63948150123-web.pdf |publisher=Strategic Foresight |location=Mumbai, India |date=December 2014 |isbn=978-81-88262-24-3}}</ref>
During the [[Battle of Mosul (2016–17)|Battle of Mosul]] it was reported that commercially available quadcopters and drones were being used by ISIL as surveillance and weapons delivery platforms using extemporised cradles to drop grenades and other explosives.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://defense-update.com/20161012_drone_attacks.html |title=Weaponized Mini-Drones Entering the Fight |last=Eshel |first=Tamir |date=12 October 2016 |website=[[Defense Update]] |publisher=|access-date=25 February 2017 |quote=}}</ref> The ISIL drone facility became a target of Royal Air Force strike aircraft.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://defense-update.com/20170117_drones_attacked.html |title=RAF Strikes Daesh Drone Facility in Mosul |last=Eshel |first=Tamir |date=17 January 2017 |website=[[Defense Update]] |publisher=|access-date=25 February 2017 |quote=}}</ref>
=== Non-combatant recruits ===
Although ISIL attracts followers from different parts of the world by promoting the image of holy war, not all of its recruits end up in combatant roles. There have been several cases of new recruits expecting to be ''[[mujihadeen|mujahideen]]'' who have returned from Syria disappointed by the everyday jobs that were assigned to them, such as drawing water or cleaning toilets, or by the ban imposed on use of mobile phones during military training sessions.<ref>{{cite news |first=Simon |last=Tomlinson |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2855780/Indian-IS-recruit-goes-home-having-clean-toilets.html |title='ISIS made me clean the toilets... and my iPod didn't work': How disenchanted Islamic fanatics are returning home because jihad isn't as glamorous as they hoped |date=1 December 2014 |accessdate=22 January 2015 |location=London |work=Daily Mail}}</ref>
ISIL publishes material directed at women. Although women are not allowed to take up arms, media groups encourage them to play supportive roles within ISIL, such as providing first aid, cooking, nursing and sewing skills, in order to become "good wives of jihad".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-now-targeting-women-with-guides-on-how-to-be-the-ultimate-wives-of-jihad-9830562.html |title=Isis now targeting women with guides on how to be the 'ultimate wives of jihad' |date=31 October 2014 |accessdate=22 January 2015 |location=London |work=The Independent |first=Heather |last=Saul}}</ref> In a document entitled ''Women in the Islamic State: Manifesto and Case Study'' released by the media wing of ISIL's all-female [[Al-Khansaa Brigade|Al-Khanssaa Brigade]], emphasis is given to the paramount importance of marriage and motherhood (as early as nine years old). Women should live a life of "sedentariness", fulfilling her "divine duty of motherhood" at home, with a few exceptions like teachers and doctors.<ref name=imsorfw>{{cite magazine |last1=Abdul-Alim |first1=Jamaal |title=ISIS 'Manifesto' Spells Out Role for Women |magazine=The Atlantic |date=8 March 2015 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/03/isis-manifesto-spells-out-role-for-women/387049/ |accessdate=23 November 2015}}</ref><ref name=quilliam-women>{{cite web |last1=Winter |first1=Charlie |title=QUILLIAM Translation and Analysis of Islamic State Manifesto on Jihadist Brides |url=http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/press/quilliam-translation-and-analysis-of-islamic-state-manifesto-on-jihadist-brides/ |publisher=Quilliam Foundation |accessdate=23 November 2015 |date=5 February 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119055307/http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/press/quilliam-translation-and-analysis-of-islamic-state-manifesto-on-jihadist-brides/ |archivedate=19 January 2016}}</ref> Equality for women is opposed, as is education on non-religious subjects, the "worthless worldly sciences".<ref name=quilliam-women />
===Communications===
==== {{visible anchor|Propaganda|Propaganda and social media}} ====
ISIL is known for its extensive and effective use of [[propaganda]].<ref name="ft-20140617">{{cite news |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/69e70954-f639-11e3-a038-00144feabdc0.html?—ftcamp=crm/email/2014617/nbe/AsiaMorningHeadlines/product |title=Selling terror: how Isis details its brutality |date=17 June 2014 |last2=Jones |first2=Sam |first1=Roula |last1=Khalaf |newspaper=Financial Times |accessdate=18 June 2014}}</ref><ref name=ibtimes-2014-06-17>{{cite news |last=Stone |first=Jeff |date=17 June 2014 |title=ISIS Attacks Twitter Streams, Hacks Accounts To Make Jihadi Message Go Viral |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/isis-attacks-twitter-streams-hacks-accounts-make-jihadi-message-go-viral-1603842 |newspaper=International Business Times |accessdate=19 June 2014}}</ref> It uses a version of the Muslim [[Black Standard]] flag and developed an [[emblem]] which has clear symbolic meaning in the Muslim world.<ref name=time-2014-09-09 />
====Traditional media====
In November 2006, shortly after the group's rebranding as the "Islamic State of Iraq", it established the Al-Furqan Foundation for Media Production, which produces CDs, DVDs, posters, pamphlets, and web-related propaganda products and official statements.<ref name="LWJMmedia">{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Roggio |title=US targets al Qaeda's al Furqan media wing in Iraq |work=Long War Journal |date=28 October 2007 |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2007/10/us_targets_al_qaedas.php}}</ref> It began to expand its media presence in 2013, with the formation of a second media wing, Al-I'tisam Media Foundation, in March<ref name="Bilger 2014 p1">{{Harvnb|Bilger|2014|p=1}}.{{full citation needed|date=September 2016}}</ref><ref name="Jihadologymedia">{{cite web |last=Zelin |first=Aaron Y. |title=New statement from the Global Islamic Media Front: Announcement on the Publishing of al-I'tiṣām Media Foundation – A Subsidiary of the Islamic State of Iraq – It Will Be Released Via GIMF |url=http://jihadology.net/2013/03/08/new-statement-from-the-global-islamic-media-front-announcement-on-the-publishing-of-al-iti%E1%B9%A3am-media-foundation-a-subsidiary-of-the-islamic-state-of-iraq-it-will-be-released-via-gimf/ |work=Jihadology |date=8 March 2013 |accessdate=24 June 2014}}</ref> and the Ajnad Foundation for Media Production, specialising in [[nasheed]]s and audio content, in August.<ref>{{cite web |last=Zelin |first=Aaron Y. |url=http://jihadology.net/2013/08/20/new-statement-from-the-islamic-state-of-iraq-and-al-sham-announcing-ajnad-foundation-for-media-production/ |title=New statement from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: "Announcing Ajnād Foundation For Media Production" |work=Jihadology |date=20 August 2013 |accessdate=8 June 2015}}</ref> In mid-2014, ISIL established the Al-Hayat Media Center, which targets Western audiences and produces material in English, German, Russian and French.<ref name="FreeBeaconMedia">{{cite web |last=Gertz |first=Bill |title=New Al Qaeda Group Produces Recruitment Material for Americans, Westerners |url=http://freebeacon.com/national-security/new-al-qaeda-group-produces-recruitment-material-for-americans-westerners/ |work=The Washington Free Beacon |date=13 June 2014 |accessdate=24 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="MEMRIMedia">{{cite web |title=ISIS Declares Islamic Caliphate, Appoints Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi As 'Caliph', Declares All Muslims Must Pledge Allegiance To Him |url=http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/8049.htm |publisher=MEMRI |date=30 June 2014 |accessdate=7 July 2014}}</ref> When ISIL announced its expansion to other countries in November 2014 it established media departments for the new branches, and its media apparatus ensured that the new branches follow the same models it uses in Iraq and Syria.<ref name=wapo28jan>{{cite news |title=The Islamic State's model |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2015/01/28/the-islamic-states-model/ |accessdate=30 March 2015 |work=The Washington Post |date=28 January 2015 |first=Aaron Y. |last=Zelin}}</ref> FBI Director [[James Comey]] has said that ISIL's "propaganda is unusually slick," noting that, "They are broadcasting... in something like 23 languages".<ref name="Washington Post">{{cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Kevin |date=8 December 2014 |title=Three American teens, recruited online, are caught trying to join the Islamic State |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/three-american-teens-recruited-online-are-caught-trying-to-join-the-islamic-state/2014/12/08/8022e6c4-7afb-11e4-84d4-7c896b90abdc_story.html?tid=hybrid_1.1_strip_1 |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=9 December 2014}}</ref>
In July 2014, al-Hayat began publishing a digital magazine called ''[[Dabiq (magazine)|Dabiq]]'', in a number of different languages including English. According to the magazine, its name is taken from the town of [[Dabiq (town)|Dabiq]] in northern Syria, which is mentioned in a [[hadith]] about [[Islamic eschatology|Armageddon]].<ref name="JamestownDabiq">{{cite web |title=Dabiq: What Islamic State's New Magazine Tells Us about Their Strategic Direction, Recruitment Patterns and Guerrilla Doctrine |url=http://www.jamestown.org/programs/tm/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=42702&cHash=0efbd71af77fb92c064b9403dc8ea838 |publisher=The Jamestown Foundation |date=1 August 2014 |accessdate=18 August 2014}}</ref> Al-Hayat also began publishing other digital magazines, including the Turkish language ''[[Konstantiniyye (magazine)|Konstantiniyye]]'', the [[Ottoman Turkish language|Ottoman]] word for Istanbul,<ref>{{cite web |last=Akkoc |first=Raziye |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11926022/Ankara-bombings-Islamic-State-is-main-suspect-says-Turkish-PM-Ahmet-Davutoglu.html |title=Ankara bombings: Islamic State is main suspect, says Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=12 October 2015 |accessdate=2 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Isabel |last=Hunter |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/suruc-bombings-turkish-president-accused-of-not-doing-enough-to-help-kurds-fight-isis-threat-across-10408839.html |title=Suruc bombings: Turkish President accused of not doing enough to help Kurds fight Isis threat across its border in Syria |work=The Independent |date=22 July 2015 |accessdate=2 December 2015}}</ref> and the French language ''[[Dar al-Islam (magazine)|Dar al-Islam]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jihadists Release First Issue of Pro-IS French Magazine "Dar al-Islam" |publisher=SITE Intelligence Group |date=22 December 2014 |accessdate=31 March 2016 |url=https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Periodicals/jihadists-release-first-issue-of-pro-is-french-magazine-dar-al-islam.html}}</ref> By late 2016, these magazines had apparently all been discontinued, with Al-Hayat's material being consolidated into a new magazine called ''[[Rumiyah (magazine)|Rumiyah]]'' (Arabic for Rome).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/ISW%20The%20Virtual%20Caliphate%20Gambhir%202016.pdf |title=The Virtual Caliphate: ISIS'S Information Warfare |publisher=''Institute for the Study of War''|access-date=2017-02-07 |quote=As of late 2016, Rumiyah has apparently supplanted other internationally oriented publications, as al-Hayat has ceased publishing them}}</ref>
The group also runs a radio network called [[Al-Bayan (radio station)|Al-Bayan]], which airs bulletins in Arabic, Russian and English and provides coverage of its activities in Iraq, Syria and Libya.<ref name="radio">{{cite news |title=Islamic State launches English-language radio bulletins |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11519977/Islamic-State-launches-English-language-radio-news-bulletins.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |accessdate=18 May 2015 |location=London |date=7 April 2015}}</ref>
==== Social media ====
ISIL's use of [[social media]] has been described by one expert as "probably more sophisticated than [that of] most US companies".<ref name="ft-20140617" /><ref name="Atlantic socmedia">{{cite web |last=Berger |first=J. M. |date=16 June 2014 |title=How ISIS Games Twitter |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/06/isis-iraq-twitter-social-media-strategy/372856/ |work=The Atlantic |accessdate=19 June 2014}}</ref> It regularly uses social media, particularly [[Twitter]], to distribute its messages.<ref name="Atlantic socmedia" /><ref name=adl-2014-06-27>{{cite web |title=ISIS Propaganda Campaign Threatens U.S. |url=http://blog.adl.org/extremism/isis-propaganda-campaign-threatens-u-s |date=27 June 2014 |publisher=Anti-Defamation League |accessdate=27 June 2014}}</ref> The group uses the encrypted instant messaging service [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] to disseminate images, videos and updates.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.yahoo.com/isis-telegram-channel-doubles-followers-172356843.html |title=Isis Telegram channel doubles followers to 9,000 in less than 1 week |date=12 October 2015 |via=Yahoo News}}</ref>
The group is known for releasing videos and photographs of executions of prisoners, whether beheadings, shootings, caged prisoners being burnt alive or submerged gradually until drowned.<ref name=cnn-12-8-15>{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Ian |last2=Hanna |first2=Jason |title=Croatian ISIS captive reportedly beheaded |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/12/middleeast/isis-croatian-hostage/ |accessdate=12 August 2015 |publisher=CNN |date=12 August 2015}}</ref> Journalist [[Abdel Bari Atwan]] described ISIL's media content as part of a "systematically applied policy". The escalating violence of its killings "guarantees" the attention of the media and public.<ref name=NYRoB-7-9-2015 />
Along with images of brutality, ISIL presents itself as "an emotionally attractive place where people 'belong', where everyone is a 'brother' or 'sister'". The "most potent psychological pitch" of ISIL media is the promise of heavenly reward to dead jihadist fighters. Frequently posted in their media are dead jihadists' smiling faces, the ISIL 'salute' of a 'right-hand index finger pointing heavenward', and testimonies of happy widows.<ref name=NYRoB-7-9-2015 /> ISIL has also attempted to present a more "rational argument" in a series of videos hosted by the kidnapped journalist [[John Cantlie]]. In one video, various current and former US officials were quoted, such as the then US President [[Barack Obama]] and former [[CIA]] Officer [[Michael Scheuer]].<ref name=nydailynews-2014-09-23>{{cite news |last1=Walsh |first1=Michael |title=ISIS releases second 'lecture video' of British hostage John Cantlie |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/isis-releases-lecture-video-british-hostage-john-cantlie-article-1.1949195 |accessdate=6 October 2014 |work=Daily News |location=New York |date=23 September 2014}}</ref>
It has encouraged sympathisers to initiate [[Vehicle-ramming attack|Vehicle-ramming]] and [[Stabbing as a terrorist tactic|attacks]] worldwide.<ref name=AttackingTheWest>{{cite journal |first1=Thomas |last1=Hegghammer |first2=Petter |last2=Nesser |title=Assessing the Islamic State's Commitment to Attacking the West |work=Perspectives on Terrorism |publisher=Terrorism Research Initiative |volume=9 |issue=4 |date=9 July 2015 |issn=2334-3745 |url=http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/440}}</ref>
=== Finances ===
{{Main article|Finances of ISIL}}
{{See also|Oil production and smuggling in ISIL}}
According to a 2015 study by the [[Financial Action Task Force]], ISIL's five primary sources of revenue are as followed (listed in order of significance):
* proceeds from the occupation of territory (including control of banks, petroleum reservoirs, taxation, extortion, and robbery of economic assets)
* kidnapping for ransom<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34312450 |title=Inside the Islamic State kidnap machine |date=22 September 2015 |newspaper=BBC News |language=en-GB|access-date=9 October 2016}}</ref>
* donations from Saudi Arabia and Gulf states, often disguised as meant for "humanitarian charity"
* material support provided by foreign fighters
* fundraising through modern communication networks<ref name = FATF>{{cite news |title=Financing of the Terrorist Organisation Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant |url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/Financing-of-the-terrorist-organisation-ISIL.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=19 April 2015 |publisher=Financial Action Task Force |date=February 2015}}</ref>
Since 2012, ISIL has produced annual reports giving numerical information on its operations, somewhat in the style of corporate reports, seemingly in a bid to encourage potential donors.<ref name="ft-20140617" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.vox.com/2014/6/24/5834068/the-iraqi-rebels-make-annual-reports-with-infographics-we-translated |title=The surreal infographics ISIS is producing, translated |date=24 July 2014 |publisher=Vox |last1=Matthews |first1=Dylan |accessdate=25 July 2014}}</ref>
In 2014, the [[RAND Corporation]] analysed ISIL's funding sources from documents captured between 2005 and 2010.<ref name="ISIfunding" /> It found that outside donations amounted to only 5% of the group's operating budgets,<ref name="ISIfunding" /> and that cells inside Iraq were required to send up to 20% of the income generated from kidnapping, extortion rackets and other activities to the next level of the group's leadership, which would then redistribute the funds to provincial or local cells that were in difficulties or needed money to conduct attacks.<ref name="ISIfunding">{{cite news |last=Allam |first=Hannah |url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/06/23/231223/records-show-how-iraqi-extremists.html |title=Records show how Iraqi extremists withstood U.S. anti-terror efforts |publisher=McClatchy News |date=23 June 2014 |accessdate=25 June 2014}}</ref> In 2016, RAND estimated that ISIL finances from its largest source of income — oil revenues and the taxes it extracts from people under its control — had fallen from about $1.9 billion in 2014 to $870 million.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/12/opinion/man-without-an-isis-plan.html |title=Man Without an ISIS Plan |last=The Editorial Board |date=2017-03-12 |work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-03-13 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
In mid-2014, the [[Iraqi National Intelligence Service]] obtained information that ISIL had assets worth US$2 billion,<ref name="isil-wealth">{{cite news |last=Chulov |first=Martin |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/15/iraq-isis-arrest-jihadists-wealth-power |title=How an arrest in Iraq revealed Isis's $2bn jihadist network |date=15 June 2014 |work=The Guardian |accessdate=17 June 2014}}</ref> making it the richest jihadist group in the world.<ref>{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Jack |date=11 June 2014 |title=Mosul Seized: Jihadis Loot $429m from City's Central Bank to Make Isis World's Richest Terror Force |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/mosul-seized-jihadis-loot-429m-citys-central-bank-make-isis-worlds-richest-terror-force-1452190 |newspaper=International Business Times |accessdate=19 June 2014}}</ref> About three-quarters of this sum was said to looted from Mosul's central bank and commercial banks in the city.<ref name="WAPO richest">{{cite news |last=McCoy |first=Terrence |date=12 June 2014 |title=ISIS just stole $425 million, Iraqi governor says, and became the 'world's richest terrorist group' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/06/12/isis-just-stole-425-million-and-became-the-worlds-richest-terrorist-group |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=18 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Carey |first1=Glen |last2=Haboush |first2=Mahmoud |last3=Viscusi |first3=Gregory |title=Financing Jihad: Why ISIS Is a Lot Richer Than Al-Qaeda |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-26/looted-banks-fund-iraq-fighters-eyeing-wealth-al-qaeda-never-had.html |accessdate=19 July 2014 |publisher=Bloomberg News |date=26 June 2014}}</ref> However, doubt was later cast on whether ISIL was able to retrieve anywhere near that sum from the central bank,<ref>{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Windrem |title=U.S. Official Doubts ISIS Mosul Bank Heist Windfall |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/iraq-turmoil/u-s-official-doubts-isis-mosul-bank-heist-windfall-n139846 |accessdate=22 July 2014 |publisher=NBC News |date=24 June 2014}}</ref> and even on whether the looting had actually occurred.<ref name="ft bank">{{cite news |last1=Daragahi |first1=Borzou |title=Biggest bank robbery that 'never happened' – $400m Isis heist |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0378d4f4-0c28-11e4-9080-00144feabdc0.html |accessdate=21 July 2014 |work=Financial Times |date=17 July 2014 |subscription=yes}}</ref>
==== Monetary system ====
{{Main article|Modern gold dinar}}
ISIL mints its own gold, silver, and copper coins, based on the [[Gold dinar|coinage]] used by the [[Umayyad Caliphate]] in the 7th century.<ref name="IsisDinar">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/14/isis-gold-silver-copper-islamic-dinar-coins |title=Isis to mint own Islamic dinar coins in gold, silver and copper |work=The Guardian |date=21 November 2014}}</ref><ref name=GoldDinar>{{cite web |title=Islamic State reportedly buying silver, gold as it prepares to issue currency |url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/world/middle-east/article24776572.html |work=McClatchy |accessdate=21 November 2014 |date=20 November 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716031031/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/world/middle-east/article24776572.html |archivedate=16 July 2015}}</ref><ref name="GoldDinar2">{{cite news |title=Islamic State announces its own currency |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11230324/Islamic-State-announces-its-own-currency.html |work=The Telegraph |accessdate=21 November 2014 |date=14 November 2014 |location=London |first=Josie |last=Ensor |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117074745/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11230324/Islamic-State-announces-its-own-currency.html |archivedate=17 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Marwan |last=Jabbar |work=Niqash |url=http://www.niqash.org/en/articles/economy/5097/Islamic-State-Release-Their-Own-'Fake'-Currency.htm |title=Gold at End of Extremist Rainbow: Islamic State Release Their Own 'Fake' Currency |location=Baghdad |date=3 September 2015}}</ref> It believes paper money is or will be "worthless". (Economists believe this use of gold will present problems as users will want to hoard rather than spend gold coins and will use paper currency instead.)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://money.cnn.com/2015/12/04/news/world/isis-gold/index.html |title=ISIS is obsessed with gold currency |last=Pagliery |first=Jose |date=2015-12-04 |website=CNNMoney|access-date=2017-03-13}}</ref>
== History ==
{{History of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}
{{anchor|JTJ}}
=== Foundation (1999–2006) ===
[[File:UNOfficeofHumanitarianCoordinator-Baghdad (UN DF-SD-04-02188).jpg|thumb|The UN headquarters building in Baghdad after the [[Canal Hotel bombing]], on 22 August 2003]]
The group was founded in 1999 by Jordanian [[Salafist jihadism|Salafi jihadist]] [[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]] under the name ''[[Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad|Jamāʻat al-Tawḥīd wa-al-Jihād]]'' ({{Literal translation|"The Organisation of Monotheism and Jihad"}}).<ref name="winepJune14" /> Following the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]] by Western forces, al-Zarqawi and ''Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad'' achieved notoriety in the early stages of the [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–11)|Iraqi insurgency]] for their [[suicide attack]]s on [[Shia Islam|Shia]] mosques, civilians, Iraqi government institutions and Italian soldiers of the US-led '[[Multi-National Force – Iraq|Multi-National Force]]'.
{{anchor|Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn}}
In October 2004, when al-Zarqawi [[Bay'ah|swore loyalty]] to [[Osama bin Laden]] and [[al-Qaeda]], he renamed the group ''[[Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn|Tanẓīm Qāʻidat al-Jihād fī Bilād al-Rāfidayn]]'' ({{Literal translation|"The Organisation of Jihad's Base in [[Mesopotamia]]"}}), commonly known as [[al-Qaeda in Iraq]] (AQI).<ref name="JamestownFoundation20041018">{{cite magazine |last1=Pool |first1=Jeffrey |title=Zarqawi's Pledge of Allegiance to Al-Qaeda: From Mu'Asker Al-Battar, Issue 21 |magazine=Terrorism Monitor |date=16 December 2004 |volume=2 |issue=24 |page=The Jamestown Foundation |url=http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=400&issue_id=3179&article_id=2369020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930180847/http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=400&issue_id=3179&article_id=2369020 |archivedate=30 September 2007 |accessdate=30 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="Dawn20041018">{{cite news |title=Zarqawi pledges allegiance to Osama |url=http://www.dawn.com/2004/10/18/top7.htm |date=18 October 2004 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071229020549/http://www.dawn.com/2004/10/18/top7.htm |archivedate=29 December 2007 |agency=Agence France-Presse |work=Dawn |accessdate=13 July 2007}}</ref><ref name="Msnbc20041018">{{cite news |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6268680/ |agency=Associated Press |publisher=NBC News |title=Al-Zarqawi group vows allegiance to bin Laden |date=18 October 2004 |accessdate=13 July 2007}}</ref><ref name="Conflict Encyclopedia">{{cite book |title=Uppsala Data Conflict Programme: Conflict Encyclopaedia (Iraq) |url=http://www.ucdp.uu.se/gpdatabase/gpcountry.php?id=77®ionSelect=10-Middle_East|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927151947/http://www.ucdp.uu.se/gpdatabase/gpcountry.php?id=77®ionSelect=10-Middle_East|dead-url=yes|archive-date=2013-09-27}} (See One-sided violence – ISIS-civilians – Actor information-ISIS.) Retrieved 23 September 2016.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/09/AR2006060902040.html |title=Death Could Shake Al-Qaeda in Iraq and Around the World |work=The Washington Post |last=Whitlock |first=Craig |date=10 June 2006 |accessdate=22 July 2014}}</ref> Although the group never called itself ''al-Qaeda in Iraq'', this remained its informal name for many years.<ref name="ctc29May">{{cite web |url=http://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/the-isils-stand-in-the-ramadi-falluja-corridor |title=The ISIL's Stand in the Ramadi-Falluja Corridor |last=Knights |first=Michael |publisher=Combating Terrorism Center |date=29 May 2014 |accessdate=12 July 2014}}</ref> Attacks by the group on civilians, Iraqi government forces, foreign diplomats and soldiers, and American convoys continued with roughly the same intensity. In a letter to al-Zarqawi in July 2005, al-Qaeda's then deputy leader [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]] outlined a four-stage plan to expand the [[Iraq War]]. The plan included expelling [[Military of the United States|US forces]] from Iraq, establishing an Islamic authority as a [[caliphate]], spreading the conflict to Iraq's secular neighbours, and clashing with Israel, which the letter said, "[...] was established only to challenge any new Islamic entity".<ref>{{cite news |last=Whitaker |first=Brian |title=Revealed: Al-Qaida plan to seize control of Iraq |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/oct/13/alqaida.iraq |work=The Guardian |date=13 October 2005 |accessdate=19 September 2014}}</ref>
{{anchor|Mujahideen Shura Council}}
In January 2006, AQI joined with several smaller Iraqi Sunni insurgent groups under an umbrella organisation called the [[Mujahideen Shura Council (Iraq)|Mujahideen Shura Council]] (MSC). According to counterterrorism researcher Brian Fishman, the merger was an attempt to give the group a more Iraqi flavour, and perhaps to distance al-Qaeda from some of al-Zarqawi's tactical errors, such as the [[2005 Amman bombings|2005 bombings]] by AQI of three hotels in Amman.<ref>{{Harvnb|Fishman|2008|pp=48–9}}.</ref> On 7 June 2006, a US airstrike killed al-Zarqawi, who was succeeded as leader of the group by the Egyptian militant [[Abu Ayyub al-Masri]].<ref name="bbc1">{{cite news |title=Al-Qaeda in Iraq names new head |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5073092.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=12 June 2006}}</ref><ref name="Al Masri">{{cite news |last=Tran |first=Mark |title=Al-Qaida in Iraq leader believed dead |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/may/01/iraq.alqaida |newspaper=The Guardian |date=1 May 2007}}</ref><ref name="Fishman 2008 49–50">{{Harvnb|Fishman|2008|pp=49–50}}</ref>
=== Islamic State of Iraq (2006–2013) ===
[[File:USMC-060523-M-0008D-004.jpg|thumb|U.S. Marines in [[Ramadi under U.S. Military Occupation|Ramadi]], May 2006. The Islamic State of Iraq had declared the city to be its capital.]]
On 12 October 2006, MSC united with three smaller groups and six Sunni tribes to form the [[Mujahideen Shura Council (Iraq)|Mutayibeen Coalition]], pledging "To rid Sunnis from the oppression of the rejectionists (Shi'ite Muslims) and the crusader occupiers ... to restore rights even at the price of our own lives ... to make Allah's word supreme in the world, and to restore the glory of Islam".<ref name="lwj121006">{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Roggio |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2006/10/alqaedas_grand_coali.php |title=al Qaeda's Grand Coalition in Anbar |work=Long War Journal |date=12 October 2006 |accessdate=11 February 2015}}</ref><ref name="memri171006">{{cite web |url=http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/1910.htm |title=Jihad Groups in Iraq Take an Oath of Allegiance |website=MEMRI |publisher=Middle East Media Research Institute |date=17 October 2006 |accessdate=10 February 2015}}</ref> A day later, MSC declared the establishment of the [[Islamic State of Iraq]] (ISI), comprising Iraq's six mostly Sunni Arab [[Governorates of Iraq|governorates]],<ref name=FT15Oct06>{{cite news |url=http://www.isisiraq.com/call-sunni-state-iraq/ |first=Stephen |last=Negus |title=Call for Sunni state in Iraq |work=Financial Times |date=15 October 2006 |access-date=23 September 2016 |subscription=yes}}</ref> with [[Abu Omar al-Baghdadi]] its [[emir]]<ref name="lwj161006">{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Roggio |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2006/10/the_rump_islamic_emi.php |title=The Rump Islamic Emirate of Iraq |work=Long War Journal |date=16 October 2006 |accessdate=2 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="Al-Qaida">{{cite web |title=Al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) |url=http://www.nps.edu/Library/Research/SubjectGuides/SpecialTopics/TerroristProfile/Current/AlQaidaIraq.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070401114027/http://www.nps.edu/Library/Research/SubjectGuides/SpecialTopics/TerroristProfile/Current/AlQaidaIraq.html |archivedate=1 April 2007 |website=[[Dudley Wright Knox|Dudley Knox]] Library |publisher=Naval Postgraduate School |accessdate=14 July 2014}}</ref> and al-Masri Minister of War within ISI's ten-member cabinet.<ref name="cabinetlist">{{cite news |title=Islamic State of Iraq Announces Establishment of the Cabinet of its First Islamic Administration in Video Issued Through al-Furqan Foundation |url=http://www.siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications274907&Category=publications&Subcategory=0 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928061225/http://www.siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications274907&Category=publications&Subcategory=0 |archivedate=28 September 2007 |accessdate=20 July 2014 |publisher=SITE Institute |date=19 April 2007}}</ref>
{{anchor|Islamic State of Iraq (2006–2013)}}
According to a study compiled by [[United States intelligence agencies]] in early 2007, ISI planned to seize power in the central and western areas of Iraq and turn it into a Sunni [[caliphate]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Mahnaimi |first=Uzi |title=Al-Qaeda planning militant Islamic state within Iraq |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article1782088.ece |newspaper=The Sunday Times |date=13 May 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524071632/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article1782088.ece |archivedate=24 May 2011 |location=London}}</ref>
The group built in strength and at its height enjoyed a significant presence in the [[governorates of Iraq|Iraqi governorates]] of [[Al Anbar Governorate|Al Anbar]], [[Diyala Governorate|Diyala]] and [[Baghdad Governorate|Baghdad]], claiming [[Baqubah]] as a capital city.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ricks |first1=Thomas E. |title=Situation Called Dire in West Iraq |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/10/AR2006091001204.html?nav=rss_email/components |accessdate=13 July 2014 |work=The Washington Post |date=11 September 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Linzer |first1=Dafna |last2=Ricks |first2=Thomas E. |title=Anbar Picture Grows Clearer, and Bleaker |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/27/AR2006112701287.html |accessdate=18 July 2014 |work=The Washington Post |date=28 November 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Engel |first1=Richard |url=http://onthescene.msnbc.com/baghdad/2006/12/reporting_under.html#posts |title=Reporting under al-Qaida control |publisher=MSNBC |date=27 December 2006 |accessdate=28 October 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Engel |first=Richard |url=http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/01/17/32969.aspx |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071102170117/http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/01/17/32969.aspx |archivedate=2 November 2007 |title=Dangers of the Baghdad plan |publisher=MSNBC |date=17 January 2007 |accessdate=28 October 2009}}</ref>
The [[Iraq War troop surge of 2007]] supplied the US military with more manpower for operations, and dozens of high-level AQI members being captured or killed.<ref>{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Roggio |url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2007/11/targeting_al_qaeda_in_iraqs_ne.asp |title=Targeting al Qaeda in Iraq's Network |work=The Weekly Standard |date=13 November 2007}}</ref> Between July and October 2007, al-Qaeda in Iraq was reported to have lost its secure military bases in Al Anbar province and the [[Baghdad]] area.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ricks |first1=Thomas |last2=DeYoung |first2=Karen |title=Al-Qaeda in Iraq Reported Crippled |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/14/AR2007101401245.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=15 October 2007 |accessdate=13 February 2015}}</ref> During 2008, a series of US and Iraqi offensives managed to drive out AQI-aligned insurgents from their former safe havens, such as the [[Diyala campaign|Diyala]] and Al Anbar governorates, to the area of the northern city of [[Mosul]].<ref name="nostra">{{cite news |last=Samuels |first=Lennox |title=Al Qaeda in Iraq Ramps Up Its Racketeering |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/138085 |magazine=[[Newsweek]] |date=20 May 2008 |accessdate=13 February 2015}}{{subscription required}} Accessible via Google.</ref>
[[File:U.S. Army soldier with captured ISIS flag in Iraq, December 2010.jpg|thumb|left|210px|U.S. Army soldier with captured ISI flag in Iraq, December 2010]]
By 2008, the ISI was describing itself as being in a state of "extraordinary crisis".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Phillips |first=Andrew |year=2009 |title=How al Qaeda lost Iraq |journal=Australian Journal of International Affairs |volume=63 |number=1 |pages=64–84 |doi=10.1080/10357710802649840}}</ref> Its violent attempts to govern territory led to a backlash from Sunni Arab Iraqis and other insurgent groups and a temporary decline in the group, which was attributable to a number of factors,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Kahl |first=Colin H . |year=2008 |title=When to Leave Iraq: Walk Before Running |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/64458/colin-h-kahl-and-william-e-odom/when-to-leave-iraq |magazine=Foreign Affairs |volume=87 |number=4 |pages=151–54 |jstor=20032727}}</ref> notably the [[Anbar Awakening]].
In late 2009, the commander of US forces in Iraq, [[Raymond T. Odierno|General Ray Odierno]], stated that ISI "has transformed significantly in the last two years. What once was dominated by foreign individuals has now become more and more dominated by Iraqi citizens".<ref>{{cite news |title=Al Qaeda in Iraq becoming less foreign-US general |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLI176502 |date=18 November 2009 |agency=Reuters |first=Michael |last=Christie}}</ref> On 18 April 2010, ISI's two top leaders, al-Masri and Omar al-Baghdadi, were killed in a joint US-Iraqi raid near [[Tikrit]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Arango |first=Tim |title=Top Qaeda Leaders in Iraq Reported Killed in Raid |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/world/middleeast/20baghdad.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=22 August 2014}}</ref> In a press conference in June 2010, General Odierno reported that 80% of ISI's top 42 leaders, including recruiters and financiers, had been killed or captured, with only eight remaining at large. He said that they had been cut off from al-Qaeda's leadership in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite news |last=Shanker |first=Thom |title=Qaeda Leaders in Iraq Neutralized, US Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/05/world/middleeast/05military.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=4 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=US says 80% of al-Qaeda leaders in Iraq removed |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10243585.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=4 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Attacks in Iraq down, Al-Qaeda arrests up: US general |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iliKXlauRMdj1Uijz1Zv-WkJ7RUQ |via=Google News |date=4 June 2010 |agency=Agence France-Presse |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225073345/https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iliKXlauRMdj1Uijz1Zv-WkJ7RUQ |archivedate=25 February 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Al-Askari Mosque 2006.jpg|thumb|The [[Al-Askari Mosque]], one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam, after [[2006 al-Askari Mosque bombing|the first attack]] by Islamic State of Iraq in 2006]]
[[File:Iraq Sunni Protests 2013 7.png|thumb|[[2012–13 Iraqi protests]]: Iraqi Sunni demonstrators protesting against the Shia-led government. Some Sunnis took up arms and joined forces with ISIL to conduct a [[Anbar campaign (2013–14)|military campaign]] against the [[Nouri al-Maliki|Maliki]] government.]]
On 16 May 2010, [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]] was appointed the new leader of ISI.<ref name="ISI">{{cite news |last=Shadid |first=Anthony |url=http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/16/iraqi-insurgent-group-names-new-leaders/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 |title=Iraqi Insurgent Group Names New Leaders |work=The New York Times |date=16 May 2010 |accessdate=22 August 2014}}</ref><ref name="bbc31July14">{{cite web |title=Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: Islamic State's driving force |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28560449 |publisher=BBC World News |date=31 July 2014 |accessdate=19 August 2014}}</ref> Al-Baghdadi replenished the group's leadership by appointing former [[Iraqi Army#During the 1990s|Iraqi military]] and [[Iraqi Intelligence Service|Intelligence Service]] officers who had served during [[Saddam Hussein]]'s rule.<ref name="ind5Apr2015" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Sly |first=Liz |title=The hidden hand behind the Islamic State militants? Saddam Hussein's. |date=4 April 2015 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/the-hidden-hand-behind-the-islamic-state-militants-saddam-husseins/2015/04/04/aa97676c-cc32-11e4-8730-4f473416e759_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=21 April 2015}}</ref> These men, nearly all of whom had spent time imprisoned by the US military at [[Camp Bucca]], came to make up about one third of Baghdadi's top 25 commanders, including [[Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi]], [[Abu Ayman al-Iraqi]], and [[Abu Muslim al-Turkmani]]. One of them, a former colonel called [[Samir al-Khlifawi]], also known as Haji Bakr, became the overall military commander in charge of overseeing the group's operations.<ref name="nytimes27Aug14">{{cite news |title=Military Skill and Terrorist Technique Fuel Success of ISIS |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/28/world/middleeast/army-know-how-seen-as-factor-in-isis-successes.html |work=The New York Times |date=27 August 2014 |accessdate=28 August 2014 |first1=Ben |last1=Hubbard |first2=Eric |last2=Schmitt}}</ref><ref name="nytimes10Aug14">{{cite news |first1=Tim |last1=Arango |first2=Eric |last2=Schmidtt |title=U.S. Actions in Iraq Fueled Rise of a Rebel |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/11/world/middleeast/us-actions-in-iraq-fueled-rise-of-a-rebel.html |work=The New York Times |date=10 August 2014 |accessdate=28 August 2014}}</ref> Al-Khlifawi was instrumental in doing the ground work that led to the growth of ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |agency=Reuters |date=20 April 2015 |title=Former Saddam Hussein spy masterminded the rise of Isis, says report |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/20/former-saddam-spy-masterminded-the-rise-of-islamic-state-says-report |newspaper=The Guardian |location=United Kingdom |access-date=21 April 2015}}</ref><ref name=Reuter-4-18-2015 />
In July 2012, al-Baghdadi released an audio statement online announcing that the group was returning to former strongholds from which US troops and the [[Sons of Iraq]] had driven them in 2007 and 2008.<ref name="ap22July12">{{cite news |first=Maamoun |last=Youssef |title=Al-Qaida: We're returning to old Iraq strongholds |url=https://news.yahoo.com/al-qaida-were-returning-old-iraq-strongholds-131645698.html |via=Yahoo! News |agency=Associated Press |date=22 July 2012 |accessdate=22 August 2014}}</ref> He declared the start of a new offensive in Iraq called ''Breaking the Walls'', aimed at freeing members of the group held in Iraqi prisons.<ref name="ap22July12" />
Violence in Iraq had begun to escalate in June 2012, primarily with AQI's [[Car bomb|car bomb attacks]], and by July 2013, monthly fatalities exceeded 1,000 for the first time since April 2008.<ref name="iswSeptember13">{{cite report |first=Jessica D. |last=Lewis |title=Al Qaeda in Iraq Resurgent |url=http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/AQI-Resurgent-10Sept_0.pdf |publisher=Institute for the Study of War |date=September 2013 |accessdate=13 February 2015}}</ref>
==== Syrian Civil War ====
In March 2011, protests began in Syria against the Syrian government of [[Bashar al-Assad]]. In the following months, violence between demonstrators and security forces led to a gradual militarisation of the conflict.<ref name="bbc14March14">{{cite web |title=Syria: The story of the conflict |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26116868 |date=14 March 2014 |accessdate=22 August 2014 |publisher=BBC News |first=Rania |last=Abouzeid}}</ref> In August 2011, following the outbreak of the [[Syrian Civil War]], al-Baghdadi began sending Syrian and Iraqi ISI members experienced in [[guerilla warfare]] across the border into Syria to establish an organisation there. Under the name ''{{transl|ar|Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahli ash-Shām}}'' (or [[al-Nusra Front]]), it established a large presence in Sunni-majority [[Raqqa Governorate|Raqqa]], [[Idlib Governorate|Idlib]], [[Deir ez-Zor Governorate|Deir ez-Zor]], and [[Aleppo Governorate|Aleppo]] provinces. Led by a Syrian known as [[Abu Muhammad al-Julani]], this group began to recruit fighters and establish cells throughout the country.<ref name="politico23June14">{{cite web |title=The Jihad Next Door |url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/06/al-qaeda-iraq-syria-108214_full.html |date=23 June 2014 |accessdate=22 August 2014 |publisher=Politico |first=Rania |last=Abouzeid}}</ref><ref name="quilliam">{{cite report |first1=Noman |last1=Benotman |first2=Roisin |last2=Blake |title=Jabhat al-Nusra: A Strategic Briefing |url=http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/publications/free/jabhat-al-nusra-a-strategic-briefing.pdf |publisher=Quilliam Foundation |date=8 January 2013 |accessdate=22 August 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140722191931/http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/publications/free/jabhat-al-nusra-a-strategic-briefing.pdf |archivedate=22 July 2014}}</ref>
On 23 January 2012, the Syrian group called itself ''Jabhat al-Nusra li Ahl as-Sham'',<ref name="alarabiya">{{cite news |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/03/21/202177.html |title=Islamist group claims Syria bombs 'to avenge Sunnis' |date=21 March 2012 |publisher=[[Al Arabiya]] |accessdate=23 March 2012}}</ref> more commonly known as the [[al-Nusra Front]]. Al-Nusra grew rapidly into a capable fighting force, with popular support among Syrians opposed to the Assad government.<ref name="politico23June14" />
{{anchor|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (2013–2014)|as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}
===Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (2013–2014) ===
{{Main article|Timeline of ISIL-related events (2013)|Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)}}
On 8 April 2013, al-Baghdadi released an audio statement in which he announced that the al-Nusra Front had been established, financed, and supported by ISI,<ref name="globalpost">{{cite news |url=http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130409/qaeda-iraq-confirms-syrias-nusra-part-network |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513193707/http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130409/qaeda-iraq-confirms-syrias-nusra-part-network |dead-url=yes |archive-date=13 May 2013 |title=Qaeda in Iraq confirms Syria's Nusra is part of network |date=9 April 2013 |accessdate=9 April 2013 |agency=Agence France-Presse |publisher=GlobalPost}}</ref> and that the two groups were merging under the name [[Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham|Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham]] (ISIL, Al-Sham also translates as the Levant).<ref name="memri">{{cite web |url=http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/7119.htm |title=ISI Confirms That Jabhat Al-Nusra Is Its Extension in Syria, Declares 'Islamic State of Iraq And Al-Sham' As New Name of Merged Group |website=MEMRI |publisher=Middle East Media Research Institute |date=8 April 2013 |accessdate=10 April 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006085808/http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/7119.htm |archivedate=6 October 2014 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> However, [[Abu Mohammad al-Julani]] and [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]], the leaders of al-Nusra and al-Qaeda respectively, rejected the merger. Al-Julani issued a statement denying the merger, and complaining that neither he nor anyone else in al-Nusra's leadership had been consulted about it.<ref name="naharnet">{{cite news |url=http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/78961-al-nusra-commits-to-al-qaida-deny-iraq-branch-merger/ |title=Al-Nusra Commits to al-Qaida, Deny Iraq Branch 'Merger' |date=10 April 2013 |accessdate=18 May 2013 |publisher=Naharnet |agency=Agence France-Presse}}</ref> In June 2013, [[Al Jazeera]] reported that it had obtained a letter written by al-Qaeda's leader [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]], addressed to both leaders, in which he ruled against the merger, and appointed an emissary to oversee relations between them to put an end to tensions.<ref name="aljazeera090613">{{cite news |last=Atassi |first=Basma |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/06/2013699425657882.html |title=Qaeda chief annuls Syrian-Iraqi jihad merger |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=9 June 2013 |accessdate=10 June 2013}}</ref> That same month, al-Baghdadi released an audio message rejecting al-Zawahiri's ruling and declaring that the merger was going ahead.<ref name="aljazeera150613">{{cite news |first=Basma |last=Atassi |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/06/2013615172217827810.html |title=Iraqi al-Qaeda chief rejects Zawahiri orders |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=15 June 2013 |accessdate=15 June 2013}}</ref>
Meanwhile, the ISIL campaign to free its imprisoned members culminated in simultaneous raids on [[Taji]] and [[Abu Ghraib prison|Abu Ghraib]] prisons in July 2013, freeing more than 500 prisoners, many of them veterans of the [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–11)|Iraqi insurgency]].<ref name="iswSeptember13" /><ref name="reuters23July13">{{cite news |title=Al Qaeda says it freed 500 inmates in Iraq jail-break |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/23/us-iraq-violence-alqaeda-idUSBRE96M0C720130723 |agency=Reuters |date=23 July 2013 |accessdate=22 August 2014}}</ref> In October 2013, al-Zawahiri ordered the disbanding of ISIL, putting al-Nusra Front in charge of jihadist efforts in Syria,<ref>{{cite news |title=Zawahiri disbands main Qaeda faction in Syria |url=http://dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Nov-08/237219-zawahiri-disbands-main-qaeda-faction-in-syria-jazeera.ashx |accessdate=8 November 2013 |work=The Daily Star |location=Beirut, Lebanon |date=8 November 2013}}</ref> but al-Baghdadi rejected al-Zawahiri's order,<ref name="aljazeera150613" /> and his group continued to operate in Syria. In February 2014, after an eight-month power struggle, al-Qaeda publicly disavowed any relations with ISIL.<ref name="AlQaedaTiesEnd" />
According to journalist Sarah Birke, there are "significant differences" between al-Nusra Front and ISIL. While al-Nusra actively calls for the overthrow of the Assad government, ISIL "tends to be more focused on establishing its own rule on conquered territory". ISIL is "far more ruthless" in building an Islamic state, "carrying out sectarian attacks and imposing sharia law immediately". While al-Nusra has a "large contingent of foreign fighters", it is seen as a home-grown group by many Syrians; by contrast, ISIL fighters have been described as "foreign 'occupiers'" by many Syrian refugees.<ref name="birke3">{{cite magazine |last=Birke |first=Sarah |title=How al-Qaeda Changed the Syrian War |magazine=New York Review of Books |date=27 December 2013 |url=http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2013/dec/27/how-al-qaeda-changed-syrian-war/}}</ref> Foreign fighters in Syria include Russian-speaking jihadists who were part of [[Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar]] (JMA).<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://journal-neo.org/2014/01/18/rus-rost-mezhdunarodno-terroristicheskoj-ugrozy-s-territorii-sirii/ |title=Growth of International Terrorist Threat from Syria |first=Vladimir |last=Platov |journal=New Eastern Outlook |date=18 January 2014 |accessdate=11 June 2014}}</ref> In November 2013, [[Abu Omar al-Shishani]], leader of the [[Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar]] (JMA), swore an [[Bay'at|oath of allegiance]] to al-Baghdadi;<ref>{{cite news |first=Thomas |last=Joscelyn |title=Chechen-led group swears allegiance to head of Islamic State of Iraq and Sham |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/11/muhajireen_army_swea.php |date=27 November 2013 |accessdate=13 July 2014 |work=Long War Journal}}</ref> the group then split between those who followed al-Shishani in joining ISIL and those who continued to operate independently in the JMA under new leadership.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25151104 |title=Syria crisis: Omar Shishani, Chechen jihadist leader |publisher=BBC News |date=3 December 2013 |accessdate=8 December 2013}}</ref>
In January 2014, rebels affiliated with the [[Islamic Front (Syria)|Islamic Front]] and the US-trained [[Free Syrian Army]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/21/world/la-fg-wn-cia-syria-20130621 |title=U.S. training Syrian rebels; White House 'stepped up assistance' |work=Los Angeles Times |date=21 June 2013 |first1=David S. |last1=Cloud |first2=Raja |last2=Abdulrahim}}</ref> launched an offensive against ISIL militants in and around the city of [[Aleppo]], following months of tensions over ISIL's behavior, which included the seizure of property and weapons from rebel groups, and the arrests and killings of activists.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/04/world/middleeast/qaeda-insurgents-in-syria.html |title=Qaeda-Linked Insurgents Clash With Other Rebels in Syria, as Schism Grows |work=The New York Times |date=4 January 2014 |accessdate=16 January 2014 |first1=Hwaida |last1=Saad |first2=Rick |last2=Gladstone}}</ref><ref name="Casey">{{cite news |last1=Casey-Baker |first1=Mary |first2=Joshua |last2=Haber |title=Rebel factions continue fight against ISIL in Northern Syria |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/01/07/rebel-factions-continue-fight-against-isil-in-northern-syria/ |date=7 January 2014 |work=Foreign Policy |accessdate=7 January 2014}}</ref> Months of clashes ensued, causing thousands of casualties, with ISIL withdrawing its forces from Idlib and Latakia provinces and redeploying them to reinforce its strongholds in Raqqa and Aleppo.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldbulletin.net/news/131070/isil-fighters-pull-out-of-key-syrian-turkmen-town |title=ISIL fighters pull out of key Syrian Turkmen town |work=World Bulletin |accessdate=22 October 2014}}</ref> It also [[Deir ez-Zor offensive (April–July 2014)|launched an offensive]] against all other opposition forces active in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor, on the border with Iraq.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Apr-10/252903-syria-qaeda-loses-ground-to-jihadist-rivals-on-iraq-border.ashx |title=Syria Qaeda loses ground to jihadist rivals on Iraq border |work=The Daily Star Newspaper – Lebanon |accessdate=25 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2014/04/isis_reportedly_killed_al_nusr.php |title=ISIS reportedly kills Al Nusrah Front’s commander for Idlib province |work=The Long War Journal}}</ref> By June 2014, ISIL had largely defeated its rivals in the province, with many who had not been killed or driven away pledging allegiance to it.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Al-Qaida-offshoot-in-fierce-offensive-carves-out-territory-across-Syria-and-Iraq-355874 |title=Al-Qaida offshoot in fierce offensive, carves out territory across Syria and Iraq |publisher=Reuters |date=10 June 2014 |accessdate=10 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="ANF">{{cite news |title=Al Nusra pledges allegiance to Isil |url=http://gulfnews.com/news/region/iraq/al-nusra-pledges-allegiance-to-isil-1.1352029 |date=25 June 2014 |work=Gulf News |agency=Agence France-Presse |accessdate=29 June 2014}}</ref>
In Iraq, ISIL was able to [[Fall of Fallujah (2014)|capture most of Fallujah]] in January 2014,<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/01/iraq-government-loses-control-fallujah-20141414625597514.html |title=Iraq government loses control of Fallujah |last= |first= |date=January 4, 2014 |work=Al-Jazeera |accessdate=11 December 2014}}</ref> and in June 2014 was able to [[Fall of Mosul|seize control of Mosul]].<ref name=NYTmosul/>
After an eight-month power struggle, al-Qaeda cut all ties with ISIL by February 2014, citing its failure to consult and "notorious intransigence".<ref name="al-Qaeda severs link with ISIL" /><ref name="AlQaedaTiesEnd">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/al-qaeda-disavows-any-ties-with-radical-islamist-isis-group-in-syria-iraq/2014/02/03/2c9afc3a-8cef-11e3-98ab-fe5228217bd1_story.html |title=Al-Qaeda disavows any ties with radical Islamist ISIS group in Syria, Iraq |work=The Washington Post |first=Liz |last=Sly |date=3 February 2014 |accessdate=7 February 2014}}</ref>
In early 2014, ISIL drove [[Government of Iraq|Iraqi government forces]] out of key cities in its [[Anbar campaign (2013–14)|Anbar campaign]],<ref name=CNNanbar /> which was followed by the [[Fall of Mosul|capture of Mosul]]<ref name=NYTmosul /> and the [[Sinjar massacre]].<ref name=CapturedSinjar /> The loss of control almost caused a collapse of the Iraqi government and prompted a renewal of [[American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)|US military action in Iraq]]. In Syria, ISIL has conducted ground attacks on both the [[Syrian Arab Army]] and [[Syrian opposition|rebel factions]].
{{anchor|As ''Islamic State'' (June 2014–present)}}
=== Islamic State (2014–present) ===
{{Main article|Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)|Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)|Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)|Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)}}
{{See also|ISIL beheading incidents|American-led intervention in Syria|American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)|Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War|Iranian intervention in Iraq (2014–present)|Military intervention against ISIL|Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014)|Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War}}
On 29 June 2014, ISIL proclaimed itself to be a [[worldwide caliphate]].<ref name=worldwide1>{{cite news |last1=Lawrence |first1=Jessica |title=Iraq crisis: Could an ISIS caliphate ever govern the entire Muslim world? |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-02/could-an-isis-caliphate-ever-govern-the-muslim-world/5559806 |publisher=ABC News (Australia) |accessdate=22 November 2014}}</ref> Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi – known by his supporters as [[Amir al-Mu'minin]], Caliph Ibrahim – was named its [[caliph]], and the group renamed itself ''ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah'' ({{transl|en|"Islamic State" (IS)}}).<ref name="newname" /> As a "Caliphate", it claims religious, political and military authority over all Muslims worldwide.<ref name=caliphate /> The concept of it being a caliphate and the name "Islamic State" have been rejected by governments and Muslim leaders worldwide.<ref name="Moore" /><ref name="ReferenceA" /><ref name="Goodenough">{{cite news |last=Goodenough |first=Patrick |url=http://cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/self-appointed-caliph-makes-first-public-appearance |title=Self-Appointed 'Caliph' Makes First Public Appearance |work=CNS News |date=6 July 2014 |accessdate=26 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="un.org" /><ref name="ottawacitizen.com" /><ref name="ReferenceB" /><ref name="potus-statement" />
In June and July 2014, Jordan and Saudi Arabia moved troops to their borders with Iraq, after the Iraqi government lost control of (or withdrew from) strategic crossing points that then came under the control of either ISIL or tribes that supported it.<ref name="NYT Jordan border">{{cite news |last1=Arango |first1=Tim |last2=Gordon |first2=Michael R. |date=23 June 2014 |title=Iraqi Insurgents Secure Control of Border Posts |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/24/world/middleeast/sunni-militants-seize-crossing-on-iraq-jordan-border.html |work=The New York Times |accessdate=6 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="DTel">{{cite news |last=Spencer |first=Richard |date=3 July 2014 |title=Saudi Arabia sends 30,000 troops to Iraq border |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/saudiarabia/10942680/Saudi-Arabia-sends-30000-troops-to-Iraq-border.html |work=The Telegraph |accessdate=6 July 2014 |location=London}}</ref> There was speculation that Iraqi Prime Minister [[Nouri al-Maliki]] had ordered a withdrawal of troops from the Iraq–Saudi crossings in order "to increase pressure on Saudi Arabia and bring the threat of ISIS over-running its borders as well".<ref name="FT Saudi troops">{{cite news |last1=Solomon |first1=Erika |last2=Kerr |first2=Simeon |date=3 July 2014 |title=Saudi Arabia sends 30,000 troops to Iraq border |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3312faba-0286-11e4-aa85-00144feab7de.html |work=Financial Times |accessdate=6 July 2014 |subscription=yes}}</ref>
In July 2014, ISIL recruited more than 6,300 fighters, according to the [[Syrian Observatory for Human Rights]], some of whom were thought to have previously fought for the [[Free Syrian Army]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Aug-30/269031-syrians-adjust-to-life-under-isis-rule.ashx |title=Syrians adjust to life under ISIS rule |work=The Daily Star |location=Beirut, Lebanon |date=29 August 2014 |accessdate=29 August 2014}}</ref> On 23 July 2014, [[Abu Sayyaf]] leader [[Isnilon Totoni Hapilon]] and some masked men swore loyalty to al-Baghdadi in a video, giving ISIL a presence in the Philippines.<ref name="ISIL gains supporters">{{cite news |last=Zavadski |first=Katie |title=ISIS Now Has a Network of Military Affiliates in 11 Countries Around the World |url=http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/11/isis-now-has-military-allies-in-11-countries.html |accessdate=25 November 2014 |work=New York |date=23 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="sayyaf-swears-loyalty">{{cite news |first=Maria A. |last=Ressa |title=Senior Abu Sayyaf leader swears oath to ISIS |work=Rappler |location=Pasig City, Philippines |date=4 August 2014 |url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/65199-abu-sayyaf-leader-oath-isis}}</ref> In September 2014, the group began kidnapping people for ransom.<ref name="Abu Sayyaf kidnaps 2 Germans in the name of ISIL">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/24/islamists-philippines-threaten-kill-german-hostages-isis |title=Islamists in Philippines threaten to kill German hostages |first=Philip |last=Oltermann |work=The Guardian |date=24 September 2014}}</ref>
==== Capture of territory ====
[[File:USAID Mt Sinjar.jpg|thumb|Yazidi refugees and American aid workers on Mount Sinjar in August 2014]]
On 3 August 2014, ISIL captured the cities of [[Zumar]], [[Sinjar]], and [[Wana, Iraq|Wana]] in northern Iraq.<ref name=CapturedSinjar /> Thousands of [[Yazidis]] fled up [[Sinjar Mountains|Mount Sinjar]], fearful of the approaching hostile ISIL militants. The stranded Yazidis' need for food and water, the threat of [[genocide]] to them and to others announced by ISIL, along with the desire to protect US citizens in Iraq and support the Iraqi government in its fight against ISIL, were all reasons given for the [[2014 American intervention in Iraq]], which began on 7 August.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/08/07/statement-president |title=Statement by the President |publisher=The White House |date=7 August 2014 |accessdate=18 August 2014}}</ref> A US aerial bombing campaign began the following day.
At the end of October 2014, 800 militants gained partial control of the Libyan city of [[Derna, Libya|Derna]] and pledged their allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, thus making Derna the first city outside Syria and Iraq to be a part of the "Islamic State Caliphate".<ref name="Derna">{{cite news |first=Maggie |last=Michael |date=9 November 2014 |title=Libyan city declares itself part of Islamic State caliphate |publisher=CP24 |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.cp24.com/world/libyan-city-declares-itself-part-of-islamic-state-caliphate-1.2093900}}</ref> On 10 November 2014, a major faction of the Egyptian militant group [[Ansar Bait al-Maqdis]] also pledged its allegiance to ISIL.<ref name="news.yahoo.com">{{cite news |first1=Ammar |last1=Karim |first2=Samer |last2=al-Atrush |title=Egypt jihadists vow loyalty to IS as Iraq probes leader's fate |date=10 November 2014 |via=Yahoo! News |agency=Agence France-Presse |url=https://news.yahoo.com/egypts-main-jihadist-group-pledges-allegiance-islamic-state-060836737.html}}</ref> In mid-January 2015, a Yemeni official said that ISIL had "dozens" of members in Yemen, and that they were coming into direct competition with [[al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula]] because of their recruitment drive.<ref name="ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al Qaeda">{{cite news |first=Brian |last=Todd |title=ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al Qaeda |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/21/politics/isis-gaining-ground-in-yemen/ |publisher=CNN |date=22 January 2015}}</ref> The same month, Afghan officials confirmed that ISIL had a military presence in Afghanistan.<ref name="ISIL confirmed to have presence in Afghanistan">{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2015/01/afghan-officials-confirm-isil-presence-201511815245847478.html |title=Officials confirm ISIL present in Afghanistan |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=18 January 2015}}</ref> However, by February 2015, 65 of the militants were either captured or killed by the [[Taliban]], and ISIL's top Afghan recruiter, [[Abdul Rauf Aliza|Mullah Abdul Rauf]], was killed in a [[US drone strike]].<ref>{{cite news |first1=David |last1=Sterman |first2=Neeli |last2=Shah |title=ISIS Reportedly Kills Afghan Taliban Commander; Modi to Visit China; Pakistan Tests Cruise Missile |work=Foreign Policy |date=6 February 2015 |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/02/02/isis-reportedly-kills-afghan-taliban-commander-modi-to-visit-china-pakistan-tests-cruise-missile/}}</ref><ref name="cbsnews-southafghan">{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-active-in-south-afghanistan-officials-confirm-for-first-time/ |title=ISIS active in south Afghanistan, officials confirm for first time |date=12 January 2015 |accessdate=6 February 2015 |publisher=CBS News}}</ref><ref name=BBC31290147>{{cite news |title=Afghanistan drone strike 'kills IS commander Abdul Rauf' |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-31290147 |publisher=BBC News |date=9 February 2015 |accessdate=24 February 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Coalition Airstrike on ISIL position in Kobane.jpg|thumb|right|Coalition airstrike on ISIL position in [[Kobani]], October 2014]]
In early February 2015, ISIL militants in Libya managed to capture part of the countryside to the west of [[Sabha, Libya|Sabha]], and later, an area encompassing the cities of [[Sirte]], [[Fall of Nofaliya (2015)|Nofolia]], and a military base to the south of both cities. By March, ISIL had captured additional territory, including a city to the west of Derna, additional areas near Sirte, a stretch of land in southern Libya, some areas around [[Benghazi]], and an area to the east of [[Tripoli]].
On 7 March 2015, [[Boko Haram]] swore formal allegiance to ISIL, giving ISIL an official presence in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.<ref name="cnn-boko-haram-isis">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/07/africa/nigeria-boko-haram-isis/ |title=Boko Haram purportedly pledges allegiance to ISIS |first1=Nima |last1=Elbagir |first2=Paul |last2=Cruickshank |first3=Mohammed |last3=Tawfeeq |date=7 March 2015 |publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref name="Boko Haram joins ISIL">{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/03/08/boko-haram-swears-formal-allegiance-to-isis/ |title=Boko Haram swears formal allegiance to ISIS |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=8 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="sunnewsonline.com">{{cite news |url=http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=85939 |title=Jonathan tasks Defence, Foreign Ministers of Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger, Benin on Boko Haram's defeat |publisher=sunnewsonline.com |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119024527/http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=85939 |archivedate=19 January 2015}}</ref> On 13 March 2015, a group of militants from the [[Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan]] swore allegiance to ISIL;<ref name="IMU joins ISIL">{{cite news |first=Mirwais |last=Adeel |url=http://www.khaama.com/uzbek-militants-in-afghanistan-pledge-allegiance-to-isis-in-beheading-video-9962 |title=Uzbek militants in Afghanistan pledge allegiance to ISIS in beheading video |work=Khaama Press |location=Kabul, Afghanistan}}</ref> the group released another video on 31 July 2015 showing its spiritual leader also pledging allegiance.<ref>{{cite web |first=Edward |last=Lemon |url=http://www.eurasianet.org/node/74471 |title=IMU Pledges Allegiance to Islamic State |work=EurasiaNet |publisher=The Open Society Institute |date=1 August 2015}}</ref> In June 2015, the US Deputy Secretary of State announced that ISIL had lost more than 10,000 members in [[airstrike]]s over the preceding nine months.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sg.news.yahoo.com/more-10-000-jihadists-killed-since-coalition-raids-141800399.html |title=More than 10,000 jihadists killed since coalition raids: US |date=3 June 2015 |work=Yahoo News Singapore |accessdate=8 June 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624114921/https://sg.news.yahoo.com/more-10-000-jihadists-killed-since-coalition-raids-141800399.html |archivedate=24 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Laura |last1=Smith-Spark |first2=Noisette |last2=Martel |title=U.S. official: 10,000 ISIS fighters killed in 9 months |publisher=CNN |date=3 June 2015 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/03/middleeast/isis-conflict/}}</ref>
=== Terrorist attacks outside Iraq and Syria ===
In 2015, 2016 and 2017, ISIL claimed responsibility for a number of high-profile [[List of terrorist incidents, July–December 2015|terrorist attacks]] outside Iraq and Syria, including a mass shooting at [[2015 Sousse attacks|a Tunisian tourist resort]] (38 European tourists killed),<ref>{{cite news |first=Tarek |last=Amara |title=Gunman kills 39 at Tunisian beachside hotel, Islamic State claims attack |agency=Reuters |date=26 June 2015 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/26/us-tunisia-security-idUSKBN0P61F020150626}}</ref> the [[2015 Suruç bombing|Suruç bombing]] in Turkey (33 leftist and pro-Kurdish activists killed), the [[Bardo National Museum attack|Tunisian National Museum attack]] (24 foreign tourists and Tunisians killed), the [[2015 Sana'a mosque bombings|Sana'a mosque bombings]] (142 Shia civilians killed), the crash of [[Metrojet Flight 9268]] (224 killed, mostly Russian tourists), the [[2015 Ankara bombings|bombings in Ankara]] (102 pro-Kurdish and leftist activists killed), the [[2015 Beirut bombings|bombings in Beirut]] (43 Shia civilians killed), the [[November 2015 Paris attacks]] (130 civilians killed), the killing of [[Jaafar Mohammed Saad]], the governor of [[Aden]], the [[January 2016 Istanbul bombing]] (11 foreign tourists killed), the [[2016 Brussels bombings]] (32 civilians killed), the [[2016 Nice attack]] (86 civilians killed), the [[July 2016 Kabul bombing]] (at least 80 civilians killed, mostly Shia [[Hazaras]]), the [[2016 Berlin attack]] (12 civilians killed), the [[2017 Istanbul nightclub shooting]] (39 foreigners and Turks killed), the [[2017 Saint Petersburg Metro bombing]] (15 civilians killed), the [[2017 Manchester Arena bombing]] (22 civilians killed) and the [[2017 Tehran attacks]] (18 civilians killed).<ref>{{cite news |first=Hannah |last=Al-Othman |url=http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/paris-attacks-french-president-francois-hollande-says-shootings-were-an-act-of-war-by-islamic-state-a3114476.html |title=Paris attacks: Islamic State claims responsibility as French President Francois Hollande promises "merciless" revenge |newspaper=London Evening Standard |date=14 November 2015 |accessdate=14 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Yemen conflict: Governor of Aden killed in Islamic State attack |publisher=BBC News |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35019302 |date=6 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Islamic State claims attacks at Brussels airport and metro station |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/22/brussels-airport-explosions-heard |date=22 March 2016}}</ref> The Saudi Arabian government reports that in one relatively short period—the first 8 months of 2016—there were 25 attacks in the kingdom by ISIL.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-islam.html |title=Saudis and Extremism: ‘Both the Arsonists and the Firefighters’ |last=Shane |first=Scott |date=2016-08-25 |work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-06-22 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
==== Mass killings ====
On 30 August 2016, a survey conducted by the [[Associated Press]] found that around 72 mass graves have been discovered in areas that have been liberated from ISIL control. In total, these mass graves contain the bodies of approximately 15,000 people killed by ISIL. The report stated that the mass graves were evidence of genocides conducted by ISIL in the region, including the [[genocide of Yazidis by ISIL|genocide of Yazidis]]. Seventeen graves were discovered in Syria, with the rest being found in Iraq. At least 16 of the graves in Iraq contained remains that were not counted, as they are located in dangerous conflict zones. Instead, the number of dead in these graves has been estimated.<ref>{{cite news |title=Forces in Iraq and Syria discovers 72 mass graves in areas freed from ISIS |publisher=Iraqi News |date=30 August 2016 |url=http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/forces-in-iraq-and-syria-discovers-72-mass-graves-areas-freed-from-isis/}}</ref>
{{anchor|Timeline}}
=== Timeline of events ===
{{Main article|Timeline of ISIL related events}}
{{See also|Islamic State of Iraq#Timeline|Syrian Civil War#Course of events|Terrorist incidents in Iraq in 2014|Terrorist incidents in Iraq in 2015}}
: ''[[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2013)|2013 events]].''
: ''Index [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)|2014 events]]: [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Jan14|January]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Feb14|February]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Mar14|March]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Apr14|April]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#May14|May]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Jun14|June]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Jul14|July]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Aug14|August]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Sep14|September]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Oct14|October]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Nov14|November]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Dec14|December]].''
: ''Index [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)|2015 events]]: [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Jan15|January]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Feb15|February]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Mar15|March]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Apr15|April]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#May15|May]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Jun15|June]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Jul15|July]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Aug15|August]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Sep15|September]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Oct15|October]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Nov15|November]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Dec15|December]].''
: ''Index [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)|2016 events]]: [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Jan16|January]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Feb16|February]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Mar16|March]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Apr16|April]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#May16|May]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Jun16|June]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Jul16|July]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Aug16|August]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Sep16|September]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Oct16|October]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Nov16|November]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Dec16|December]].''
: ''Index [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)|2017 events]]: [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#Jan17|January]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#Feb17|February]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#Mar17|March]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#April 2017|April]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#May 2017|May]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#June 2017|June]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#July 2017|July]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#August 2017|August]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#September 2017|September]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#October 2017|October]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#November 2017|November]]
== Territorial control and claims ==
{{anchor|territorialclaim}}
{{Main article|ISIL territorial claims}}
[[File:Territorial control of the ISIS.svg|thumb|{{leftlegend|#c12838|Areas controlled as of early September 2017|outline=black}} {{leftlegend|#fefee9|Remaining territory in countries with ISIL presence|outline=black}}]]
As a self-proclaimed worldwide [[caliphate]], ISIL claims religious, political and military authority over all Muslims worldwide,<ref name=caliphate /> and that "the legality of all emirates, groups, states, and organisations, becomes null by the expansion of the khilāfah's [caliphate's] authority and arrival of its troops to their areas".<ref name=Johnson14>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=M. Alex |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/deviant-pathological-what-do-isis-extremists-really-want-n194136 |title='Deviant and Pathological': What Do ISIS Extremists Really Want? |date=3 September 2014 |publisher=NBC News |accessdate=5 September 2014}}</ref> Outside Iraq and Syria, it [[List of active rebel groups#Groups which control territory|controls territory]] only in Sinai, Afghanistan, and Libya.<ref name="reuters-turfwar" />
=== Iraq and Syria ===
[[File:Destroyed neighborhood in Raqqa.png|thumb|Much of [[Raqqa]] has suffered extensive damage during the [[Battle of Raqqa (2017)|battle of Raqqa]] in June–October 2017]]
Since December 2013, ongoing clashes have occurred throughout western [[Iraq]] between tribal militias, Iraqi security forces, and ISIL. In early January 2014, ISIL militants successfully captured the cities of [[Fallujah]] and [[Hīt]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Iraq's Fallujah falls to 'Qaeda-linked' militants |url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Jan-04/243100-fallujah-outside-iraq-government-control-security-official.ashx#axzz2oNa3sbT8 |accessdate=10 June 2014 |work=Daily Star |date=4 January 2014}}</ref> bringing much of [[Anbar Province]] under their control. In June 2014 ISIL took over the Iraqi city of [[Mosul]]. By December 2015, the Islamic State covered a vast landlocked territory in western Iraq and eastern Syria, with a population estimate of 2.8 to 8 million people.<ref name="politico2015">{{cite web |title=Why ISIL Will Fail on Its Own |url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/11/why-isil-will-fail-on-its-own-213401 |work=Politico |date=29 November 2015 |accessdate=29 November 2015}}</ref><ref name="nyb isis rules">{{cite web |title=How ISIS Rules |url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2015/02/05/how-isis-rules/ |website=The New York Review of Books |accessdate=9 December 2015}}</ref>
In Iraq and Syria, ISIL uses many of those countries' existing [[Administrative divisions of Iraq|governorate boundaries]] to subdivide its claimed territory; it calls these divisions [[wilayah]] or provinces.<ref name="mesr22">{{cite web |url=http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/ISIS_Governance.pdf |title=ISIS Governance in Syria |date=July 2014 |first=Charles C. |last=Caris |first2=Samuel |last2=Reynolds |publisher=Institute for the Study of War}}</ref> By June 2015, it had established official "provinces" in Libya, Egypt (Sinai Peninsula), Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Algeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and the North Caucasus.<ref name=turf /> Since then, ISIL has continued to receive pledges of allegiance and publish media releases from groups in countries like Somalia,<ref>{{cite news |title=Islamic State in Somalia claims capture of port town |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/10/islamic-state-in-somalia-claims-capture-of-port-town.php |accessdate=10 February 2016 |work=The Long War Journal |date=26 October 2016}}</ref> Bangladesh<ref>{{cite news |title=How Bangladesh Became Fertile Ground for al-Qa`ida and the Islamic State |url=https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/how-bangladesh-became-fertile-ground-for-al-qaida-and-the-islamic-state |accessdate=10 February 2016 |work=CTC Sentinel |date=25 May 2016}}</ref> and the Philippines,<ref>{{cite news |title=The Islamic State grows in the Philippines |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/06/islamic-state-officially-creates-province-in-the-philippines.php |accessdate=10 February 2016 |work=The Long War Journal |date=24 June 2016}}</ref> but it has not announced any further official branches, instead identifying new affiliates as simply ''"soldiers of the caliphate"''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://warontherocks.com/2016/07/has-the-islamic-state-abandoned-its-provincial-model-in-the-philippines/ |title=Has the Islamic State Abandoned Its Provincial Model in the Philippines? |date=22 July 2016 |accessdate=10 February 2017}}</ref>
On July 10, 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi formally declared a local Iraqi victory over ISIL in the recent Iraqi army expulsion of ISIL from the city of [[Battle of Mosul (2016–17)|Mosul]].<ref name=":6"/> Since the fall of ISIL in Mosul, the overall extent of ISIL held territory in both Syria and Iraq has significantly diminished.<ref name="territorial-losses"/>
=== Libyan Provinces ===
{{Main article|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Libya}}
ISIL organises its Libyan branch using the country's three historical regions, [[Cyrenaica]] in the east, [[Fezzan]] in the desert south, and [[Tripolitania]] in the west.<ref name=nytimes14feb15>{{cite news |title=Islamic State Sprouting Limbs Beyond Its Base |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/world/middleeast/islamic-state-sprouting-limbs-beyond-mideast.html |work=The New York Times |date=14 February 2015 |accessdate=23 February 2015 |first1=Eric |last1=Schmitt |first2=David D. |last2=Kirkpatrick}}</ref> They have been the most active and successful of all ISIL branches outside Iraq and Syria. It has been active particularly around [[Derna, Libya|Derna]], and [[Gaddafi]]'s hometown [[Sirte]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/21/us-libya-security-insight-idUSKBN0O610M20150521 |title=Gaddafi's home town falls to Islamic State in anarchic Libya |first=Ulf |last=Laessing |date=21 May 2015 |publisher=Reuters |accessdate=17 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/in-libyas-civil-war-the-islamic-state-shows-itself-as-the-main-threat/2015/06/06/65766592-0879-11e5-951e-8e15090d64ae_story.html |title=Libyan gains may offer ISIS a base for new attacks |first=Hassan |last=Morajea |date=6 June 2015 |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=10 June 2015}}</ref> The group grew quickly following the allegiance of militant groups like the [[Shura Council of Islamic Youth]].<ref name="spiegel.de">{{cite news |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/islamic-state-expanding-into-north-africa-a-1003525.html |title=Islamic State Expanding into North Africa |location=Hamburg, Germany |date=18 November 2014 |work=Der Spiegel |accessdate=25 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="ISIS comes to Libya">{{cite news |title=ISIS comes to Libya |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/18/world/isis-libya/index.html |accessdate=20 November 2014 |publisher=CNN |date=18 November 2014}}</ref>
ISIL temporarily [[Derna campaign (2014–15)|controlled part of Derna]] before being driven out in mid-2015 by a rival militant Islamist group, with support from the [[Libyan Air Force]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36104728 |title=Islamic State 'forced out' of key Libyan city of Derna |publisher=BBC |date=21 April 2016}}</ref><ref name="victory">{{cite news |first=Mohamed |last=Eljarh |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/06/24/a-victory-over-the-islamic-state-in-libya/ |title=A Victory Over the Islamic State in Libya |work=Foreign Policy |date=24 June 2015 |accessdate=4 July 2015}}</ref> Libya’s [[Government of National Accord|Interim Government]] launched a [[Sirte Offensive (2016)|major offensive]] against ISIL territory around Sirte in May 2016,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-idUSKCN0YL1V0 |title=Libyan security forces pushing Islamic State back from vicinity of oil terminals |website=www.reuters.com|access-date=31 May 2016 |date=31 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-idUSKCN0YQ0TA |title=Libyan brigades capture air base from Islamic State south of Sirte: spokesman |date=4 June 2016 |publisher= |accessdate=24 June 2016 |via=Reuters}}</ref> capturing the city by December 2016.<ref name="Lastholdout">{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN13V15R |title=Libyan forces clear last Islamic State hold-out in Sirte |publisher=Reuters |accessdate=6 December 2016}}</ref> The [[Libyan National Army]], led by Commander General [[Khalifa Haftar]], has also clashed with ISIL, making advances against the group in [[Benghazi]] and [[Ajdabiya]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-benghazi-idUSKCN0VU0UM |first=Ayman |last=al-Warfalli |title=Army claims advances in Libyan cities of Benghazi and Ajdabiya |date=21 February 2016 |publisher=Reuters |location=Benghazi, Libya}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/libya-isis-ajdabiya-benghazi-1.3457822 |title=Libyan National Army claims ISIS pushed out of Ajdabiya, parts of Benghazi |date=21 February 2016 |publisher=CBC News |agency=Thomson Reuters}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Ayman |last=al-Warfalli |title=Libya army claims advances in Benghazi |publisher=Al Arabiya English |date=21 February 2016 |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/02/21/Army-claims-advances-in-Libyan-cities-of-Benghazi-and-Ajdabiya.html}}</ref>
Since the [[Battle of Sirte (2016)|Battle of Sirte]] (12 May – 6 December 2016) ISIL lost most of its territories in Libya to the forces of the [[Government of National Accord]] (GNA), backed by the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.albawaba.com/news/libyan-forces-announce-“liberation’-sirte-daesh-916192 |title=Libyan forces announce "liberation’ of Sirte from Daesh |publisher=Al Bawaba |accessdate=18 December 2016}}</ref> And as of 11 November 2017 the last pockets of the ISIL-affiliated [[Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries]] were captured by the [[Libyan National Army|LNA]] after three years of [[Battle of Benghazi (2014–present)|fighting]]. <ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.libyaherald.com/2017/11/11/lna-finally-takes-benghazis-sidi-akribesh-after-4-month-siege-report/|title=LNA finally takes Benghazi’s Sidi Akribesh after 4-month siege: report|work=Libyan herald}}</ref>.
=== Sinai Province ===
{{Main article|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Sinai Province}}
On 10 November 2014, many members of the group [[Ansar Bait al-Maqdis]] took an oath of allegiance to al-Baghdadi.<ref name="news.yahoo.com" /> Following this, the group assumed the designation [[Sinai Province (Militant Group)|Sinai Province]] (''Wilayat Sinai'').<ref name="spiegel.de" /><ref name="reuters.com">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/10/us-egypt-ansar-islamicstate-idUSKCN0IU0DD20141110?irpc=932 |title=Egyptian militant group pledges loyalty to Islamic State in audio clip |agency=Reuters |date=10 November 2014 |accessdate=11 November 2014}}</ref><ref name=lwj14nov>{{cite news |first=Thomas |last=Joscelyn |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/11/sinai_jihadists_rebr.php |title=Sinai-based jihadist group rebranded as Islamic State's official arm |work=Long War Journal |date=14 November 2014 |accessdate=15 November 2014}}</ref><ref name=winep14nov>{{cite news |first=Aaron Y. |last=Zelin |url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/the-islamic-states-archipelago-of-provinces |title=The Islamic State's Archipelago of Provinces |work=Washington Institute for Near East Policy |date=14 November 2014 |accessdate=15 November 2014}}</ref> They are estimated to have 1,000–2,000 fighters.<ref name="ISIL gains supporters" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/Templates/Articles/tmpArticleNews.aspx?ArtID=69939 |title=Interior Ministry analyzes Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis statement over assassination attempt |publisher=State Information Services |location=Cairo, Egypt |date=10 September 2013 |accessdate=26 December 2013}}</ref> A faction of the Sinai group also operates in the [[Gaza Strip]], calling itself the ''Islamic State in Gaza''.<ref name=middleeasteye-2014-10-08>{{cite news |title=IS claims responsibility for Gaza's French Cultural Centre blast, reports |url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/claims-responsibility-gaza-s-french-cultural-centre-blast-1790519098 |accessdate=9 October 2014 |work=Middle East Eye |date=8 October 2014}}</ref> It claimed responsibility for the downing of Russian [[Metrojet Flight 9268]], which killed all 224 people on board, although Egyptian officials disputed the claim.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35091734 |title=Egypt Sinai crash probe finds 'no evidence of terrorism' |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=17 December 2015}}</ref>
=== Algerian Province ===
{{Main article|Jund al-Khilafah}}
Members of [[Jund al-Khilafah]] swore allegiance to ISIL in September 2014.<ref name="npr.org">{{cite web |last=Fadel |first=Leila |url=http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/11/18/364942091/with-cash-and-cachet-the-islamic-state-expands-its-empire |title=With Cash And Cachet, The Islamic State Expands Its Empire |date=18 November 2014 |publisher=NPR}}</ref> ISIL in Algeria gained notoriety when it beheaded French tourist Herve Gourdel in September 2014. Since then, the group has largely been silent, with reports that its leader Khalid Abu-Sulayman was killed by Algerian forces in December 2014.<ref name=turf>{{cite news |title=Islamic State moves in on al-Qaeda turf |publisher=BBC News |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-31064300 |date=25 June 2015 |accessdate=7 July 2015}}</ref>
=== Khorasan Province ===
{{Main article|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province}}
On 26 January 2015, [[Khorasan Province (Militant Group)|Khorasan Province]] (Wilayat Khorasan) was established, with [[Hafiz Saeed Khan]] named as [[Wāli]] (Governor) and [[Abdul Rauf Aliza|Abdul Rauf]] as his deputy after both swore an oath of allegiance to al-Baghdadi. The name Khorasan refers to a historical region that includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, and "other nearby lands".<ref name=Khorasan>{{cite news |first=Rezaul H. |last=Laskar |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/is-announces-expansion-into-afpak-parts-of-india/article1-1311533.aspx |title=IS announces expansion into AfPak, parts of India |work=Hindustan Times |date=29 January 2015 |accessdate=22 February 2015}}</ref><ref name=BBC31290147 /><ref name=Khorasan2>{{cite magazine |first=Animesh |last=Roul |url=http://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=43744&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=7&cHash=a10cd1f7a96b29d5b0d0bd12f571ebd0 |title=‘Wilayat Khurasan’: Islamic State Consolidates Position in AfPak Region |work=Terrorism Monitor |volume=13 |issue=7 |accessdate=13 April 2015 |publisher=Jamestown Foundation |date=3 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Roggio |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/02/pakistani_taliban_em.php |title=Pakistani Taliban emir for Bajaur joins Islamic State |work=Long War Journal |date=2 February 2015}}</ref>
On 9 February 2015, Mullah Abdul Rauf was killed by a NATO airstrike,<ref name=BBC31290147 /> and his replacement, Hafiz Wahidi, was killed by the Afghan Armed Forces on 18 March 2015.<ref name="ISIL Afghan replacement deputy killed">{{cite news |url=http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/afghan-army-kills-commander-of-isil-affiliate/ |title=Afghan Army Kills Commander of ISIL Affiliate |work=Al-Masdar News |date=18 March 2015}}</ref> Hafiz Saeed Khan, the Emir of ISIL's Khorasan Province, was reportedly killed in a US drone strike in eastern Afghanistan on 25 July 2016.<ref>{{cite news |title=IS leader in Afghanistan killed, US believes |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37063654 |work=BBC News |date=12 August 2016}}</ref>
=== Yemen Provinces ===
{{Main article|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Yemen Province}}
[[File:Yemeni Civil War.svg|thumb|Current military situation in Yemen:<br />
{{legend|#b4b2ae|Under the control of ISIL}}]]
On 13 November 2014, unidentified militants in Yemen pledged allegiance to ISIL.<ref name="npr.org" /> By December of that year, ISIL had built an active presence inside Yemen, with its recruitment drive bringing it into direct competition with [[al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula]] (AQAP).<ref name="ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al Qaeda" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/08/13/Yemeni-Al-Qaeda-leader-hails-ISIS-gains-in-Iraq.html |title=Yemeni Al-Qaeda leader hails ISIS gains in Iraq |publisher=Al Arabiya English |date=13 August 2014 |location=Sana'a, Yemen |agency=Reuters}}</ref> In February 2015, it was reported that some members of [[Ansar al-Sharia (Yemen)|Ansar al-Sharia in Yemen]] had split from AQAP and pledged allegiance to ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newsweek.com/al-qaeda-supporters-yemen-pledge-allegiance-islamic-state-306058 |title=Al-Qaeda Supporters in Yemen ‘Pledge Allegiance to Islamic State’ |work=Newsweek |agency=Reuters |date=11 February 2015 |subscription=yes}}</ref> As the [[Yemeni Civil War (2015)|Yemeni Civil War]] escalated in March 2015, at least seven ISIL Wilayat, named after existing provincial boundaries in Yemen, claimed responsibility for attacks against the [[Houthis]], including the ''[[Hadhramaut Governorate|Hadhramaut]] Province'', the ''[[Shabwah Governorate|Shabwah]] Province'', and the ''[[Sana'a]] Province''.<ref name="ISIL establishes Sanaa Province in Yemen">{{cite news |title=ISIL affiliate claims deadly Eid blasts at Yemen mosque |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/isil-affiliate-claims-deadly-eid-blasts-yemen-mosque-150924134946551.html |newspaper=Al Jazeera |date=24 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="iswMay15">{{cite report |first=Harleen |last=Gambhir |title=ISIS Global Intelligence Summary, March 1 – May 7, 2015 |url=http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/ISIS%20INTSUM_Final.pdf |publisher=Institute for the Study of War |date=10 May 2015 |accessdate=12 May 2015}}</ref>
[[Zaidiyyah]] [[Houthis]] (organised in the [[Supreme Revolutionary Committee]]) are the principal enemies of Yemen's ISIL branch.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/30/islamic-state-bomb-attack-on-huthi-rebel-leaders-in-yemen-leaves-28-dead |title=Islamic State bomb attack on Houthi rebel leaders in Yemen leaves 28 dead |date=30 June 2015 |work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11707328/Islamic-State-targets-Houthi-mourners-in-Yemen-with-car-bomb.html |title=Islamic State targets Houthi mourners in Yemen with car bomb |first=Louisa |last=Loveluck |date=30 June 2015 |work=The Telegraph |location=London}}</ref> While the US government supports the [[Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen|Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen]] against the Houthis,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/04/expediting-arms-supplies-saudi-led-coalition-150407152205321.html |title=US steps up arms for Saudi campaign in Yemen |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=8 April 2015}}</ref> many in [[United States Special Operations Command]] favour the Houthis, as they have been an effective force in rolling back al-Qaeda and recently ISIL in Yemen, "something that hundreds of U.S. drone strikes and large numbers of advisers to Yemen's military had failed to accomplish".<ref>{{cite news |first=Mark |last=Perry |url=http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/4/17/us-generals-think-saudi-strikes-in-yemen-a-bad-idea.html |title=US generals: Saudi intervention in Yemen ‘a bad idea’ |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=17 April 2015}}</ref> ''The Guardian'' reported: "As another 50 civilians die in the forgotten war, only Isis and al-Qaida are gaining from a conflict tearing Yemen apart and leaving 20 million people in need of aid."<ref>{{cite news |first=Kareem |last=Shaheen |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/07/jihadis-likely-winners-of-saudi-arabias-futile-war-on-yemens-houthi-rebels |title=Jihadis likely winners of Saudi Arabia's futile war on Yemen's Houthi rebels |date=7 July 2015 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>
=== West African Province ===
{{Main article|Boko Haram}}
On 7 March 2015, Boko Haram's leader [[Abubakar Shekau]] pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant via an audio message posted on the organisation's [[Twitter]] account.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-31784538 |title=Nigeria's Boko Haram pledges allegiance to Islamic State |date=7 March 2015 |accessdate=7 March 2015 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/03/boko-haram-pledges-allegiance-islamic-state/387235/ |title=The Islamic State of Boko Haram? :The terrorist group has pledged its allegiance to ISIS. But what does that really mean? |first=Adam |last=Chandler |date=9 March 2015 |work=The Atlantic}}</ref> On 12 March 2015, ISIL's spokesman [[Abu Mohammad al-Adnani]] released an audio tape in which he welcomed the pledge of allegiance, and described it as an expansion of the group's caliphate into [[West Africa]].<ref name="BokoHaramIS">{{cite news |url=https://news.yahoo.com/accepts-allegiance-nigeria-jihadists-boko-haram-201513146.html |title=IS welcomes Boko Haram allegiance: tape |via=Yahoo! News |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=12 March 2015 |accessdate=12 March 2015}}</ref> ISIL publications from late March 2015 began referring to members of Boko Haram as part of ''Wilayat Gharb Afriqiya'' (West Africa Province).<ref name="iswMay15" /> The group suffered a split in 2016, with ISIL appointing 'Abu Musab al-Barnawi' as the group's new leader, due to disagreements with Abubakar Shekau's leadership.<ref name="Barnawi">{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36963711 |title=Boko Haram in Nigeria: Abu Musab al-Barnawi named as new leader |date=3 August 2016 |work=BBC News |accessdate=3 August 2016}}</ref> This was rejected by Shekau and his supporters, who continued to operate independently.<ref>{{cite news |title=Behind Boko Haram's Split: A Leader Too Radical for Islamic State |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/behind-boko-haram-s-split-a-leader-too-radical-for-islamic-state-1473931827 |accessdate=2 October 2016 |publisher=Wall Street Journal |date=15 September 2016}}{{subscription required}}</ref>
=== North Caucasus Province ===
{{Main article|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Caucasus Province}}
Some commanders of the [[Caucasus Emirate]] in [[Chechnya]] and [[Dagestan]] switched their allegiance to ISIL in late 2014 and early 2015.<ref name="edm13Feb2015">{{cite magazine |last=Vatchagaev |first=Mairbek |date=13 February 2015 |title=Caucasus Emirate and Islamic State Split Slows Militant Activities in North Caucasus |magazine=Eurasia Daily Monitor |publisher=The Jamestown Foundation |volume=12 |issue=29 |url=https://jamestown.org/program/caucasus-emirate-and-islamic-state-split-slows-militant-activities-in-north-caucasus-2/}}</ref> On 23 June 2015, ISIL spokesman Abu Mohammad al-Adnani accepted the pledges of allegiance and announced a new [[Caucasus Province (Militant Group)|Caucasus Province]] (''Wilayat al-Qawqaz'') under the leadership of [[Rustam Asildarov]].<ref name=caucasus>{{cite web |first=Harleen |last=Gambhir |url=http://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/isis-declares-governorate-russia%E2%80%99s-north-caucasus-region |title=ISIS Declares Governorate in Russia's North Caucasus Region |date=23 June 2015 |publisher=Institute for the Study of War}}</ref><ref name=turf />
=== Southeast Asia ===
{{Main article|Abu Sayyaf|Battle of Marawi (2017)}}
On 23 July 2014, [[Abu Sayyaf]] leader [[Isnilon Totoni Hapilon]] in the Philippines swore an [[Bay'ah|oath of loyalty]] to [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]], the leader of ISIL.<ref name="sayyaf-swears-loyalty" /> In September 2014, the group began kidnapping people so they could be held for ransom, in the name of ISIL.<ref name="Abu Sayyaf kidnaps 2 Germans in the name of ISIL" /> In early 2015, members of [[Khalifa Islamiyah Mindanao]] pledged allegiance to ISIL. At the same time, [[Ansar Khalifa Philippines]] was born from a merger of Ansar Khalifah Sarangani with other umbrella groups that are pro-ISIL in nature.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}} In May 2017, a pro-ISIL group called the [[Maute group]] attacked and seized parts of a southern Philippine city of [[Marawi]] on [[Mindanao]] island.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/embassy-us-forces-help-fight-militants-in-marawi/3894841.html |title=US Special Forces Helping Philippines Fight Militants in Marawi |first= |last=Reuters |publisher= |date=June 10, 2017}}</ref>
On 17 October 2017, Philippine [[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Rodrigo Duterte|Duterte]] declared Marawi was "liberated from terrorist influence".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/duterte-marawi-liberated-isil-linked-fighters-171017071213300.html|title=Duterte: Marawi 'liberated' from ISIL-linked fighters|website=www.aljazeera.com|accessdate=25 October 2017}}</ref> Then on 23 October 2017, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced that the five-month battle against the terrorists in Marawi had finally ended.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-23/philippines-troops-find-dozens-dead-as-warawi-siege-ends/9077096|title=Marawi: Philippines declares end of siege as troops find 40 suspected gunmen dead|website=www.abc.net.au|accessdate=28 October 2017}}</ref> The recapture of Marawi by the government led to the failure of militants to establish a provincial ISIL territory ''(wilayat)'' in the Philippines.
=== Islamic State in Gaza ===
{{Main article|Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade}}
In February 2014, the [[Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem]] declared its support for ISIL.<ref name="am27Feb2014">{{cite news |first=Asmaa |last=al-Ghoul |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/tr/originals/2014/02/isis-gaza-salafist-jihadist-qaeda-hamas.html |title=Gaza Salafists pledge allegiance to ISIS |work=Al-Monitor |location=Gaza City, Gaza Strip |date=27 February 2014 |accessdate=25 September 2014}}</ref> On 2 April 2015, elements of this group, along with members of the [[Army of Islam (Gaza Strip)|Army of Islam]] and the Gaza faction of [[Ansar Bait al-Maqdis]],<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.vocativ.com/world/israel-world/egyptian-group-claims-killed-3-israeli-teens/ |title=Egyptian group claims it killed the Three Israeli Teens |last=Levy |first=Rachael |date=1 July 2014 |work=Vocative |access-date =2 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |publisher=BBC Monitoring |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25882504 |title=Egypt attack: Profile of Sinai Province militant group |date=30 January 2015 |work=BBC News |access-date =2 June 2015}}</ref> formed the [[Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade]], also known as Islamic State in Gaza,<ref name="Levy 9 June 2014">{{Cite news |url=http://www.vocativ.com/world/israel-world/isis-operating-gaza/ |title=ISIS: We Are Operating in Gaza |last=Levy |first=Rachael |date=9 June 2014 |work=Vocative |access-date=2 June 2015}}</ref> as it predominantly operates in the [[Gaza Strip]].
=== Other areas of operation ===
* Unidentified militants in Saudi Arabia pledged allegiance to ISIL – designated as a province of ISIL.<ref name="npr.org" />
* The ''[[Free Sunnis of Baalbek Brigade]]'' (Lebanon) pledged allegiance to ISIL.<ref name="ISIL gains supporters" />
* ''Sons of the Call for Tawhid and Jihad'' (Jordan) pledged allegiance to ISIL.<ref name="Jordinian jihadist group joins ISIL">{{cite news |url=http://jordantimes.com/local-jihadist-group-pledges-allegiance-to-islamic-state |title=Local jihadist group pledges allegiance to Islamic State |work=The Jordan Times |date=23 July 2014 |publisher=Jordan Press Foundation |accessdate=6 June 2015 |first=Taylor |last=Luck |location=Amman, Jordan |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140724154338/http://jordantimes.com/local-jihadist-group-pledges-allegiance-to-islamic-state |archivedate=24 July 2014 |deadurl=yes}}</ref>
* ''Janood-ul-Khalifa-e-Hind'' (India) pledged allegiance to ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |title=Two more of IS-linked group detained, to be handed over to NIA |work=Hindustan Times |date=27 January 2016 |location=New Delhi |agency=Press Trust of India |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/two-more-of-isis-linked-terror-group-detained/story-laL8zX2AuHAdsc6aL615wK.html}}</ref>
* ''Ansar al-Khilafah'' (Brazil) pledged allegiance to ISIL.<ref name="brazil">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/07/19/brazilian-extremist-group-pledges-allegiance-to-isis-ahead-of-rio-olympics/ |title=Brazilian extremist group uses Telegram to pledge allegiance to ISIS ahead of Olympics |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=19 July 2016 |last=Bearak |first=Max |location=Washington, DC}}</ref>
* ''[[Profetens Ummah]]'' (Norway) pledged allegiance to ISIL.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Dette er Profetens Ummah i Norge |url=http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/Dette-er-Profetens-Ummah-i-Norge-7634517.html |work=Aftenposten |date=13 July 2014 |language=Norwegian}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Skjærli |first1=Brynjar |title=Støtter IS' halshugging |url=http://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/islam-debatten/stoetter-is-halshugging/a/23275610/ |date=16 August 2014 |accessdate=31 August 2014 |language=Norwegian}}</ref>
* ''[[Mujahidin Indonesia Timur]]'' (Indonesia) pledged allegiance to ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kwok |first=Yenni |date=28 December 2015 |title=Is There a Uighur Terrorist Buildup Taking Place in Southeast Asia? |url=http://time.com/4161906/uighur-terrorism-indonesia-thailand-islam-isis/ |newspaper=TIME |location= |accessdate=10 September 2017}}</ref>
== International reaction ==
=== Classification as a terrorist organisation ===
Many countries and international bodies have officially designated ISIL as a ''terrorist organisation''.
{{anchor|Criticism}}
{{anchor|IslamicCriticism}}
=== International criticism ===
The group has attracted widespread criticism internationally for its extremism, from governments and international bodies such as the [[United Nations]] and [[Amnesty International]]. On 24 September 2014, [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|United Nations Secretary-General]] [[Ban Ki-Moon]] stated: "As Muslim leaders around the world have said, groups like ISIL – or Da’ish – have nothing to do with [[Islam]], and they certainly do not represent a state. They should more fittingly be called the 'Un-Islamic Non-State'."<ref name=BanKiMoonUnIslamic>{{cite web |author=Ban Ki-Moon |title=Secretary-General's remarks to Security Council High-Level Summit on Foreign Terrorist Fighters |url=https://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=8040 |publisher=United Nations |accessdate=18 November 2014 |date=24 September 2014}}</ref> ISIL has been classified a [[List of designated terrorist organizations|terrorist organisation]] by the United Nations, the European Union and its member states, the United States, Russia, India, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and many other countries (see {{see section||Classification}}). Over 60 countries are directly or indirectly waging war against ISIL (see {{see section||Countries and groups at war with ISIL}}). The group was described as a [[cult]] in a [[Huffington Post]] column by notable cult authority [[Steven Hassan]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hassan |first1=Steven |title=ISIS Is a Cult That Uses Terrorism: A Fresh New Strategy |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-hassan/isis-is-a-cult-that-uses-_b_6023890.html |work=The World Post |accessdate=10 November 2014 |date=21 October 2014}}</ref>
=== Islamic criticism ===
{{See also|Khawarij}}
Around the world, [[Islamic religious leaders]] have overwhelmingly condemned ISIL's ideology and actions, arguing that the group has strayed from the path of true Islam and that its actions do not reflect the religion's real teachings or virtues.<ref name="ns10Mar2015">{{cite magazine |last=Hasan |first=Mehdi |authorlink=Medhi Hasan |date=10 March 2015 |title=Mehdi Hasan: How Islamic is Islamic State? |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/world-affairs/2015/03/mehdi-hasan-how-islamic-islamic-state |work=[[New Statesman]] |accessdate=7 July 2015 |quote=Consider the various statements of Muslim groups such as the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, representing 57 countries (Isis has "nothing to do with Islam"); the Islamic Society of North America (Isis's actions are "in no way representative of what Islam actually teaches"); al-Azhar University in Cairo, the most prestigious seat of learning in the Sunni Muslim world (Isis is acting "under the guise of this holy religion . . . in an attempt to export their false Islam"); and even Saudi Arabia's Salafist Grand Mufti, Abdul Aziz al ash-Sheikh (Isis is "the number-one enemy of Islam").}}</ref>
Extremism within Islam goes back to the 7th century, to the [[Khawarij]]es. From their essentially political position, the Kharijites developed extreme doctrines which set them apart from both mainstream Sunni and Shia Muslims. They were particularly noted for adopting a radical approach to [[takfir]], whereby they declared other Muslims to be unbelievers and therefore deemed worthy of death.<ref name="al-Yaqoubi-[kha]">{{Cite book |last=Al-Yaqoubi |first=Muhammad |authorlink=Muhammad al-Yaqoubi |year=2015 |title=[[Refuting ISIS: A Rebuttal Of Its Religious And Ideological Foundations]] |pages=xvii–xviii |publisher=Sacred Knowledge |isbn=978-1-908224-12-5}}</ref><ref name=SheemaKhan>{{cite news |first=Sheema |last=Khan |date=29 September 2014 |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/another-battle-with-islams-true-believers/article20802390/ |title=Another battle with Islam's ‘true believers’ |work=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto, Canada}}</ref><ref>{{cite report |first=Usama |last=Hasan |title=The Balance of Islam in Challenging Extremism |url=http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/publications/free/the-balance-of-islam-in-challenging-extremism.pdf |publisher=Quilliam Foundation |date=July 2012 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802045255/http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/publications/free/the-balance-of-islam-in-challenging-extremism.pdf |archivedate=2 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/fruits-of-the-tree-of-extremism |title=Imam Mohamad Jebara: Fruits of the tree of extremism |first=Mohamad |last=Jebara |work=Ottawa Citizen |date=6 February 2015}}</ref> Other scholars have also described the group not as Sunnis, but as Khawarij.<ref name=SheemaKhan /><ref name="al-Yaqoubi2|xvii-xviii+p.8">{{Cite book |last=Al-Yaqoubi |first=Muhammad |authorlink=Muhammad al-Yaqoubi |year=2015 |title=[[Refuting ISIS: A Rebuttal Of Its Religious And Ideological Foundations]] |pages=xvii–xviii |publisher=Sacred Knowledge |isbn=978-1-908224-12-5}} See also p.8.</ref> Sunni critics, including [[Salafi movement|Salafi]] and jihadist [[muftis]] such as [[Adnan al-Aroor]] and [[Abu Basir al-Tartusi]], say that ISIL and related terrorist groups are not Sunnis, but are instead modern-day Kharijites (Muslims who have stepped outside the mainstream of Islam) serving an imperial anti-Islamic agenda.<ref name="econ140906">{{cite news |url=https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21615634-sunni-religious-authorities-turn-against-islamic-state-slow-backlash |title=The slow backlash – Sunni religious authorities turn against Islamic State |date=6 September 2014 |newspaper=The Economist}}</ref>
ISIL has received severe criticism from Muslim religious scholars and theologians. In late August 2014, the [[Grand Mufti]] of Saudi Arabia, [[Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah Al ash-Sheikh]], condemned ISIL and [[al-Qaeda]] saying, "Extremist and militant ideas and terrorism which spread decay on Earth, destroying human civilization, are not in any way part of Islam, but are enemy number one of Islam, and Muslims are their first victims".<ref name=SaudiGrandMuftiCondemn>{{cite news |title=Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti denounces Islamic State group as un-Islamic |url=http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2014/08/25/saudi-arabias-grand-mufti-denounces-islamic-state-group-as-un-islamic/ |agency=Reuters |accessdate=18 November 2014 |date=25 August 2014}}</ref> In late September 2014, 126 Sunni [[imams]] and Islamic scholars—primarily [[Sufism|Sufi]]<ref name=MM141001>{{cite web |url=http://muslimmatters.org/2014/10/01/muslim-scholars-letter-to-al-baghdadi-of-isis-or-isil-a-missed-opportunity/ |title=Muslim Scholars Letter to al-Baghdadi of ISIS or ISIL – A Missed Opportunity |date=1 October 2014 |first=Amad |last=Shaikh |work=Muslim Matters |accessdate=8 November 2014}}</ref>—from around the Muslim world signed an [[open letter]] to the Islamic State's leader al-Baghdadi, explicitly rejecting and refuting his group's interpretations of Islamic scriptures, the [[Quran]] and [[hadith]], which it used in order to justify its actions.<ref name="huffpost-bagh-openlet">{{cite news |title=Muslim Scholars Release Open Letter to Islamic State Meticulously Blasting Its Ideology |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/24/muslim-scholars-islamic-state_n_5878038.html |work=The Huffington Post |date=24 September 2013 |first=Lauren |last=Markoe |agency=Religious News Service |accessdate=25 September 2014}}</ref><ref name=christianpost-2014-09-25>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Samuel |title=International Coalition of Muslim Scholars Refute ISIS' Religious Arguments in Open Letter to al-Baghdadi |url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/international-coalition-of-muslim-scholars-refute-isis-religious-arguments-in-open-letter-to-al-baghdadi-127032/ |accessdate=18 October 2014 |work=The Christian Post |date=25 September 2014}}</ref> "[You] have misinterpreted Islam into a religion of harshness, brutality, torture and murder ... this is a great wrong and an offence to Islam, to Muslims and to the entire world", the letter states.<ref name=OpenLetToAlBagh /> It rebukes the Islamic State for its killing of prisoners, describing the killings as "heinous [[war crime]]s" and its persecution of the [[Yazidis]] of Iraq as "abominable". Referring to the "self-described 'Islamic State'", the letter censures the group for carrying out killings and acts of brutality under the guise of [[jihad]]—holy struggle—saying that its "sacrifice" without legitimate cause, goals and intention "is not jihad at all, but rather, warmongering and criminality".<ref name=OpenLetToAlBagh /><ref name=Offence2Islam>{{cite news |title=Isis is 'an offence to Islam', says international coalition of major Islamic scholars |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-is-an-offence-to-islam-says-international-coalition-of-major-islamic-scholars-9756255.html |accessdate=8 October 2014 |work=independent |quote=More than 120 Sunni imams and academics, including some of the Muslim world's most respected scholars, signed the 18-page document which outlines 24 separate grounds on which the terror group violates the tenets of Islam. |location=London |first=Cahal |last=Milmo |date=25 September 2014}}</ref> It also accuses the group of instigating [[fitna (word)|fitna]]—sedition—by instituting slavery under its rule in contravention of the [[Islamic views on slavery#Modern interpretations|anti-slavery consensus]] of the [[ulama|Islamic scholarly community]].<ref name=OpenLetToAlBagh>{{cite web |title=Open Letter to Al-Baghdadi |url=http://lettertobaghdadi.com/index.php |date=September 2014 |accessdate=25 September 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140925193528/http://lettertobaghdadi.com/index.php |archivedate=25 September 2014 |df=}}</ref> [[File:Wien - Kobane-Demo 2014-10-10 - V.jpg|thumb|[[Kurds|Kurdish]] demonstration against ISIL in [[Vienna]], Austria, 10 October 2014]]
{{anchor|NYTquotestheorists}}
According to ''The New York Times'', "All of the most influential jihadist theorists are criticising the Islamic State as deviant, calling its self-proclaimed caliphate null and void" and they have denounced it for its beheadings of journalists and aid workers.<ref name=ISIS-NYT /> ISIL is widely denounced by a broad range of Islamic clerics, including al-Qaeda-oriented clerics and Saudi clerics.<ref name="huffpost-wahhabi" /><ref name=ISIS-NYT /> [[Muhammad al-Yaqoubi]] states, "It is enough of a proof of the extreme ideology of ISIS that the top leaders of Salafi-Jihadism have disclaimed it."<ref name="al-Yaqoubi">{{Cite book |last=Al-Yaqoubi |first=Muhammad |authorlink=Muhammad al-Yaqoubi |year=2015 |title=[[Refuting ISIS: A Rebuttal Of Its Religious And Ideological Foundations]] |page=19 |publisher=Sacred Knowledge |isbn=978-1-908224-12-5}}</ref>
{{anchor|Khawarij}} Other critics of ISIL's brand of Sunni Islam include Salafists who previously publicly supported jihadist groups such as al-Qaeda: for example, the Saudi government official [[Saleh Al-Fawzan]], known for his extremist views, who claims that ISIL is a creation of "Zionists, Crusaders and Safavids", and the Jordanian-Palestinian writer [[Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi]], the former spiritual mentor to [[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]], who was released from prison in Jordan in June 2014 and accused ISIL of driving a wedge between Muslims.<ref name="econ140906" />
The group's declaration of a caliphate has been criticised and its legitimacy has been disputed by Middle Eastern governments, other jihadist groups,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/theyre-delusional-rivals-ridicule-isis-declaration-of-islamic-state |title="They're delusional": Rivals ridicule ISIS declaration of Islamic state |publisher=CBS News |date=30 June 2014 |accessdate=4 July 2014}}</ref> and by [[Sunni Muslim]] theologians and historians. Qatar-based TV broadcaster and theologian [[Yusuf al-Qaradawi]] stated: "[The] declaration issued by the Islamic State is void under [[sharia]] and has dangerous consequences for the Sunnis in Iraq and for the revolt in Syria", adding that the title of caliph can "only be given by the entire Muslim nation", not by a single group.<ref name="Caliph address">{{cite news |last=Strange |first=Hannah |title=Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi addresses Muslims in Mosul |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10948480/Islamic-State-leader-Abu-Bakr-al-Baghdadi-addresses-Muslims-in-Mosul.html |accessdate=6 July 2014 |work=The Telegraph |date=5 July 2014 |location=London}}</ref> The group's execution of Muslims for breach of traditional ''[[sharia]]'' law while violating it itself (encouraging women to emigrate to its territory, travelling without a ''[[Wali]]''—male guardian—and in violation of his wishes) has been criticised;<ref name=haykel-6-8-15>{{cite magazine |last1=Creswell |first1=Robyn |last2=Haykel |first2=Bernard |title=Battle Lines |magazine=The New Yorker |date=8 June 2015 |url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/06/08/battle-lines-jihad-creswell-and-haykel |accessdate=6 June 2015 |quote=In the most recent issue of Dabiq, ISIS's English-language magazine, a female writer encourages women to emigrate to "the lands of the Islamic State" even if it means travelling without a male companion, a shocking breach of traditional Islamic law. This may be a cynical ploy—a lure for runaways. But it is in keeping with the jihadists’ attack on parental authority and its emphasis on individual empowerment, including the power of female believers to renounce families they do not view as authentically Muslim.}}</ref> as has its love of archaic imagery (horsemen and swords) while engaging in ''[[bid‘ah]]'' (religious innovation) in establishing female religious police (known as [[Al-Khansaa Brigade]]).<ref name=haykel2-6-8-15>{{cite magazine |last1=Creswell |first1=Robyn |last2=Haykel |first2=Bernard |title=Battle Lines |magazine=The New Yorker |date=8 June 2015 |url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/06/08/battle-lines-jihad-creswell-and-haykel |accessdate=6 June 2015 |quote=It has also created a female morality police, a shadowy group called the al-Khansa’ Brigades, who insure proper deportment in ISIS-held towns. ... Al-Khansa’ was a female poet of the pre-Islamic era who converted to Islam and became a companion of the Prophet, and her elegies for her male relations are keystones of the genre [of Islamic poetry]. The name therefore suggests an institution with deep roots in the past, and yet there has never been anything like the Brigades in Islamic history, nor do they have an equivalent anywhere else in the Arab world.}}</ref> In a similar vein, the Syrian [[Ulama|Islamic scholar]] [[Muhammad al-Yaqoubi]] says, "[t]he followers of ISIS do not want to adhere to Islamic law but rather they want to twist Islamic law to conform to their fantasies. To this end, they pick and choose the evidences that corroborate their misguidance, despite being weak or abrogated."<ref name="al-Yaqoubi2">{{Cite book |last=Al-Yaqoubi |first=Muhammad |authorlink=Muhammad al-Yaqoubi |year=2015 |title=[[Refuting ISIS: A Rebuttal Of Its Religious And Ideological Foundations]] |page=37 |publisher=Sacred Knowledge |isbn=978-1-908224-12-5}}</ref>
Two days after the beheading of [[Hervé Gourdel]], hundreds of Muslims gathered in the [[Grand Mosque of Paris]] to show solidarity against the beheading. The protest was led by the leader of the [[French Council of the Muslim Faith]], [[Dalil Boubakeur]], and was joined by thousands of other Muslims around the country under the slogan "Not in my name".<ref name=ibt-09-28>{{cite news |last1=Halleck |first1=Thomas |title=Thousands of French Muslims Protest Herve Gourdel Beheading |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/thousands-french-muslims-protest-herve-gourdel-beheading-1695741 |accessdate=28 September 2014 |work=International Business Times |date=26 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://rt.com/news/191060-paris-muslims-protest-gourdel/ |title='Not in my name': French Muslims rally to denounce ISIS beheadings |publisher=RT |date=26 September 2014 |accessdate=13 October 2014}}</ref> French president [[François Hollande]] said Gourdel's beheading was "cowardly" and "cruel", and confirmed that airstrikes would continue against ISIL in Iraq. Hollande also called for three days of national mourning, with flags flown at half-mast throughout the country and said that security would be increased throughout Paris.<ref name=ibt-09-28 />
An [[Islamic Front (Syria)|Islamic Front]] [[sharia]] court judge in Aleppo, Mohamed Najeeb Bannan, stated: "The legal reference is the Islamic Sharia. The cases are different, from robberies to drug use, to moral crimes. It's our duty to look at any crime that comes to us. . . After the regime has fallen, we believe that the Muslim majority in Syria will ask for an Islamic state. Of course, it's very important to point out that some say the Islamic Sharia will cut off people's hands and heads, but it only applies to criminals. And to start off by killing, crucifying etc. That is not correct at all." In response to being asked what the difference between the Islamic Front's and ISIL's version of sharia would be, he said, "One of their mistakes is before the regime has fallen, and before they've established what in Sharia is called Tamkeen [having a stable state], they started applying Sharia, thinking God gave them permission to control the land and establish a Caliphate. This goes against the beliefs of religious scholars around the world. This is what [IS] did wrong. This is going to cause a lot of trouble. Anyone who opposes [IS] will be considered against Sharia and will be severely punished."<ref>{{cite av media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiyyWiO-IKY |title=Ghosts of Aleppo (Full Length) |date=30 September 2014 |publisher=VICE News |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.vice.com/video/ghosts-of-aleppo-full-length |title=Ghosts of Aleppo (Full Length) |work=VICE News}}</ref>
Al-Qaeda and al-Nusra have been trying to take advantage of ISIL's rise, by attempting to present themselves as "moderate" compared to "extremist" ISIL, although it has the same aim of establishing sharia and a caliphate but doing so in a more gradual manner.<ref>{{cite news |last=Joscelyn |first=Thomas |title=Al Qaeda appears ‘moderate’ compared to Islamic State, veteran jihadist says |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/10/al-qaeda-appears-moderate-compared-to-islamic-state-veteran-jihadist-says.php |work=Long War Journal |date=25 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Joscelyn |first=Thomas |date=26 October 2015 |title=A rare interview with an experienced Al Qaeda commander shows how the group is using ISIS to make itself look 'moderate' |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/a-rare-interview-with-an-experienced-al-qaeda-commander-shows-how-the-group-is-using-isis-to-make-itself-look-moderate-2015-10 |newspaper=Business Insider |accessdate=20 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Joscelyn |first=Thomas |title=The Al Nusrah Front's ‘inherited jihad’ |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/06/inheritedjihad.php |work=Long War Journal |date=5 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Joscelyn |first=Thomas |title=Officials from Al Nusrah Front, Ahrar al Sham vow to continue fight against Islamic State |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/07/officials-from-al-nusrah-front-ahrar-al-sham-vow-to-continue-fight-against-islamic-state.php |work=Long War Journal |date=20 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Joscelyn |first=Thomas |date=9 February 2015 |title=Al Qaeda Uses ISIS to Try to Present Itself as Respectable, Even Moderate |url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/al-qaeda-uses-isis-try-present-itself-respectable-even-moderate_845194.html |newspaper=The Weekly Standard}}</ref> Al-Nusra has criticised the way in which ISIL fully and immediately institutes sharia in the areas that fall under its control, since it alienates people too much. It supports the gradual, slower approach favoured by al-Qaeda, preparing society to accept sharia and indoctrinating people through education before implementing the [[hudud]] aspects of sharia, such as throwing gays from the top of buildings, chopping limbs off, and public stoning.<ref name="Joscelyn" /> Al-Nusra and ISIL are both hostile towards the [[Druze]]. However, while al-Nusra has typically destroyed Druze shrines and pressured them to convert to Sunni Islam, ISIL regards the entire Druze community as a valid target for violence, as it does the [[Yazidis]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Waleed |last=Rikab |url=http://www.joshualandis.com/blog/the-plight-of-syrias-druze-minority-and-u-s-options/ |title=The Plight of Syria's Druze Minority and U.S. Options |work=Syria Comment |date=9 September 2015}}</ref>
[[Ayman al-Zawahiri]], the leader of al-Qaeda, has called for consultation ([[shura]]) within the "prophetic method" to be used when establishing the caliphate, criticising al-Baghdadi for not following the required steps. Al-Zawahiri has called upon ISIL members to close ranks and join al-Qaeda in fighting against Assad, the [[Shia]], Russia, Europe, and America and to stop the infighting between jihadist groups. He called upon jihadists to establish Islamic entities in Egypt and the Levant, slowly implementing sharia before establishing a caliphate, and has called for violent assaults against America and the West.<ref>{{cite news |last=Joscelyn |first=Thomas |title=Al Qaeda chief calls for jihadist unity to ‘liberate Jerusalem’ |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/11/al-qaedas-chief-calls-for-unity-to-liberate-jerusalem.php |work=Long War Journal |date=2 November 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Pzpyramid16.jpg|thumb|[[Great Pyramid of Giza|Great Pyramid]] of Giza lit up by images of the flags of Russia, Lebanon and France in solidarity with victims of recent [[List of terrorist incidents, 2015|terrorist attacks]], 16 November 2015]]
The [[Jaysh al-Islam]] group within the [[Islamic Front (Syria)|Islamic Front]] criticised ISIL, saying: "They killed the people of Islam and leave the idol worshippers ... They use the verses talking about the disbelievers and implement it on the Muslims".<ref>{{cite av media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6akQmuYyAT0 |title=Uncover the Mask with Evidence and Confidence كشف القناع بالحجة ولإقناع داعش |date=8 March 2015 |publisher=YouTube |accessdate=4 August 2015}}</ref> The main criticism of defectors from ISIL has been that the group is fighting and killing other Sunni Muslims,<ref>{{cite news |title=Number of ISIS defectors growing, disillusioned with killing fellow Muslims: Study |url=http://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/number-of-isis-defectors-growing-disillusioned-with-killing-fellow-muslims-study |work=The Straits Times |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=21 September 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925084826/http://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/number-of-isis-defectors-growing-disillusioned-with-killing-fellow-muslims-study |archivedate=25 September 2015 |location=London}}</ref> as opposed to just non-Sunnis being brutalised.<ref>{{cite news |last=Neumann |first=Peter R. |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/21/opinions/isis-defectors-neumann-amanpour/index.html?sr=fb092115isisdefectors0942aaStoryGalLink |title=Defectors: ISIS is killing Muslims, not protecting them |publisher=CNN |date=22 September 2015 |accessdate=13 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Robins-Early |first=Nick |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/isis-defectors-report_560006a4e4b08820d919404d?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000017 |title=New Report Reveals Why Fighters Are Quitting ISIS |work=The Huffington Post |date=21 September 2015 |accessdate=13 October 2015}}</ref> In one case, a supposed defector from ISIL executed two activists of a Syrian opposition group in Turkey who had sheltered them.<ref>{{cite web |title=A ‘disgraceful reality’: Islamic State spies posing as defectors |date=5 November 2015 |website=Syria Direct |url=http://syriadirect.org/news/a-%E2%80%98disgraceful-reality%E2%80%99-islamic-state-spies-posing-as-defectors/}}</ref>
The current [[Grand Imam of al-Azhar]] and former president of [[al-Azhar University]], [[Ahmed el-Tayeb]], has strongly condemned the Islamic State, stating that it is acting "under the guise of this holy religion and have given themselves the name 'Islamic State' in an attempt to export their false Islam".<ref>{{cite news |title=Head of Egypt's al-Azhar condemns ISIS ‘barbarity’ |publisher=Al Arabiya English |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=3 December 2014 |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/12/03/Head-of-Egypt-s-al-Azhar-condemns-ISIS-barbarity-.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aawsat.net/2014/12/article55339431/egypts-al-azhar-stops-short-of-declaring-isis-apostates |first=Asharq |last=Al-Awsat |title=Egypt's Al-Azhar stops short of declaring ISIS apostates – Azhar statement rejects practice of takfirism |work=Asharq Al Awsat |date=13 December 2014}}</ref> Citing the Quran, he stated: "The punishment for those who wage war against God and his Prophet and who strive to sow corruption on earth is death, crucifixion, the severing of hands and feet on opposite sides or banishment from the land. This is the disgrace for them in this world and in the hereafter they will receive grievous torment." Although el-Tayeb has been criticised for not expressly stating that the Islamic State is [[heretical]],<ref name=AhramRenewal>{{cite news |url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/10157/17/In-search-of-%E2%80%98renewal%E2%80%99.aspx |work=Al Ahram Weekly |title=In search of ‘renewal’ – Al-Azhar is at the centre of an escalating controversy |first=Amany |last=Maged |date=15 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/02/azhar-egypt-radicals-islamic-state-apostates.html |work=Al-Monitor |title=Al-Azhar refuses to consider the Islamic State an apostate |first=Ahmed |last=Fouad |quote=The sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayeb, repeated his rejection of declaring IS apostates on 1 Jan, during a meeting with editors-in-chief of Egyptian newspapers. This sparked criticism from a number of religious, political and media parties, especially since Al-Azhar could have renounced the Nigerian mufti's statement on IS without addressing the issue of whether or not Al-Azhar considers the group apostates}}</ref> the [[Ash'ari]] school of [[Islamic theology]], to which el-Tayeb belongs, does not allow calling a person who follows the [[shahada]] an [[apostate]].<ref name=AhramRenewal /> El-Tayeb has strongly come out against the practice of [[takfirism]] (declaring a Muslim an apostate) which is used by the Islamic State to "judge and accuse anyone who doesn’t tow their line with apostasy and outside the realm of the faith" declaring "[[Jihad]] on peaceful Muslims" using "flawed interpretations of some Qur’anic texts, the prophet's Sunna, and the Imams’ views believing incorrectly, that they are leaders of Muslim armies fighting infidel peoples, in unbelieving lands".<ref name=MWL>{{cite web |url=http://en.themwl.org/sheikh-al-azhar-speech-opening-conference |website=Muslim World League |title=Sheikh Al-Azhar Speech in opening of conference |date=22 February 2015}}</ref>
In late December 2015, nearly 70,000 Indian Muslim clerics associated with the Indian [[Barelvi]] movement issued a [[fatwa]] condemning ISIL and similar organisations, saying they are "not Islamic organisations". Approximately 1.5 million Sunni Muslim followers of this movement have formally decried violent extremists.<ref name="70000clerics→1">{{cite news |title=70,000 clerics issue fatwa against terrorism, 15 lakh Muslims support it |first=Priyangi |last=Agarwall |work=The Times of India |agency=TNN |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/70000-clerics-issue-fatwa-against-terrorism-15-lakh-Muslims-support-it/articleshow/50100656.cms |date=9 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="70000clerics→2">{{cite news |title=70,000 Indian clerics issue fatwa against terrorists |first=Molly |last=Jckson |work=The Christian Science Monitor |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2015/1210/70-000-Indian-clerics-issue-fatwa-against-terrorists |date=10 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=70,000 Muslim clerics just issued a fatwa against terrorism |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/70000-indian-muslim-clerics-issue-fatwa-against-isis-the-taliban-al-qaida-and-other-terror-groups-a6768191.html |date=10 December 2015 |work=The Independent |first=Caroline |last=Mortimer}}</ref>
[[Mehdi Hasan]], a political journalist in the UK, said in the ''[[New Statesman]]'',
{{quote|Whether Sunni or Shia, Salafi or Sufi, conservative or liberal, Muslims – and Muslim leaders – have almost unanimously condemned and denounced ISIL not merely as un-Islamic but actively anti-Islamic.<ref name="ns10Mar2015" />}}
Hassan Hassan, an analyst at the Delma Institute, wrote in ''[[The Guardian]]'' that because the Islamic State "bases its teachings on religious texts that mainstream Muslim clerics do not want to deal with head on, new recruits leave the camp feeling that they have stumbled on the true message of Islam".<ref name="guardian-traincamp" /> In mid-February 2015, [[Graeme C.A. Wood|Graeme Wood]], a lecturer in political science at Yale University, said in ''[[The Atlantic]]'', "The religion preached by its most ardent followers derives from coherent and even learned interpretations of Islam."<ref name="what-isis-really-wants">{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2015/02/what-isis-really-wants/384980/ |title=What ISIS Really Wants |date=15 February 2015 |accessdate=19 February 2015 |work=The Atlantic |last=Wood |first=Graeme}}</ref>
[[Yusuf al-Qaradawi]], an Egyptian [[Islamic theologian]] based in Qatar, said in his official website that the "United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the leaders of Daesh (ISIS/ISIL) terrorist group are from one species and they are two sides of the same coin".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Staff writers |title=Al-Qaradawi: Rulers Of UAE And Daesh Leaders Are Two Sides Of The Same Coin {{!}} English – Middle East Press News Agency|url=http://middleeastpress.com/english/al-qaradawi-rulers-of-uae-and-daesh-leaders-are-two-sides-of-the-same-coin/|accessdate=4 August 2016|work=Middle East News Agency|date=2 August 2016}}</ref>
==== Designation as a terrorist organisation ====
{{See also|List of designated terrorist organisations|Terrorism}}
<center>
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Organisation !! Date !! Body !! References
|-
| colspan="4" style="background: silver; font-weight:bold; text-align:center;" | Multinational organisations
|-
|{{flagu|United Nations}}||18 October 2004 <small>(as [[al-Qaeda in Iraq]])</small><br />30 May 2013 <small>(after separation from [[Al-Qaeda|al‑Qaeda]])</small>|||[[United Nations Security Council]]||<ref name=UNSC>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/AQList.htm#alqaedaent |title=Al-Qaida Sanctions List |publisher=United Nations |accessdate=2 October 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140925062013/http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/AQList.htm |archivedate=25 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/resolutions.shtml |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405001543/http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/resolutions.shtml |archivedate=5 April 2015 |title=The Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee – 1267 |website=United Nations Web Services Section |publisher=United Nations}}<!-- removed duplicate archive url --></ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2013/sc11019.doc.htm |title=Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Amends Entry |accessdate=8 June 2015}}</ref><!--first listed under section b organisations as al-Qaida in Iraq, with ISIL added as an "also known as" and now known in SC Resolutions as ISIL-->
|-
|{{flagu|European Union}}||2004||[[Council of the European Union|EU Council]] <small>(via adoption of UN al-Qaeda Sanctions List)</small>||<ref name="berghof-foundation.org">{{cite news |last1=Wahlisch |first1=Martin |title=EU Terrorist Listing – An Overview about Listing and Delisting Procedures |url=http://www.berghof-foundation.org/fileadmin/redaktion/Publications/Other_Resources/RLM_EU_Terrorist_Listing.pdf |accessdate=3 November 2014 |publisher=Berghof Foundation |year=2010}}</ref>
|-
| colspan="4" style="background: silver; font-weight:bold; text-align:center;" | Nations{{anchor|nations}}
|-
|{{flagu|United Kingdom}}||March 2001 <small>(as part of al-Qaeda)</small><br />20 June 2014 <small>(after separation from al‑Qaeda)</small> ||[[Home Secretary]] of the [[Home Office]]||<ref name="UK proscribed">{{cite web |title=Proscribed Terrorist Organisations, pp.13–15 |url=http://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/324603/20140627-List_of_Proscribed_organisations_WEBSITE_final.pdf |date=20 June 2014 |publisher=Home Office |accessdate=7 November 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815183741/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/324603/20140627-List_of_Proscribed_organisations_WEBSITE_final.pdf |archivedate=15 August 2014 |df=dmy}}</ref>
|-
|{{flagu|United States}}||17 December 2004 <small>(as al-Qaeda in Iraq)</small>|||[[United States Department of State]]||<ref name="US proscribed">{{cite web |url=https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm |title=Foreign Terrorist Organizations |publisher=Bureau of Counterterrorism. United States Department of State |accessdate=28 July 2014}}</ref>
|-
|{{flagu|Australia}}||2 March 2005 <small>(as al-Qaeda in Iraq)</small><br />14 December 2013 <small>(after separation from al‑Qaeda)</small> ||[[Attorney-General for Australia]]||<ref name="Australia proscribed">{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/Listedterroristorganisations/Pages/default.aspx |title=Listed terrorist organisations |publisher=Australian National Security |accessdate=31 July 2014}}</ref>
|-
|{{flagu|Canada}}||20 August 2012||[[Parliament of Canada]] ||<ref name="Canada proscribed">{{cite web |url=http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cntr-trrrsm/lstd-ntts/crrnt-lstd-ntts-eng.aspx |title=Currently listed entities |publisher=Public Safety Canada |accessdate=31 July 2014}}</ref>
|-
|{{flagu|Turkey}}||30 October 2013||[[Grand National Assembly of Turkey]]||<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kaplan |first1=Hilal |title=Charging Turkey for ISIS |url=http://www.dailysabah.com/columns/hilal_kaplan/2014/09/03/charging-turkey-for-isis |accessdate=28 September 2014 |work=Daily Sabah |location=Istanbul, Turkey |date=3 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mahcupyan |first1=Etyen |title=ISIS, Turkey and the US |url=http://www.dailysabah.com/columns/etyen-mahcupyan/2014/09/20/isis-turkey-and-the-us |accessdate=28 September 2014 |work=Daily Sabah |location=Istanbul, Turkey |date=20 September 2014}}</ref>
|-
|{{flagu|Saudi Arabia}}||7 March 2014||Royal decree of the [[King of Saudi Arabia]]||<ref name="Saudi Arabia proscribed">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/07/us-saudi-security-idUSBREA260SM20140307 |title=Saudi Arabia designates Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group |agency=Reuters |date=7 March 2014 |accessdate=31 July 2014}}</ref>
|-
|{{flagu|Indonesia}}||1 August 2014||National Counter-terrorism Agency BNPT||<ref name="Indonesia">{{cite news |title=BNPT Declares ISIS a Terrorist Organization |url=http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2014/08/02/055596766/BNPT-Declares-ISIS-a-Terrorist-Organization |accessdate=4 August 2014 |work=Tempo |date=2 August 2014}}</ref>
|-
|{{flagu|United Arab Emirates}}||20 August 2014||United Arab Emirates Cabinet||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/government/list-of-terror-groups-published-by-uae-1.1413219 |title=List of terror groups published by United Arab Emirates |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128055511/http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/government/list-of-terror-groups-published-by-uae-1.1413219 |archivedate=28 January 2015}}</ref>
|-
|{{flagu|Malaysia}}||24 September 2014||[[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Malaysia)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]]||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/malaysia-designates-isis-terrorist-group-vows-tough-action-report-20 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140925112708/http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/malaysia-designates-isis-terrorist-group-vows-tough-action-report-20 |archivedate=25 September 2014 |title=Malaysia designates ISIS as terrorist group, vows tough action: Report |work=The Straits Times |location=Singapore |date=25 September 2014 |accessdate=25 September 2014}}<!-- Removed dead archive link. Kept live link --></ref>
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|{{flagu|Egypt}}||30 November 2014||The Cairo Court for Urgent Matters<!--searching this court shows that it is the authoritative body in the country that designates all terrorist groups and bans organisations--> ||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/11/30/court-affirms-isis-terrorist-group-designation/ |title=Court affirms ISIS' 'terrorist group' designation |work=Daily News Egypt |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208210043/http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/11/30/court-affirms-isis-terrorist-group-designation/ |archivedate=8 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Egypt brands jihadist ISIL a 'terrorist group' |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/egypt-brands-jihadist-isil-a-terrorist-group.aspx?pageID=238&nID=75033&NewsCatID=352 |work=Hürriyet Daily News |location=Istanbul, Turkey |date=30 November 2014}}</ref>
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|{{flagu|India}}||16 December 2014||[[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]]||<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mha.nic.in/BO |title=Banned Organisations |accessdate=16 December 2014}}</ref><!--ISIL will be listed here as a banned terrorist group when page updated--><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indian-government-bans-islamic-state-terror-organisation/article6698369.ece |title=India bans IS |agency=Press Trust of India |work=The Hindu |accessdate=16 December 2014 |location=Chennai, India |date=16 December 2014}}</ref><!--public announcement says "we have banned"-->
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|{{flagu|Russian Federation}}||29 December 2014||[[Supreme Court of Russia]]||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/769912 |title=Russia calls on all states to put Islamic State, Jabhat al-Nusra on terrorist lists |publisher=Russian News Agency TASS |date=29 December 2015 |accessdate=29 December 2014}}</ref>
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|{{flagu|Kyrgyzstan}}||25 March 2015||Kyrgyz State Committee of National Security||<ref name="Kyrgyzstan Designation">{{cite news |last1=Paraszczuk |first1=Joanna |title=Kyrgyzstan Bans IS, Designates It As Terror Group |url=http://www.rferl.org/content/kyrgyzstan-bans-islamic-state/26920328.html |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |accessdate=26 March 2015}}</ref>
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|{{flagu|Syria}}||||||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sana.sy/en/?p=2988 |title=Syria condemns terrorist acts in Iraq, expresses solidarity with Iraqi government, army and people |author=Manal |agency=Syrian Arab News Agency}}</ref>
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|{{flagu|Jordan}}||||||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/jordan-continues-their-revenge-on-isis-carrying-out-airstrikes-against-the-terror-group/story-fnh81ifq-1227209129504 |title=Jordan launches airstrikes against ISIS |publisher=News Corp Australia |accessdate=7 August 2015 |date=6 February 2015}}</ref>
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|{{flagu|Iran}}||||||<ref>{{cite news |last1= |first1= |url=http://www.iran-daily.com/News/115766.html |title=Report says ISIL terrorist group has a base near US |accessdate=21 April 2015 |work=[[Iran newspaper|Iran Daily]] |date=16 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1= |first1= |url=http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/03/15/402012/ISIL-terrorists-in-custody-in-Baghdad |title=Iraq arrests dozens of ISIL members in Baghdad |accessdate=21 April 2015 |work=[[Press TV]] |date=15 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1= |first1= |url=http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931221000783 |title=Larijani Reminds Regional States of Iran's Sacrifices against ISIL Terrorists |accessdate=21 April 2015 |work=[[Fars News Agency]] |date=12 March 2015}}</ref><ref name=Tasnim>{{cite news |last1= |first1= |url=http://www.tasnimnews.com/english/Home/Single/492030 |title=Iran Says Arrests ISIL Suspects at Border |accessdate=21 April 2015 |work=[[Tasnim News Agency]] |date=8 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1= |first1= |url=http://en.alalam.ir/news/1654400 |title=Iranian Official: US Not Serious about Countering ISIL Terrorists |accessdate=21 April 2015 |work=[[Al-Alam]] |date=26 September 2014}}</ref>
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|{{Flagu|Iraq}}
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|<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.charityandsecurity.org/country/iraq |title=Iraq: Listed Terrorist Groups and Humanitarian Crises |website=Charity and Security Network|access-date=2017-07-31}}</ref>
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|{{Flagu|Trinidad and Tobago}}
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|<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.tt/life-lead/2017-08-05/%E2%80%98no-room-terrorists%E2%80%99 |title=No Room for terrorist |website=T&T Guardian|access-date=2017-08-05}}</ref>
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|{{flagu|Pakistan}}||29 August 2015||[[Pakistan Ministry of Interior|Ministry of Interior]]||<ref name="ET">{{cite news |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/946859/banned-organisations-is-listed-among-proscribed-outfits/ |title=Islamic State listed among proscribed outfits |first=Zahid |last=Gishkori |work=The Express Tribune |location=Pakistan}}</ref>
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|{{flagu|Republic of China (Taiwan)}}||26 November 2015||[[National Security Bureau (Taiwan)|National Security Bureau]]||<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.appledaily.com.tw/appledaily/article/headline/20151126/36920202/ |title=IS叫戰 點名台灣 – 蘋果日報 |publisher=}}</ref>
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|{{flagu|People's Republic of China}}||||[[Ministry of Public Security (China)|Ministry of Public Security]]||<ref>{{cite web |title=Xi Jinping's speech on the event of a Chinese citizen being killed by terrorist organization |url=http://www.mfa.gov.cn/web/zyxw/t1316327.shtml |publisher=www.mfa.gov.cn |accessdate=14 December 2016 |language=Chinese}}</ref>
|}
</center>
The [[United Nations Security Council]] in its [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267|Resolution 1267]] (1999) described [[Osama bin Laden]] and his al-Qaeda associates as operators of a network of [[terrorist training camp]]s.<ref name=UNbinLaden>{{cite web |title=Resolution 1267 (1999) Adopted by the Security Council at its 4051st meeting on 15 October 1999 |url=http://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?docid=3b00f2298 |publisher=UNHCR}}</ref> The UN's [[Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee|Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee]] first listed ISIL in its Sanctions List under the name "Al-Qaida in Iraq" on 18 October 2004, as an entity/group associated with al-Qaeda. On 2 June 2014, the group was added to its listing under the name "Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant". The [[European Union]] adopted the UN Sanctions List in 2002.<ref name="berghof-foundation.org" />
[[File:Memorial to November 2015 Paris attacks at French embassy in Moscow 13.jpg|thumb|People lay flowers outside the [[List of diplomatic missions of France|French embassy]] in [[Moscow]] in memory of the victims of the [[November 2015 Paris attacks]].]]
Many world leaders and government spokespeople have called ISIL a terrorist group or banned it, without their countries having formally designated it as such. The following are examples:
The Government of Germany banned ISIL in September 2014. Activities banned include donations to the group, recruiting fighters, holding ISIL meetings and distributing its propaganda, [[Strafgesetzbuch section 86a|flying ISIL flags]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Eddy |first1=Melissa |title=Germany Bans Support for ISIS |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/13/world/europe/germany-bans-support-of-isis.html |accessdate=19 November 2014 |work=The New York Times |date=12 September 2014}}</ref> wearing ISIL symbols and all ISIL activities. "The terror organisation Islamic State is a threat to public safety in Germany as well", said German politician [[Thomas de Maizière]]. He added, "Today's ban is directed solely against terrorists who abuse religion for their criminal goals."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sixth-sense-newspaper.de/german-news/1943-isil-banned-in-germany |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103205324/http://www.sixth-sense-newspaper.de/german-news/1943-isil-banned-in-germany |dead-url=yes |archive-date=3 January 2015 |title=ISIL banned in Germany |first=Janette |last=Roberts |work=Sixth Sense |date=17 September 2014}}</ref> Being a member of ISIL is also illegal in accordance with § 129a and § 129b of the [[Strafgesetzbuch|German criminal code]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dipbt.bundestag.de/doc/btd/18/007/1800759.pdf |title=Drucksache 18/759 |website= |publisher=Deutscher Bundestag |language=de|access-date=}}</ref>
In October 2014, Switzerland banned ISIL's activities in the country, including propaganda and financial support of the fighters, with prison sentences as potential penalties.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aa.com.tr/en/news/401536--switzerland-bans-isil |title=Switzerland bans ISIL |publisher=Anadolu Agency |date=8 October 2014}}</ref>
In mid-December 2014, India banned ISIL after the arrest of an operator of a pro-ISIL Twitter account.<ref>{{cite news |first=Avaneesh |last=Pandey |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/india-bans-isis-after-government-raises-concerns-over-groups-online-presence-1759516 |title=India Bans ISIS After Government Raises Concerns Over Group's Online Presence |date=16 December 2014 |work=International Business Times}}</ref>
Pakistan designated ISIL as a banned organisation in late August 2015, under which all elements expressing sympathy for the group would be blacklisted and sanctioned.<ref name="ET" />
Media sources worldwide have described ISIL as a terrorist organisation.<ref name="ISIS or ISIL? The debate" /><ref name="nytimes27Aug14" /><ref name="ft-20140617" /><ref name="McCoyTop" /><ref name="Indonesia" /><ref name="ListerTop">{{cite news |last=Lister |first=Tim |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/12/world/meast/who-is-the-isis/ |title=ISIS: The first terror group to build an Islamic state? |publisher=CNN |date=13 June 2014 |accessdate=14 June 2014}}</ref>
==== Militia, territorial authority and other classifications ====
By 2014, ISIL was increasingly being viewed as a [[militia]] rather than just a terrorist group.<ref name="Time" /> As major Iraqi cities fell to ISIL in June 2014, Jessica Lewis, a former US Army intelligence officer at the [[Institute for the Study of War]], described ISIL at that time as
{{quote|text=not a terrorism problem anymore, [but rather] an army on the move in Iraq and Syria, and they are taking terrain. They have shadow governments in and around [[Baghdad]], and they have an aspirational goal to govern. I don't know whether they want to control Baghdad, or if they want to destroy the functions of the Iraqi state, but either way the outcome will be disastrous for Iraq.<ref name="Time">{{cite news |last1=Vick |first1=Karl |last2=Baker |first2=Aryn |url=http://time.com/2859454/iraq-tikrit-isis-baghdad-mosul/ |title=Extremists in Iraq Continue March Toward Baghdad |work=Time |date=11 June 2014 |accessdate=23 June 2014}}</ref>}}
[[File:London protest 2015 Ankara bombings (2).jpg|thumb|Supporters of the Turkish Labour Party protesting in London following the [[2015 Ankara bombings]]]]
Lewis has called ISIL
{{quote|text=an advanced military leadership. They have incredible command and control and they have a sophisticated reporting mechanism from the field that can relay tactics and directives up and down the line. They are well-financed, and they have big sources of manpower, not just the foreign fighters, but also prisoner escapees.<ref name="Time" />}}
Former US Defense Secretary [[Chuck Hagel]] saw an "imminent threat to every interest we have", but former top counter-terrorism adviser [[Daniel Benjamin]] derided such talk as a "farce" that panics the public.<ref name="threat">{{cite news |last1=Mazzetti |first1=Mark |first2=Eric |last2=Schmitt |first3=Mark |last3=Landler |date=10 September 2014 |title=Struggling to Gauge ISIS Threat, Even as U.S. Prepares to Act |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/11/world/middleeast/struggling-to-gauge-isis-threat-even-as-us-prepares-to-act.html |newspaper=The New York Times |accessdate=11 September 2014}}</ref>
Former British Foreign Secretary [[David Miliband]] concluded that the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]] caused the creation of ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Porter |first1=Tom |date=10 August 2015 |title=Iraq War Created Isis, Concedes David Miliband |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/iraq-war-created-isis-concedes-david-miliband-1460557 |work=International Business Times |accessdate=12 March 2015}}</ref>
Writing for ''[[The Guardian]]'', [[Pankaj Mishra]] rejects the idea that the group is a resurgence of medieval Islam, saying instead:
{{quote|text=In actuality, Isis is the canniest of all traders in the flourishing international economy of disaffection: the most resourceful among all those who offer the security of collective identity to isolated and fearful individuals. It promises, along with others who retail racial, national and religious supremacy, to release the anxiety and frustrations of the private life into the violence of the global.<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jul/24/how-to-think-about-islamic-state |title=How to think about Islamic State |first=Pankaj |last=Mishra |work=The Guardian |date=24 July 2015}}</ref>}}
A certain change of attitude occurred following the inauguration of US President Trump. On January 28, 2017, he issued a National Security Presidential Memorandum which called for a comprehensive plan to destroy ISIS to be formulated by the Defense Department within 30 days.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2017-02-02/pdf/2017-02386.pdf |title=National Security Presidential Memorandum no. 3 |publisher=}}</ref>
== Supporters ==
According to a [[Reuters]] report that cited "jihadist ideologues" as a source, 90% of ISIL's fighters in Iraq are Iraqi, and 70% of its fighters in Syria are Syrian. The article stated that the group has 40,000 fighters and 60,000 supporters across its two primary strongholds in Iraq and Syria.<ref name="saddam">{{cite news |title=Saddam's former army is secret of Baghdadi's success |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/16/us-mideast-crisis-baghdadi-insight-idUSKBN0OW1VN20150616 |agency=Reuters |date=16 June 2015 |accessdate=1 July 2015}}</ref> According to scholar [[Fawaz Gerges]] writing in ''ISIS: A History'', some "30 percent of the senior figures" in ISIL's military command are former army and police officers from the disbanded Iraqi security forces, drawn to ISIL by the US [[De-Ba'athification]] policy and turned towards Sunni Islamism, following the US invasion of Iraq.<ref name="NYRoB-7-9-2015" />
According to a poll by [[Pew Research Center]], Muslim populations of various countries have overwhelmingly negative views of ISIS with [[Lebanon]] having the most unfavorable views.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/17/in-nations-with-significant-muslim-populations-much-disdain-for-isis/ft_15-11-17_isis_views/ |title=» Views of ISIS Overwhelmingly Negative |date=17 November 2015 |work=Pew Research Center}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Jacob Poushter191 comments |url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/17/in-nations-with-significant-muslim-populations-much-disdain-for-isis/ |title=Most dislike ISIS in Muslim countries | Pew Research Center |publisher=Web.archive.org |date= |accessdate=21 May 2016 |deadurl=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505125029/http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/17/in-nations-with-significant-muslim-populations-much-disdain-for-isis/ |archivedate=5 May 2016}}</ref> In most of these countries, concerns about Islamic extremism have been growing.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pewglobal.org/2014/07/01/concerns-about-islamic-extremism-on-the-rise-in-middle-east/ |title=Concerns about Islamic Extremism on the Rise in Middle East | Pew Research Center |publisher=Pewglobal.org |date= |accessdate=21 May 2016}}</ref>
=== Allegations of state support ===
==== Saudi Arabia ====
{{See also|Response of Saudi Arabia to ISIL}}
Although Saudi Arabia's government rejected the claims,<ref name="saudi-reject-accusation">{{cite news |last=Black |first=Ian |authorlink=Ian Black (journalist) |date=19 June 2014 |title=Saudi Arabia rejects Iraqi accusations of Isis support |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/19/saudi-arabia-rejects-iraqi-accusations-isis-support |work=The Guardian |accessdate=19 June 2014}}</ref> former Iraqi Prime Minister [[Nouri al-Maliki]] accused Saudi Arabia of funding ISIL.<ref name="maliki-saudi-openly">{{cite news |first1=Ned |last1=Parker |first2=Louise |last2=Ireland |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/09/us-iraq-saudi-qatar-idUSBREA2806S20140309 |title=Iraqi PM Maliki says Saudi, Qatar openly funding violence in Anbar |agency=Reuters |date=9 March 2014}}</ref> Some media outlets, such as [[NBC News|NBC]], the [[BBC News|BBC]] and ''[[The New York Times]]'', and the US-based think tank [[Washington Institute for Near East Policy]] have written about individual Saudi donations to the group and the Saudi state's decade-long sponsorship of [[Wahhabism]] around the world, but have concluded that there is no evidence of direct Saudi state support for ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/23/opinion/isis-atrocities-started-with-saudi-support-for-salafi-hate.html |title=ISIS Atrocities Started With Saudi Support For Salafi Hate |last=Husain |first=Ed |date=22 August 2014 |work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/saudi-funding-of-isis |title=Saudi Funding of ISIS |last=Boghardt |first=Lori Plotkin |date=23 June 2014 |publisher=Washington Institute}}</ref>
[[Richard Dearlove]], former head of Britain's [[Secret Intelligence Service]] (MI6), said that the Saudis were "deeply attracted to any militancy that can effectively challenge [[Shia Islam|Shia-dom]] [Shia version of Islam]."<ref name="Saudi" /> Dearlove stated that, "For ISIS to be able to surge into the Sunni areas of Iraq in the way that it has done recently has to be the consequence of substantial and sustained funding."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/saudis-deny-supporting-isis-after-former-mi6-head-speaks-substantial |title=Saudis Deny Supporting ISIS After Former MI6 Head Speaks of ‘Substantial and Sustained Funding’ |last=Goodenough |first=Patrick |date=9 July 2014 |publisher=CNSNews.com}}</ref>
In an August 2014 email, leaked by [[WikiLeaks]], former US Secretary of State [[Hillary Clinton]] sent then counselor to Barack Obama [[John Podesta]] a memo that states that both Saudi Arabia and Qatar "are providing clandestine financial and logistic support to ISIL and other radical Sunni groups in the region".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cockburn |first1=Patrick |title=We finally know what Hillary Clinton knew all along – US allies Saudi Arabia and Qatar are funding Isis |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/hillary-clinton-wikileaks-email-isis-saudi-arabia-qatar-us-allies-funding-barack-obama-knew-all-a7362071.html |work=[[The Independent]] |date=14 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Schwartz |first1=Mattathias |title=Hillary Clinton acknowledges Saudi terror financing in hacked email, hinting at tougher approach |url=https://theintercept.com/2016/10/12/hillary-clinton-acknowledges-saudi-terror-financing-in-hacked-email-hinting-at-tougher-approach/ |work=[[The Intercept]] |date=13 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Podesta leaks show Clinton email linking Saudi Arabia, Qatar to ISIS |url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/10/11/podesta-leaks-show-clinton-email-linking-saudi-arabia-qatar-to-isis.html |agency=[[Fox News]] |date=11 October 2016}}</ref>
==== Syria ====
{{Further information|Bashar al-Assad#Al-Qaeda and ISIL}}
{{Pie chart
|value1 = 43
|color1 = red
|label1 = Syrian Army
|value2 = 40
|color2 = green
|label2 = Sunni rebels
|value3 = 17
|color3 = yellow
|label3 = SDF
|caption = Proportion of attacks by ISIL on other groups in Syria, during the period from March 2016 – April 2017 according to IHS Markit.<ref name="IHSMarkit"/>
}}
During the ongoing [[Syrian Civil War]], President [[Bashar al-Assad]], the Syrian Government, and the Syrian Alawite community<ref name="village">{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-kills-40-mabuja-village-central-syria-including-women-children/ |title=ISIS reportedly massacres dozens in Syrian village |date=31 March 2015 |publisher=CBS News |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> have been accused by many [[Syrian opposition|opposition]] and anti-Assad parties of collusion with ISIL, despite massacres of [[Alawites|Alawite]] civilians and executions of captured [[Syrian Army]] Alawite soldiers.<ref name="The National" /><ref name="The Latakia" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/syrias-assad-thinks-he-is-winning-he-could-be-wrong/2014/09/08/09c5044e-a6ca-45d0-91a8-c9eacd4c92f8_story.html |title=Syria's Assad thinks he is winning. He could be wrong. |last=Sly |first=Liz |date=9 September 2014 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref name="cfr">{{cite web |url=http://www.cfr.org/iraq/islamic-state/p14811 |title=CFR Backgrounders – The Islamic State |last2=Masters |first2=Jonathan |date=16 November 2015 |publisher=Council on Foreign Relations |quote=Some analysts have even described a tacit nonaggression pact between Islamic State militants and Bashar al-Assad regime, with each focused on fighting the main antigovernment opposition forces for territorial control. |first1=Zachary |last1=Laub}}</ref><ref name="TIMEAssad">{{cite news |url=http://world.time.com/2014/01/27/syria-assad-geneva-al-qaeda/ |title=Is the Assad Regime in League with al-Qaeda? |date=27 January 2014 |work=Time |last1=Baker |first1=Aryn |accessdate=6 July 2015}}</ref> Several sources have claimed Islamist prisoners were strategically released from Syrian prisons at the beginning of the Syrian Civil War in 2011.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newsweek.com/how-syrias-assad-helped-forge-isis-255631 |title=How Syria's Assad Helped Forge ISIS |last=Cordall |first=Simon Speakwell |date=21 June 2014 |work=Newsweek |accessdate=9 March 2015}}</ref>
The Syrian Government has bought oil directly from ISIL,<ref name="ISIS_Nusra_oil">{{cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/assad-helped-build-al-qaeda-in-syria-2014-1 |title=It's Becoming Clear That Assad Fueled The Al-Qaeda Surge That Has Kept Him in Power |date=21 January 2014 |work=Business Insider |last1=Kelley |first1=Michael B. |accessdate=9 March 2015}}</ref> and the Syrian government and ISIL jointly run a HESCO gas plant in [[Al-Thawrah|Tabqah]]. The facility supplies electricity to government-held areas, and government-run power plants supply ISIL-held areas.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11455602/Oil-middleman-between-Syria-and-Isil-is-new-target-for-EU-sanctions.html |title=Oil middleman between Syria and Isil is new target for EU sanctions |last=Blair |first=David |date=7 March 2015 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |accessdate=9 March 2015}}</ref> The Syrian government has tactically avoided ISIL forces in order to weaken opposition such as the [[Free Syrian Army]] (FSA),<ref name="TIMEAssad" /> and according to United States Secretary of State [[John Kerry]] the Syrian government has purposely ceded territory to ISIL.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2014/09/18/kerry_there_is_evidence_that_assad_has_played_footsie_with_isil.html |title=Kerry: There Is Evidence That Assad Has Played "Footsie" With ISIL |date=18 September 2014 |publisher=RealClearPolitics |quote=JOHN KERRY: Regrettably Congressman, no we're not going to be undercut, because. If Assad's forces indeed do decide to focus on ISIL significantly, which they haven't been doing throughout this period, one of our judgements is there is evidence that Assad has played footsie with them, and he has used them as a tool of weakening the opposition. He never took on their headquarters, which were there and obvious, and other assets that they have. So we have no confidence that Assad is either capable of or willing to take on ISIL." |accessdate=9 March 2015}}</ref> An [[Jane's Defence Weekly|IHS Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Center]] database analysis confirmed that only 6% of Syrian government forces attacks were targeted at ISIL from January to November 2014, while in the same period only 13% of all ISIL attacks targeted government forces.<ref name="Assad_ISIL_Stats">{{cite news |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/syria-isis-have-been-ignoring-each-other-battlefield-data-suggests-n264551 |title=Syria, ISIS Have Been 'Ignoring' Each Other on Battlefield, Data Suggests |date=11 December 2014 |publisher=NBC |last2=Omar |first2=Ammar Cheikh |last1=Vinograd |first1=Cassandra |accessdate=9 March 2015}}{{undue weight inline|date=October 2015}}</ref> The [[National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces]] has stated that the Syrian government has operatives inside ISIL,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.channel4.com/news/is-assad-isis-rebel-forces-iraq-syria |title=Has Assad infiltrated rebel forces inside Syria? |date=24 April 2014 |publisher=Channel Four News |accessdate=9 March 2015}}</ref> as has the leadership of [[Ahrar ash-Sham]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/resources/interviews/14279-exclusive-shaikh-hassan-abbouds-final-interview |title=EXCLUSIVE: Shaikh Hassan Abboud's final interview |last=Ridley |first=Yyonne |date=22 September 2014 |publisher=Middle East Monitor |accessdate=9 March 2015}}</ref> A report on 25 June 2015 said that ISIL kept gas flowing to Assad regime-controlled power stations. Furthermore, ISIL allowed grain to pass from the [[Kurds|Kurdish]]-held north-east to regime controlled areas at the cost of a 25% levy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/rebels-are-close-to-raqqa--but-what-happens-next |title=Rebels are close to Raqqa – but what happens next? |date=25 June 2015 |location=Abu Dhabi, UAE |work=The National |last1=Philps |first1=Alan |accessdate=20 August 2015}}</ref>
On 1 June 2015, the United States embassy in Syria stated that the Syrian government was "making air-strikes in support" of an ISIL advance on Syrian opposition positions north of Aleppo.<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=605471087422488579 |user=USEmbassySyria |title=Reports indicate that the regime is making air-strikes in support of #ISIL's advance on #Aleppo, aiding extremists against Syrian population |author=U.S. Embassy Syria |date=1 June 2015|access-date=2 June 2015}}</ref> The president of the [[National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces|Syrian National Coalition]], Khaled Koja, accused Assad of acting "as an air force for [ISIL]",<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/03/world/middleeast/new-battles-aleppo-syria-insurgents-isis.html |title=Assad's Forces May Be Aiding New ISIS Surge |date=2 June 2015 |work=The New York Times |last1=Barnard |first1=Anne |accessdate=5 June 2015}}</ref> with the Defence Minister of the SNC [[Salim Idris]] stating that approximately 180 Syrian government officers were serving in ISIL and coordinating the group's attacks with the [[Syrian Arab Army]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/1.659340 |title=Assad's cooperation with ISIS could push U.S. into Syria conflict |last=Bar'el |first=Zvi |date=3 June 2015 |location=Tel Aviv, Israel |quote=Salim Idris, defense minister in the rebels’ provisional government, said approximately 180 Syrian Army officers are currently serving with ISIS and coordinating the group's military operations with the army. |work=Haaretz |accessdate=4 June 2015}}</ref>
However, in an April 2017 report, IHS Markit, the leading UK security and defense information provider, stated that the Islamic State fought Syrian government forces more than any other opponent between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017. According to the report "43 percent of all Islamic State fighting in Syria was directed against President Assad’s forces, 17 against the U.S.-backed [[Syrian Democratic Forces]] (SDF) and the remaining 40 percent involved fighting rival Sunni opposition groups".<ref name="IHSMarkit">{{cite web |title=Dispatch From the Middle East: U.S. Buildup All About Iran |first=Sharmine |last=Narwani |work=The American Conservative |date=28 June 2017 |url=http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/dispatch-from-the-middle-east-u-s-buildup-all-about-iran/}}</ref>
==== Turkey ====
{{Further information|Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War#Related criticism of Turkey}}
Turkey has been accused by experts, Syrian Kurds, and United States Vice-President [[Joe Biden]] of supporting or colluding with ISIL.<ref name="yahoonews">{{cite news |last1=Bertrand |first1=Natasha |title=Senior Western official: Links between Turkey and ISIS are now 'undeniable' |via=Yahoo! New |agency=Business Insider |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/links-between-turkey-isis-now-195700510.html |date=28 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Zaman |first1=Amberin |title=Syrian Kurds continue to blame Turkey for backing ISIS militants |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/ru/originals/2014/06/zaman-syria-kurds-rojava-ypg-muslim-pyd-pkk-turkey-isis.html# |work=Al-Monitor |date=10 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Wilgenburg |first1=Wladimir van |title=Kurdish security chief: Turkey must end support for jihadists |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/08/syria-kurd-pyd-asayish-isis-turkey-islamic-state.html# |work=Al-Monitor |date=6 August 2014}}</ref> A raid by US special forces on a compound housing the Islamic State's "chief financial officer", [[Abu Sayyaf (ISIL)|Abu Sayyaf]], in July 2015, produced evidence that Turkish officials dealt directly with ranking ISIL members. According to a senior Western official, documents and [[flash drives]] seized during the Sayyaf raid revealed links "so clear" and "undeniable" between Turkey and ISIL "that they could end up having profound policy implications for the relationship between us and Ankara".<ref name="yahoonews" />
Journalist [[Patrick Cockburn]] wrote in November 2014 of "strong evidence for a degree of collaboration" between the [[National Intelligence Organization (Turkey)|Turkish intelligence services]] and ISIL, although the "exact nature of the relationship ... remains cloudy".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Cockburn |first1=Patrick |authorlink1=Patrick Cockburn |title=Whose side is Turkey on? |magazine=[[London Review of Books]] |date=6 November 2014 |volume=36 |issue=21 |pages=8–10 |url=http://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n21/patrick-cockburn/whose-side-is-turkey-on}}</ref> In July 2014, Cockburn stated that "Saudi Arabia has created a [[Frankenstein's monster]] over which it is rapidly losing control. The same is true of its allies such as Turkey which has been a vital back-base for Isis and Jabhat al-Nusra by keeping the {{convert|510|mi|km|order=flip|adj=mid|-long|sp=us}} Turkish-Syrian border open."<ref name="Saudi">"[https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/iraq-crisis-how-saudi-arabia-helped-isis-take-over-the-north-of-the-country-9602312.html Iraq crisis: How Saudi Arabia helped Isis take over the north of the country]," ''[[The Independent]],'' 13 July 2014.</ref> David L. Phillips of [[Columbia University]]'s Institute for the Study of Human Rights, who compiled a list of allegations and claims accusing Turkey of assisting ISIL, wrote that these allegations "range from military cooperation and weapons transfers to logistical support, financial assistance, and the provision of medical services".<ref name="huffpost-turkeylist">{{cite news |last1=Phillips |first1=David L. |title=Research Paper: ISIS-Turkey List |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-l-phillips/research-paper-isis-turke_b_6128950.html |work=The Huffington Post |date=9 November 2014}}</ref> Several ISIL fighters and commanders have claimed that Turkey supports ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Guiton |first1=Barney |title='ISIS Sees Turkey as Its Ally': Former Islamic State Member Reveals Turkish Army Cooperation |url=http://www.newsweek.com/isis-and-turkey-cooperate-destroy-kurds-former-isis-member-reveals-turkish-282920 |work=Newsweek |date=7 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ben-Solomon |first1=Ariel |title=Islamic State fighter: 'Turkey paved the way for us' |url=http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Islamic-State-fighter-Turkey-paved-the-way-for-us-369443 |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=30 July 2014}}</ref><ref name=Faiola /> Within Turkey itself, ISIL is believed to have caused increasing political polarisation between secularists and Islamists.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aina.org/news/20150104175714.htm |title=ISIS Has Polarized Turkey Domestically |first=Lauren |last=Williams |work=[[The Daily Star (Lebanon)|The Daily Star]] |agency=[[Assyrian International News Agency]] |date=4 January 2015}}</ref>
Turkey has been further criticised for allowing individuals from outside the region to enter its territory and join ISIL in Syria.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tattersall |first1=Nick |last2=Karouny |first2=Mariam |title=Turkey's 'Open Border' Policy With Syria Has Backfired As ISIS Recruitment Continues |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/r-turkey-struggles-as-lone-gatekeeper-against-islamic-state-recruitment-2014-8 |work=Business Insider |date=26 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Schanzer |first1=Jonathan |authorlink1=Jonathan Schanzer |title=Boosting Turkey as it backs terror |url=http://nypost.com/2014/09/25/boosting-turkey-as-it-backs-terror/ |work=New York Post |date=25 September 2014}}</ref> With many Islamist fighters passing through Turkey to fight in Syria, Turkey has been accused of becoming a transit country for such fighters and has been labelled the "Gateway to Jihad".<ref name=dailymail>{{cite news |last1=Greenhill |first1=Sam |title=How seven radicalised young Britons a week are taking the Gateway to Jihad |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2734239/How-seven-radicalised-young-Britons-week-taking-Gateway-Jihad.html |work=Daily Mail |date=25 August 2014 |location=London}}</ref> Turkish border patrol officers are reported to have deliberately overlooked those entering Syria, upon payment of a small bribe.<ref name=dailymail /> A report by [[Sky News]] exposed documents showing that passports of foreign Islamists wanting to join ISIL by crossing into Syria had been stamped by the Turkish government.<ref>{{cite news |title=New report further exposes Turkey links to ISIL militants |url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/10/21/383033/new-report-shows-turkeyisil-links/ |publisher=Press TV |location=Tehran, Iran |date=21 October 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228061729/http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/10/21/383033/new-report-shows-turkeyisil-links/ |archivedate=28 December 2014}}</ref> An ISIL commander stated that "most of the fighters who joined us in the beginning of the war came via Turkey, and so did our equipment and supplies",<ref name="huffpost-turkeylist" /><ref name=Faiola>{{cite news |last1=Faiola |first1=Anthony |last2=Mekhennet |first2=Souad |title=In Turkey, a late crackdown on Islamist fighters |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/how-turkey-became-the-shopping-mall-for-the-islamic-state/2014/08/12/5eff70bf-a38a-4334-9aa9-ae3fc1714c4b_story.html |work=The Washington Post |date=12 August 2014}}</ref> adding that ISIL fighters received treatment in Turkish hospitals.<ref name=Faiola />
==== Qatar ====
[[Qatar]] has long been accused of acting as a conduit for the flow of funds to ISIL. While there is no proof that the Qatari government is behind the movement of funds from the gas-rich nation to ISIL, it has been criticised for not doing enough to stem the flow of financing. Private donors within Qatar, sympathetic to the aims of radical groups such as [[al-Nusra Front]] and ISIL, are believed to be channeling their resources to support these organisations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Qatar and ISIS Funding: The U.S. Approach |url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/qatar-and-isis-funding-the-u.s.-approach |publisher=The Washington Institute |date=August 2014 |accessdate=8 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Islamic State: Where does jihadist group get its support? |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29004253 |publisher=BBC |date=1 September 2014 |accessdate=8 May 2015}}</ref> According to the [[United States Department of the Treasury|US Treasury Department]], a number of terrorist financiers have been operating in Qatar. Qatari citizen [[Abd Al-Rahman al-Nuaimi]] has served as an interlocutor between Qatari donors and leaders of [[al-Qaeda in Iraq]] (AQI). Nuaimi reportedly oversaw the transfer of US$2 million per month to AQI over a period of time. He is also one of several of Qatar-based al-Qaeda financiers sanctioned by the US Treasury in recent years. According to some reports, US officials believe that the largest portion of private donations supporting ISIS and al Qaeda-linked groups now comes from Qatar rather than Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{cite web |title=Qatar Is a U.S. Ally. They Also Knowingly Abet Terrorism. What's Going On? |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/119705/why-does-qatar-support-known-terrorists |website=New Republic |date=6 October 2014 |accessdate=8 May 2015}}</ref>
In August 2014, a German minister [[Gerd Müller (politician)|Gerd Müller]] accused Qatar of having links to ISIL, stating: "You have to ask who is arming, who is financing ISIS troops. The keyword there is Qatar." Qatari Foreign Minister [[Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah]] rejected this statement, saying: "Qatar does not support extremist groups, including [ISIL], in any way. We are repelled by their views, their violent methods and their ambitions."<ref>{{cite news |title=German minister accuses Qatar of funding Islamic State fighters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/20/us-iraq-security-germany-qatar-idUSKBN0GK1I720140820 |agency=Reuters |date=20 August 2014 |accessdate=8 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Qatar allows money to flow to Islamic State, other terrorists: report |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/10/qatar-allows-money-flow-isis-other-terrorists-repo/?page=all |website=The Washington Times |date=10 December 2014 |accessdate=8 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Who funds ISIS? Qatar and state-sponsoring allegations |url=http://securityobserver.org/who-funds-isis-qatar-and-state-sponsoring-allegations/ |website=Security Observer |date=23 December 2014 |accessdate=8 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Qatar denies backing Islamic State group |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/08/qatar-denies-backing-islamic-state-group-201482323351451942.html |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=24 August 2014 |accessdate=8 May 2015}}</ref>
==== United States ====
[[Rand Paul]], junior U.S. Senator from Kentucky, has accused the U.S. government of indirectly supporting ISIL in the [[Syrian Civil War]], by arming their allies and fighting their enemies in that country. The US has assisted the moderate Syrian opposition (see [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]-led [[Timber Sycamore]] operation), but whether that assistance has been commandeered by ISIS allies remains unclear.<ref name="Hill">{{cite news |last1=Shabad |first1=Rebeca |title=Paul: ISIS emboldened after US armed its allies in Syria |url=http://thehill.com/policy/international/210168-us-has-been-arming-isis-in-syria-sen-paul-claims |publisher=The Hill |date=22 June 2014}}</ref>
On 12 September 2014, several media outlets began reporting that the Free Syrian Army had signed a "non-aggression pact" with ISIS in order to focus their attentions elsewhere.<ref>{{cite news |last=Masi |first=Alessandria |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/us-backed-moderate-group-syria-signs-truce-isis-reports-1687662 |title=US-Backed Moderate Group in Syria Signs Truce With ISIS: Reports |work=International Business Times |date=12 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-and-al-qaeda-truce-2014-11 |title=ISIS And Al Qaeda Truce – Business Insider |date=13 November 2014 |work=Business Insider}}</ref> These reports later proved to be false, as opposition soldiers and activists on the ground reported continued fighting between the two groups. According to Mohammed Alaa Ghanem, director of government relations for the Syrian American Council, "The only report we have received on anything resembling a ceasefire was that ISIS and Sons of Golan, an FSA brigade outside Damascus, halted fighting for 24 hours to collect bodies before hostilities resumed."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/16/syrian-opposition-blasts-reports-it-signed-a-truce-with-isis.html |title=Syrian Opposition Blasts Reports It Signed a Truce With ISIS |work=The Daily Beast}}</ref> "FSA commanders declared that they will continue that fight until ISIS is completely eradicated in Damascus suburbs. No truce or cease fire with ISIS," said Syrian National Coalition spokesman Monzer Abkik.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thehill.com/policy/defense/217652-syrian-opposition-no-isis-cease-fire |title=Syrian opposition: No ISIS cease-fire |work=TheHill}}</ref>
==== Foreign nationals ====
A United Nations report {{as of|2015|5|alt=from May 2015}} showed that 25,000 "foreign terrorist fighters" from 100 countries had joined "Islamist" groups, many of them working for ISIL or al-Qaeda.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Burke |first1=Jason |title=Islamist fighters drawn from half the world's countries, says UN |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/26/islamist-fighters-drawn-from-half-the-worlds-countries-says-un |accessdate=26 May 2015 |work=The Guardian |date=26 May 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526202608/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/26/islamist-fighters-drawn-from-half-the-worlds-countries-says-un |archivedate=26 May 2015 |deadurl=no}}</ref> The US-trained commander of [[Tajikistan]]'s [[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Tajikistan)|Interior Ministry]] [[OMON]] police special forces, [[Gulmurod Khalimov]], has been raised to the rank of "Minister of War" within the Islamic State.<ref name="Khalimov">{{cite web |url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/isis-us-trained-tajik-special-150308829.html |title=Isis: US-trained Tajik special forces chief Gulmurod Khalimov becomes Isis 'war minister' |date=6 September 2016 |publisher=Yahoo News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-tajikistan-idUSKBN0OD1AP20150528 |title=Commander of elite Tajik police force defects to Islamic State |date=28 May 2015 |publisher=Reuters}}</ref>
The commander for the Islamic State in Syria, [[Abu Omar al-Shishani]], served previously as a sergeant in the [[Georgian Land Forces|Georgian Army]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mroue |first1=Bassem |title=Chechen in Syria a rising star in extremist group |agency=Associated Press |date=2 July 2014 |url=http://washingtonexaminer.com/chechen-in-syria-a-rising-star-in-extremist-group/article/feed/2146182 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714130320/http://washingtonexaminer.com/chechen-in-syria-a-rising-star-in-extremist-group/article/feed/2146182 |archivedate=14 July 2014 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
A 2015 report by the Program on Extremism at George Washington University found 71 individuals charged in the United States with supporting ISIL, 250 travelling or attempting to travel to Syria or Iraq from the United States to join ISIL, and about 900 active domestic ISIL-related investigations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cchs.gwu.edu/isis-in-america |title=ISIS in America – Center for Cyber & Homeland Security – The George Washington University |work=gwu.edu}}</ref>
An October 2016 World Bank study found that "ISIL’s foreign fighters are surprisingly well-educated."<ref name="Quartz6Oct2016Educated">{{cite web |url=http://qz.com/802276/the-foreign-fighters-of-isisislamic-state-are-surprisingly-well-educated-according-to-the-world-bank/ |title=ISIL’s foreign fighters are surprisingly well-educated, according to the World Bank |work=Quartz |author=Aamna Mohdin |date=6 October 2016 |accessdate=18 October 2016}}</ref> Using the fighters' self-reported educational levels, the study concluded that "69% of recruits reported at least a secondary-level education"<ref name="Quartz6Oct2016Educated"/> of which "a large fraction have gone on to study at university"<ref name="WorldBankOct2016Educated">{{cite web |url=http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/409591474983005625/pdf/108525-REVISED-PUBLIC.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007104956/http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/409591474983005625/pdf/108525-REVISED-PUBLIC.pdf|dead-url=yes|archive-date=2016-10-07 |title=Economic and Social Inclusion to Prevent Violent Extremism |work=World Bank |date=October 2016 |accessdate=18 October 2016}}</ref> and also that "only 15% of recruits left school before high school; less than 2% are illiterate."<ref name="Quartz6Oct2016Educated"/><ref name="WorldBankOct2016Educated"/> The study also found that foreign fighters are often more educated than their countrymen where those "from Europe and in Central Asia have similar levels of education to their countrymen" while those "from the Middle East, North Africa, and South and East Asia are significantly more educated than what is typical in their home nations."<ref name="Quartz6Oct2016Educated"/> The report notes that its conclusions that terrorism is not driven by poverty and low levels of education does not conform with previous research.<ref name="Quartz6Oct2016Educated"/> However, the report did find a strong correlation "between a country’s male unemployment rate and the propensity of the country to supply foreign fighters" leading the report to recommend that governments pursue a policy of lowering the unemployment rate among the educated as a counter-terrorism strategy.<ref name="Quartz6Oct2016Educated"/>
==== Groups expressing support for ISIL ====
The Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium (TRAC) has identified 60 jihadist groups in 30 countries that have pledged allegiance to or support for ISIL as of mid-November 2014. That many of these groups were previously affiliated with [[al-Qaeda]] suggests a shift in global jihadist leadership towards ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |first=Riyadh |last=Mohammed |url=http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2014/11/16/ISIS-Doubles-Down-Infidels-Boosted-60-New-Terror-Groups#sthash.eYktEthB.dpuf |title=ISIS Beheads Another American As 60 New Terror Groups Join |work=The Fiscal Times |date=16 November 2014 |accessdate=28 November 2014}}</ref>
Members of the following groups have declared support for ISIL, either fully or in part:
{{colbegin}}
* [[Boko Haram]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/isis-accepts-boko-haram-pledge-says-would-be-recruits-can-go-to-nigeria-1.2993474 |title=ISIS accepts Boko Haram pledge, says would-be recruits can go to Nigeria |date=13 March 2015 |publisher=CBC News |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>
* <!-- Commented out: [[File:Ansar al-Sharia Tunisia Logo.jpg|20px]] --> [[Ansar al-Sharia (Tunisia)]]<ref>{{cite news |first=Jamel |last=Arfaoui |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201407090299.html |title=Tunisia: Ansar Al-Sharia Tunisia Spokesman Backs Isis |publisher=AllAfrica |location=Tunis, Tunisia |date=8 July 2014 |accessdate=25 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Abdallah Suleiman Ali |title=Global jihadists recognize Islamic State |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2014/07/syria-iraq-isis-islamic-caliphate-global-recognition.html |accessdate=25 September 2014 |publisher=Al-Monitor |date=3 July 2014}}</ref>
* [[Jund al-Khilafah]]<ref name=rt-09-14>{{cite news |last1=Chikhi |first1=Lamine |title=Splinter group breaks from al Qaeda in North Africa |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/14/us-algeria-security-idUSKBN0H90G820140914 |accessdate=24 September 2014 |agency=Reuters |date=14 September 2014}}</ref>
* [[Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem]]<ref name="am27Feb2014" />
* [[Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid]]<ref name="indonesiagroup-split">{{cite web |last=Witular |first=Rendi A. |title=Sons, top aides abandon Ba'asyir over ISIL, form new jihadist group |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/08/13/sons-top-aides-abandon-ba-asyir-over-isil-form-new-jihadist-group.html |work=The Jakarta Post |date=13 August 2014}}</ref> – (pledged support to ISIL; the majority of the group split off after its leader pledged allegiance to ISIL)<ref name="indonesiagroup-split" /><ref name="Indonesian jihadist group joins ISIL">{{cite web |title=Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid, The Perpetual threat |first=Chris |last=Rottenberg |work=Osgood Center for International Studies |year=2012 |url=http://www.osgoodcenter.org/PDF/JAT.pdf |format=PDF}}</ref>
* [[Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan]]<ref name=support>{{cite news |title=Uzbek militants declare support for Islamic State |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1136578/uzbek-militants-declare-support-for-islamic-state/print |agency=Agence France-Presse |work=Dawn |date=7 October 2014 |quote='Hereby, on behalf of all members of our movement, in line with our sacred duties, I declare that we are in the same ranks with the Islamic State in this continued war between Islam and [non-Muslims],' Usman Gazi wrote in an online statement on Sept 26. |accessdate=25 May 2015}}</ref><ref name=imubayat>{{cite news |url=http://www.rferl.org/content/imu-islamic-state/27174567.html |title=IMU Declares It Is Now Part Of The Islamic State |date=6 August 2015 |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |accessdate=6 August 2015}}</ref>
* [[Jundallah (Pakistan)]]<ref name="Pakistani Taliban pledges allegiance to ISIL" />
* [[Caucasus Emirate]] (multiple Caucasus Emirate commanders switched allegiance to ISIL)<ref name="edm13Feb2015" /><ref name="rferl02Jan15">{{cite web |url=http://www.rferl.mobi/a/islamic-state-north-caucasus-insurgency-commanders-allegiance/26773615.html |title=Six North Caucasus Insurgency Commanders Transfer Allegiance To Islamic State |first=Liz |last=Fuller |date=2 January 2015 |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |accessdate=17 February 2015}}</ref><ref name=demise>{{cite web |url=http://www.jamestown.org/programs/edm/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=44051&cHash=973198e3db1a533a0115a648cad28b2a |title=What Caused the Demise of the Caucasus Emirate? |date=18 June 2015 |publisher=Jamestown Foundation}}</ref>
* [[Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade]]<ref name="Levy 9 June 2014" />
* [[Khalifa Islamiyah Mindanao]]
** [[Jemaah Islamiyah]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Dean |first=Sarah |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2730480/PM-Tony-Abbott-warns-Australians-new-threats-Indonesian-terror-group-Jemaah-Islamiyah-calls-James-Foleys-beheading-truly-sickening.html |title=PM Tony Abbott warns Australians of threats from Indonesian Jemaah Islamiyah group |work=Daily Mail |date=21 August 2014 |accessdate=23 August 2014 |location=London}}</ref>
** [[Abu Sayyaf]]<ref name="ISIL gains supporters" /><ref name="PHL">{{cite news |title=Philippines condemns, vows to 'thwart' ISIS |url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/69380-philippines-condemns-islamic-state-isis |first=Paterno |last=Emasquel II |publisher=Rappler |date=17 September 2014 |accessdate=19 September 2014}}</ref>
** [[Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters]]<ref>{{cite news |title=BIFF, Abu Sayyaf pledge allegiance to Islamic State jihadists |work=GMA News Online |agency=Agence France-Presse |publisher=GMA Network |location=Quezon City, Philippines |date=16 August 2014 |url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/375074/news/nation/biff-abu-sayyaf-pledge-allegiance-to-islamic-state-jihadists |accessdate=22 August 2014}}</ref>
** [[Ansar Khalifa Philippines]]
{{Colend}}
=== Countries and groups at war with ISIL ===
[[File:CountriesAgainstIS.svg|600px|thumb|center|A map of all state-based opponents of ISIL
<br />{{Color box|#00AAD4|border=darkgray}} [[Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve]]
<br />{{Color box|#AAD400|border=darkgray}} Other state based opponents
<br />{{Color box|red|border=darkgray}} Territories held by ISIL at its late 2015 peak]]
ISIL's claims to territory have brought it into armed conflict with many governments, militias and other armed groups. International rejection of ISIL as a terrorist entity and rejection of its claim to even exist have placed it in conflict with countries around the world.
=== The Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ===
{{See also|Military intervention against ISIL#International coalitions against ISIL|Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve}}
[[File:Strikes in Syria and Iraq 2014-09-23.jpg|thumb|Airstrikes in Syria by 24 September 2014]]
The Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also referred to as the Counter-ISIL Coalition or Counter-DAESH Coalition,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://gulfnews.com/news/region/iraq/coalition-commanders-seek-plan-to-counter-daesh-advance-1.1398681 |title=Coalition commanders seek plan to counter Daesh advance |date=14 October 2014 |agency=Agence France-Presse |work=Gulf News}}</ref> is a US-led group of nations and [[non-state actor]]s that have committed to "work together under a common, multifaceted, and long-term strategy to degrade and defeat ISIL/Daesh". According to a joint statement issued by 59 national governments and the European Union on 3 December 2014, participants in the Counter-ISIL Coalition are focused on multiple lines of effort:<ref name=Anti-ISIL>{{cite web |title=Joint Statement Issued by Partners at the Counter-ISIL Coalition Ministerial Meeting |url=https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/12/234627.htm |date=3 December 2014 |publisher=State.gov |accessdate=14 December 2014}}</ref>
# Supporting military operations, capacity building, and training;
# Stopping the flow of foreign terrorist fighters;
# Cutting off ISIL/Daesh's access to financing and funding;
# Addressing associated humanitarian relief and crises; and
# Exposing ISIL/Daesh's true nature (ideological delegitimisation).
[[Operation Inherent Resolve]] is the operational name given by the US to military operations against ISIL and Syrian al-Qaeda affiliates.
[[Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve]] (CJTF–OIR) is co-ordinating the military portion of the response.
The [[Arab League]], [[European Union]], [[NATO]], and [[Gulf Cooperation Council|GCC]] are part of the Counter-ISIL Coalition:<ref name=Anti-ISIL />
====Other state opponents not part of the Counter-ISIL Coalition====
<!--NOT part of the Global Coalition above-->
{{see also|Russia–Syria–Iran–Iraq coalition}}
Iran<ref>{{cite news |first=Babak |last=Dehghanpisheh |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/iraq-security-iran-idINL6N0Q73ZU20140803 |title=Iran's elite Guards fighting in Iraq to push back Islamic State |agency=Reuters |date=3 August 2014}}</ref> – military advisors, training, ground troops, and air power in Iraq and Syria, beside Iranian borders (''see [[Iranian intervention in Iraq (2014–present)|Iranian intervention in Iraq]]'')
[[File:Russian Sukhoi Su-34 at Latakia (1).jpg|thumb|Russian [[Sukhoi Su-34]] in Syria]]
Russia<ref>{{cite news |first=Alexander |last=Smith |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/russia-tells-iraq-its-ready-support-fight-against-isis-n212136 |title=Russia Tells Iraq It's 'Ready' to Support Fight Against ISIS |publisher=NBC News |date=26 September 2014 |accessdate=27 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Nordland |first=Rod |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/30/world/middleeast/iraq.html |title=Russian Jets and Experts Sent to Iraq to Aid Army |date=29 June 2014 |work=The New York Times |accessdate=28 September 2014}}</ref> – arms supplier to Iraqi and Syrian governments. In June 2014, the Iraqi army received Russian [[Sukhoi Su-25]] and [[Sukhoi Su-30]] fighter aircraft to combat the ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://rt.com/news/169144-iraq-russian-jets-arrive/ |title=Target ISIS: First batch of Russian fighter jets arrives in Iraq |publisher=RT |date=30 June 2014 |accessdate=8 June 2015}}</ref> Security operations within state borders in 2015.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2015/Aug-02/309357-russia-kills-8-isis-militants-in-caucasus-raid.ashx |title=Russia 'kills 8 ISIS militants' in Caucasus raid |work=The Daily Star |agency=Agence France-Presse |location=Beirut, Lebanon}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/30/l-todd-wood-russia-declares-counter-terror-ops-reg/ |first=L. Todd |last=Wood |title=Russia declares counter-terror ops regime in North Caucasus |work=The Washington Times |date=30 June 2015}}</ref> Airstrikes in Syria (see [[Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War]]).<ref>{{cite news |first=Christopher |last=Harress |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/russian-islamic-state-airstrikes-iraq-isis-ok-russia-target-baghdad-says-2155152 |work=International Business Times |title=Russian Islamic State Airstrikes In Iraq: ISIS OK For Russia To Target, Baghdad Says |date=24 October 2015 |accessdate=1 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.rt.com/news/317101-russia-isis-strikes-intelligence/ |publisher=RT |title=8 ISIS targets hit during 20 combat flights in Syria – Russian military |date=30 September 2015 |accessdate=1 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Ed |last1=Payne |first2=Barbara |last2=Starr |first3=Susannah |last3=Cullinane |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/30/politics/russia-syria-airstrikes-isis/ |publisher=CNN |title=Russia launches first airstrikes in Syria |date=30 September 2015 |accessdate=30 September 2015}}</ref>
Azerbaijan<ref>{{cite news |first=Giorgi |last=Lomsadze |url=http://www.eurasianet.org/node/70141 |publisher=EurasiaNet.org |title=Azerbaijan Arrests Alleged ISIS and Other Islamic Fighters |date=24 September 2014 |accessdate=18 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.panorama.am/en/politics/2015/01/26/isis-azerbayjan/ |work=Panorama |title=Azerbaijani media: Embassy increases security in Baku because of ISIS threatening |date=26 January 2015 |accessdate=18 January 2015}}</ref> – security operations within state borders
Pakistan – Military deployment over [[Saudi–Iraq barrier|Saudi Arabia-Iraq border]]. Arresting ISIL figures in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite news |first=C. Raja |last=Mohan |title=Nawaz Sharif in Saudi Arabia: Pakistan's Leverage in the Gulf |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/nawaz-sharif-in-saudi-arabia-pakistans-leverage-in-the-gulf/ |accessdate=7 March 2015 |work=The Indian Express |date=5 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Now Pakistan cares about ISIS |url=http://nypost.com/2014/10/31/now-pakistan-cares-about-isis/ |accessdate=7 March 2015 |work=New York Post |date=31 October 2014 |first=Jamie |last=Schram}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Security forces arrest local Islamic State commander in Lahore: sources |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/825178/secuirty-forces-arrest-local-islamic-state-commander-in-lahore-sources/ |accessdate=7 March 2015 |work=The Express Tribune |location=Lahore, Pakistan |agency=Reuters |date=21 January 2015}}</ref>
==== Other non-state opponents ====
[[File:Flag of al-Qaeda.svg|25px]] [[al-Qaeda]]<ref name="winepJune14" />
* [[File:Flag of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham.svg|25px]] [[al-Nusra Front]]<ref name="auto2">{{cite news |title=ISIL, Nusra Clash Fiercely on Qalmoun Barrens: 25 Killed, Injured |url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?fromval=1&cid=23&frid=23&eid=186129 |accessdate=18 December 2014 |work=[[Al-Manar]] News |date=17 December 2014}}</ref>—with localised truces and co-operation at times
* [[al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula]]<ref name="ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al Qaeda" /> [[Syriac Military Council]]
* [[al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb]]<ref>{{cite news |first=Thomas |last=Joscelyn |title=Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb backs jihadists fighting Islamic State in Derna, Libya |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/07/al-qaeda-in-the-islamic-maghreb-backs-jihadists-fighting-islamic-state-in-derna-libya.php |date=9 July 2015 |accessdate=9 July 2015 |work=Long War Journal}}</ref>
* [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|Al-Shabaab]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Suspected Leader of Pro-IS Al-Shabab Faction Reported Killed |url=http://www.voanews.com/content/somalia-suspected-leader-of-pro-islamic-state-al-shabab-faction-reported-killed/3069114.html |date=22 November 2015 |accessdate=23 November 2015 |work=Voice of America News}}</ref>
[[File:Flag of Taliban.svg|25px]] [[Taliban]]<ref name="seattletimes-into-afghan">{{cite web |title=ISIS reportedly moves into Afghanistan, is even fighting Taliban |url=http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2025445123_apxafghanistanislamicstate.html |date=12 January 2015 |accessdate=27 March 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213191753/http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2025445123_apxafghanistanislamicstate.html |archivedate=13 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=ISIL and the Taliban |date=1 November 2015 |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/specialseries/2015/11/islamic-state-isil-taliban-afghanistan-151101074041755.html |accessdate=13 December 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Flag of Hamas.svg|22 px]] [[Hamas]]<ref>{{cite news |title=ISIL warns Hamas in video message |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/07/isil-warns-hamas-video-message-150701042302630.html |date=1 July 2015 |accessdate=1 July 2015}}</ref><br />[[File:Kurdish YPG Fighters (15318975992).jpg|thumb|[[Kurds|Kurdish]] [[People's Protection Units|YPG]] fighters]]
[[File:Flag of Kurdistan Workers' Party.svg|22 px]] [[Kurdistan Workers' Party]]—ground troops in Iraqi Kurdistan and in Syrian Kurdistan<ref name="Mohammed">{{cite web |last=Mohammed |first=A. Salih |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/09/pkk-kurdish-fight-islamic-state.html |title=PKK forces impress in fight against Islamic State |date=1 September 2014 |publisher=Al-Monitor |accessdate=15 October 2014}}</ref><br />
{{flagicon image|InfoboxHez.PNG}} [[Hezbollah]]<ref name="Mortada">{{cite web |last=Mortada |first=Radwan |title=Hezbollah fighters and the "jihadis": Mad, drugged, homicidal, and hungry |url=http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/hezbollah-fighters-and-jihadis-mad-drugged-homicidal-and-hungry |work=Al Akhbar |date=19 May 2014 |accessdate=9 June 2014}}</ref><br />
{{flagicon image|Houthis Logo.png}} [[Houthis]]—Shia faction in Yemen, [[Yemeni Civil War (2015)|fighting for control of the country]]<ref name="Houthis opposed to ISIL">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/13/us-mideast-crisis-baghdadi-idUSKCN0IX1Y120141113 |title=Islamic State leader urges attacks in Saudi Arabia: speech |agency=Reuters |date=13 November 2014}}</ref>
==== Al-Qaeda ====
[[Al-Nusra Front]] is a branch of [[al-Qaeda]] operating in Syria. Al-Nusra has launched many attacks and [[List of bombings during the Syrian Civil War|bombings]], mostly against targets affiliated with or supportive of the Syrian government.<ref>{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Roggio |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/06/suicide_bombers_kill_14_in_dam.php |title=Suicide bombers kill 14 in Damascus |work=Long War Journal |date=11 June 2013 |accessdate=3 June 2015}}</ref> There have been media reports that many of al-Nusra's foreign fighters have left to join al-Baghdadi's ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10067318/Syria-Jabhat-al-Nusra-split-after-leaders-pledge-of-support-for-al-Qaeda.html |title=Syria: Jabhat al-Nusra split after leader's pledge of support for al-Qaeda |work=The Telegraph |date=19 May 2013 |location=London |first=Richard |last=Spencer}}</ref>
In February 2014, after continued tensions, al-Qaeda publicly disavowed any relations with ISIL.<ref name="AlQaedaTiesEnd" /> However, ISIL and al-Nusra Front still cooperate with each other occasionally when they fight against the Syrian government.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/jabhat-al-nusra-isis-alliance-could-spread-beyond-damascus-1877819 |title=Jabhat Al-Nusra And ISIS Alliance Could Spread Beyond Damascus |first=Erin |last=Banco |newspaper=International Business Times |date=11 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Eugenio |last=Lilli |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11230622/How-would-a-deal-between-al-Qaeda-and-Isil-change-Syrias-civil-war.html |title=How would a deal between al-Qaeda and Isil change Syria's civil war? |work=The Telegraph |location=London |date=14 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Mitchell |last=Prothero |url=http://www.sacbee.com/2014/03/04/6207631/isis-joins-other-rebels-to-thwart.html |title=ISIS joins other rebels to thwart Syria regime push near Lebanon |newspaper=The Sacramento Bee |date=4 March 2014}}</ref>
{{quote|text=The two groups [ISIL and al-Nusra] share a nihilistic worldview, a loathing for modernity, and for the West. They subscribe to the same perverted interpretations of Islam. Other common traits include a penchant for suicide attacks, and sophisticated exploitation of the internet and social media. Like ISIL, several Al Qaeda franchises are interested in taking and holding territory; AQAP has been much less successful at it. The main differences between Al Qaeda and ISIL are largely political—and personal. Over the past decade, Al Qaeda has twice embraced ISIL (and its previous manifestations) as brothers-in-arms. |first=Bobby|last=Ghosh |source="ISIL and Al Qaeda: Terror's frenemies", ''[[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]''<ref>{{cite news |first=Bobby |last=Ghosh |url=http://qz.com/324909/isil-and-al-qaeda-terrors-frenemies/ |title=ISIL and Al Qaeda: Terror's frenemies |work=Quartz |date=12 January 2015}}</ref>}}
On 10 September 2015, an audio message was released by al-Qaeda's leader [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]] criticising ISIL's self-proclaimed caliphate and accusing it of "sedition". This was described by some media outlets as a "declaration of war".<ref>{{cite news |first=James Gordon |last=Meek |title=Al Qaeda Leader Al-Zawahiri Declares War on ISIS 'Caliph' Al-Baghdadi |url=https://news.yahoo.com/al-qaeda-leader-al-zawahiri-declares-war-isis-151231254--abc-news-topstories.html |via=Yahoo! News |publisher=ABC News |accessdate=11 September 2015}}</ref> However, although al-Zawahiri denied ISIL's legitimacy, he suggested that there was still room for cooperation against common enemies, and said that if he were in Iraq, he would fight alongside ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |first=Omar |last=Fahmy |date=9 September 2015 |title=Al Qaeda calls Islamic State illegitimate but suggests cooperation |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/09/us-mideast-zawahri-idUSKCN0R91LY20150909 |agency=Reuters |accessdate=11 September 2015}}</ref>
== Human rights abuse and war crime findings ==
{{Main page|Human rights in ISIL-controlled territory}}{{anchor|war crimes}}
In July 2014, the [[BBC]] reported the United Nations' chief investigator as stating: "Fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) may be added to a list of war crimes suspects in Syria."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28498661 |title=UN 'may include' Isis on Syrian war crimes list |publisher=BBC News |date=26 July 2014}}</ref> By June 2014, according to United Nations reports, ISIL had killed hundreds of prisoners of war<ref name=reuters-scores>"[https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/28/us-syria-crisis-idUSKBN0GS10O20140828 Video shows Islamic State executes scores of Syrian soldiers]". Reuters. 28 August 2014.</ref> and over 1,000 civilians.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
In November 2014, the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said that ISIL was committing [[crimes against humanity]].<ref>{{cite news |last=<!-- Staff writer --> |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/11/14/ISIS-commits-crimes-against-humanity-in-Syria.html |title=ISIS accused of crimes against humanity |publisher=Al Arabiya |location=Dubai, United Arab Emirates |date=14 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Nina |last=Larson |url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Nov-14/277641-un-probe-isis-committing-crimes-against-humanity-in-syria.ashx |title=UN probe: ISIS committing 'crimes against humanity' in Syria |work=The Daily Star |location=Beirut, Lebanon |date=14 November 2014}}</ref> A report by [[Human Rights Watch]] in November 2014 accused ISIL groups in [[2014 ISIL takeover of Derna|control of Derna]], Libya of [[war crimes]] and [[human rights abuses]] and of terrorising residents. Human Rights Watch documented three apparent summary executions and at least ten public floggings by the Islamic Youth Shura Council, which joined ISIL in November. It also documented the beheading of three Derna residents and dozens of seemingly politically motivated assassinations of judges, public officials, members of the security forces and others. Sarah Leah Watson, Director of HRW Middle East and North Africa, said: "Commanders should understand that they may face domestic or international prosecution for the grave rights abuses their forces are committing."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/11/27/libya-extremists-terrorizing-derna-residents |title=Libya: Extremists Terrorizing Derna Residents |publisher=Human Rights Watch |accessdate=28 November 2014}}</ref>
Speaking of ISIL's methods, the [[United Nations Commission on Human Rights]] has stated that the group "seeks to subjugate civilians under its control and dominate every aspect of their lives through terror, indoctrination, and the provision of services to those who obey".<ref name=UNRuleOfTerror/>
=== Religious and minority group persecution ===
{{anchor|persecutions}}
{{See also|Arabization|Genocide of Christians by ISIL|Genocide of Shias by ISIL|Genocide of Yazidis by ISIL}}
[[File:Yazidi refugees.jpg|thumb|[[Yazidi]] refugees on [[Mount Sinjar]] in August 2014]]
ISIL compels people in the areas that it controls to live according to its interpretation of sharia law.<ref name="McCoyTop">{{cite news |last=McCoy |first=Terrence |date=13 June 2013 |title=ISIL, beheadings and the success of horrifying violence |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/06/13/isis-beheadings-and-the-success-of-horrifying-violence/ |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=23 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="Bulos">{{cite news |last=Bulos |first=Nabih |date=20 June 2014 |title=Islamic State of Iraq and Syria aims to recruit Westerners with video |url=http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-isis-video-20140620-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |accessdate=17 August 2014}}</ref> There have been many reports of the group's use of death threats, torture and mutilation to compel conversion to Islam,<ref name="McCoyTop" /><ref name="Bulos" /> and of clerics being killed for refusal to pledge allegiance to the so-called "Islamic State".<ref name=Zarocostas-clerics /> ISIL directs violence against [[Shia Islam|Shia]] Muslims, [[Alawites]], [[Assyrian Christianity|Assyrian]], [[Chaldean Christians|Chaldean]], [[Syriac Christianity|Syriac]] and [[Armenians|Armenian]] Christians, [[Yazidi]]s, [[Druze]], [[Shabaks]] and [[Mandeans]] in particular.<ref name="Christian">{{cite news |last1=Abi-Habib |first1=Maria |title=Iraq's Christian Minority Feels Militant Threat |url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/iraqs-christian-minority-feels-militant-threat-1403826576 |accessdate=6 July 2014 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=26 June 2014 |subscription=yes |via=Google}}</ref>
ISIL fighters are targeting Syria's minority Alawite sect.<ref name="village" /><ref name="The National">{{cite news |title=Turkey's Arab Alawites stand at a crossroads |url=http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/turkeys-arab-alawites-stand-at-a-crossroads |work=The National |date=6 December 2014}}</ref> The Islamic State and affiliated jihadist groups reportedly took the lead in an [[2013 Latakia offensive|offensive]] on Alawite villages in [[Latakia Governorate]] of Syria in August 2013.<ref name="The Latakia">{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10236362/Syrian-rebels-accused-of-sectarian-murders.html |title=Syrian rebels accused of sectarian murders |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=11 August 2013 |quote=Hundreds of Alawite civilians have been killed, kidnapped or have disappeared during a rebel offensive on President Bashar al-Assad's heartland province of Latakia, local residents have reported. |location=London |first=Ruth |last=Sherlock}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/10/10/syria-executions-hostage-taking-rebels |title=Syria: Executions, Hostage Taking by Rebels |publisher=Human Rights Watch |date=10 October 2013}}</ref>
[[Amnesty International]] has held ISIL responsible for the [[ethnic cleansing]] of ethnic and religious minority groups in northern Iraq on a "historic scale", putting entire communities "at risk of being wiped off the map of Iraq". In a special report released on 2 September 2014, the organization described how ISIL had "systematically targeted non-Arab and non-Sunni Muslim communities, killing or abducting hundreds, possibly thousands, of individuals and forcing more than 830,000 others to flee the areas it has captured since 10 June 2014". Among these people were Assyrian Christians, Turkmen Shia, Shabak Shia, [[Kaka'i]], Yazidis and Sabean Mandeans, who have lived together for centuries in [[Nineveh Province|Nineveh]] province, large parts of which have come under ISIL's control.<ref name=amnestyethnic /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29026491 |date=2 September 2014 |title=Iraq crisis: Islamic State accused of ethnic cleansing |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=25 September 2014}}</ref>
Among the known killings of religious and minority group civilians carried out by ISIL are those in the villages and towns of Quiniyeh (70–90 Yazidis killed), Hardan (60 Yazidis killed), [[Sinjar massacre|Sinjar]] (500–2,000 Yazidis killed), Ramadi Jabal (60–70 Yazidis killed), Dhola (50 Yazidis killed), Khana Sor (100 Yazidis killed), [[Hardan]] (250–300 Yazidis killed), al-Shimal (dozens of Yazidis killed), Khocho (400 Yazidis killed and 1,000 abducted), Jadala (14 Yazidis killed)<ref name="OHRCHR/UNAMI">{{cite report |url=http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IQ/UNAMI_OHCHR_POC_Report_FINAL_6July_10September2014.pdf |publisher=ohchr.org |title=Report on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in Iraq: 6 July – 10 September 2014}}</ref> and Beshir (700 Shia Turkmen killed),<ref name="cnsnews.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/lauretta-brown/un-isis-massacred-700-turkmen-including-women-children-elderly |title=UN: ISIS Massacred 700 Turkmen – Including Women, Children, Elderly |publisher=CNS News |accessdate=20 October 2014}}</ref> and others committed near Mosul (670 Shia inmates of the Badush prison killed),<ref name="cnsnews.com" /> and in [[Tal Afar]] prison, Iraq (200 Yazidis killed for refusing conversion).<ref name="OHRCHR/UNAMI" /> The UN estimated that 5,000 Yazidis were killed by ISIL during the takeover of parts of northern Iraq in August 2014.<ref name="dailymail-yazidi-slavery">{{cite news |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2792552/full-horror-yazidis-didn-t-escape-mount-sinjar-confirms-5-000-men-executed-7-000-women-kept-sex-slaves.html |title=UN confirms 5,000 Yazidis men were executed and 7,000 women are now sex slaves |work=Daily Mail |accessdate=20 October 2014 |location=London |date=14 October 2014}}</ref> In late May 2014, 150 Kurdish boys from [[Kobani]] aged 14–16 were abducted and subjected to torture and abuse, according to Human Rights Watch.<ref name=AP-Kurds>{{cite news |last1=Lucas |first1=Ryan |title=ISIS Tortured Kurdish Children Captured in Kobani: Group |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/04/isis-kobani-children-torture_n_6099500.html |accessdate=4 November 2014 |agency=Associated Press |work=The Huffington Post |date=4 November 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141105035214/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/04/isis-kobani-children-torture_n_6099500.html |archivedate=5 November 2014}}</ref> In the Syrian towns of Ghraneij, Abu Haman and Kashkiyeh 700 members of the Sunni [[Al-Shaitat]] tribe were killed for attempting an uprising against ISIL control.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/08/islamic-state-group-executes-700-syria-2014816123945662121.html |title=Islamic State group 'executes 700' in Syria |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=17 August 2014 |accessdate=20 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Liz |last=Sly |title=Syria tribal revolt against Islamic State ignored, fueling resentment |date=20 October 2014 |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=7 November 2014 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/syria-tribal-revolt-against-islamic-state-ignored-fueling-resentment/2014/10/20/25401beb-8de8-49f2-8e64-c1cfbee45232_story.html}}</ref> The UN reported that in June 2014 ISIL had killed a number of Sunni Islamic clerics who refused to pledge allegiance to it.<ref name=Zarocostas-clerics>{{cite web |last1=Zarocostas |first1=John |title=U.N.: Islamic State executed imam of mosque where Baghdadi preached |url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/07/08/232563/un-islamic-state-executed-imam.html |website=McClatchyDC |accessdate=10 October 2014 |date=8 July 2014}}</ref>
Christians living in areas under ISIL control face four options: converting to Islam, paying a religious levy called the [[jizya]], leaving the "Caliphate", or death.<ref>{{cite news |last=van Tets |first=Fernande |title=Isis takes Iraq's largest Christian town as residents told – 'leave, convert or die' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-takes-iraqs-largest-christian-town-of-qaraqosh-9653789.html |work=The Independent |date=7 August 2014 |accessdate=5 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Jadallah |first=Ahmed |title=Convert, pay tax, or die, Islamic State warns Christians |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/07/18/uk-iraq-security-christians-idUKKBN0FN29N20140718 |publisher=Reuters |date=18 July 2014 |accessdate=5 January 2015}}</ref> "We offer them three choices: Islam; the [[Dhimmi|dhimma]] contract – involving payment of jizya; if they refuse this they will have nothing but the sword", ISIL said.<ref name="erb">{{cite news |last=Erb |first=Kelly Phillips |title=Islamic State Warns Christians: Convert, Pay Tax, Leave Or Die |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2014/07/19/islamic-state-warns-christians-convert-pay-tax-leave-or-die/#705dd6923718 |work=Forbes |date=19 July 2014 |accessdate=4 July 2016}}</ref><ref name="christian">{{cite news |title=Convert, pay tax, or die, Islamic State warns Christians |date=18 July 2014 |publisher=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security-christians-idUSKBN0FN29J20140718 |quote=It said that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, which the group has now named Caliph Ibrahim, had set a Saturday deadline for Christians who did not want to stay and live under those terms to "leave the borders of the Islamic Caliphate". "After this date, there is nothing between us and them but the sword," it said.}}</ref> ISIL leader [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]] further noted that Christians who do not agree with those terms must "leave the borders of the Islamic Caliphate" within a specified deadline.<ref name="erb" /><ref name="christian" /> ISIL had already set similar rules for Christians in Raqqa, once one of Syria's more liberal cities.<ref name="CNN">{{cite news |last1=Abedine |first1=Saad |last2=Mullen |first2=Jethro |title=Islamists in Syrian city offer Christians safety – at a heavy price |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/28/world/meast/syria-raqqa-isis-christians/ |date=28 February 2014 |publisher=CNN |accessdate=27 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hubbard |first=Ben |title=Life in a Jihadist Capital: Order With a Darker Side |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/24/world/middleeast/islamic-state-controls-raqqa-syria.html?_r=0&module=ArrowsNav&contentCollection=Middle%20East&action=keypress®ion=FixedLeft&pgtype=article |website=The New York Times |accessdate=27 July 2014 |date=23 July 2014}}</ref> However, on 29 March 2016, ISIL issued a decree preventing Christians and Armenians from leaving Raqqa.<ref>{{cite news |last=Robinson |first=Julian |title=Is ISIS planning to kill all remaining Christians in Raqqa? Terror group's decision to ban all members of the faith from leaving the city prompt fears for their safety |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3516932/Is-ISIS-planning-kill-remaining-Christians-Raqqa-Terror-group-s-decision-ban-members-faith-leaving-city-prompt-fears-safety.html |date=31 March 2016 |agency=DailyMail |accessdate=4 July 2016}}</ref>
On 23 February 2015, in response to a major Kurdish offensive in the [[Al-Hasakah Governorate]], ISIL abducted 150 [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] Christians from villages near Tal Tamr ([[Tell Tamer]]) in northeastern Syria, after launching a large offensive in the region.<ref name="Reuters-abducts">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2015rs./02/24/us-mideast-crisis-christians-idUSKBN0LS0MH20150224 |title=Islamic State in Syria abducts at least 150 Christians |first=Suleiman |last=Al-Khalidi |date=23 February 2015 |publisher=Reuters}}</ref><ref name="BBC-abducts">{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31601451 |title=Islamic State 'abducts dozens of Christians in Syria' |date=23 February 2015 |accessdate=23 February 2015 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>
Kurdish officials have claimed that [[Northern Iraq offensive (August 2014)|ISIL's campaign]] against Kurdish and Yezidi enclaves, such as Sinjar, are part of an organised Arabization plan.<ref>{{cite web |first=Judit |last=Neurink |url=http://rudaw.net/mobile/english/interview/29122014 |title=Kurdish official: ISIS Capture of Shingal ‘was part of Arabization campaign’ |work=Rudaw |date=29 December 2014}}</ref>
=== Treatment of civilians ===
{{See also|Killing of captives by ISIL}}
During the Iraqi conflict in 2014, ISIL released dozens of videos showing its ill treatment of civilians, many of whom had apparently been targeted on the basis of their religion or ethnicity. Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned of war crimes being committed in the Iraqi war zone, and disclosed a UN report of ISIL militants murdering Iraqi Army soldiers and 17 civilians in a single street in Mosul. The UN reported that in the 17 days from 5 to 22 June, ISIL killed more than 1,000 Iraqi civilians and injured more than 1,000.<ref name=UN-1000>{{cite news |title=ISIL Militants Killed More Than 1000 Civilians in Recent Onslaught in recent Onslaught in Iraq: UN |url=http://www.rttnews.com/2340932/isil-militants-killed-more-than-1000-civilians-in-recent-onslaught-in-iraq-un.aspx |publisher=RT News |accessdate=4 July 2014}}</ref><ref name=un-2000>{{cite news |url=https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48117 |title=Iraq violence: UN confirms more than 2000 killed, injured since early June |date=24 June 2014 |publisher=UN News Centre |accessdate=4 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="UN-executes">{{cite news |url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-350389-un-warns-of-war-crimes-as-isil-allegedly-executes-1700.html |title=UN warns of war crimes as ISIL allegedly executes 1,700 |date=15 June 2014 |website=Today's Zaman |accessdate=4 July 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704015301/http://www.todayszaman.com/news-350389-un-warns-of-war-crimes-as-isil-allegedly-executes-1700.html |archivedate=4 July 2014}}</ref> After ISIL released photographs of its fighters shooting scores of young men, the UN declared that cold-blooded "executions" by militants in northern Iraq almost certainly amounted to war crimes.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Spencer |first=Richard |title=Iraq crisis: UN condemns 'war crimes' as another town falls to Isis |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10904414/Iraq-crisis-UN-condemns-war-crimes-as-another-town-falls-to-Isis.html |website=The Telegraph |date=16 June 2014 |accessdate=6 July 2014 |location=London}}</ref>
ISIL's advance in Iraq in mid-2014 was accompanied by continuing violence in Syria. On 29 May, ISIL raided a village in Syria and at least 15 civilians were killed, including, according to Human Rights Watch, at least six children.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/06/14/syria-isis-summarily-killed-civilians |title=Syria: ISIS Summarily Killed Civilians |date=14 June 2014 |publisher=Human Rights Watch |accessdate=5 July 2014}}</ref> A hospital in the area confirmed that it had received 15 bodies on the same day.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27726035?print=true |title=Syria conflict: Amnesty says ISIS killed seven children in north |date=6 June 2014 |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=5 July 2014}}</ref> The [[Syrian Observatory for Human Rights]] reported that on 1 June, a 102-year-old man was killed along with his whole family in a village in [[Hama Governorate|Hama]] province.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/06/01/NGO-ISIS-kills-102-year-old-man-family-in-Syria-.html |title=NGO: ISIS kills 102-year-old man, family in Syria |publisher=Al Arabiya English |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=1 June 2014}}</ref> According to [[Reuters]], 1,878 people were killed in Syria by ISIL during the last six months of 2014, most of them civilians.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/28/us-mideast-crisis-casualties-idUSKBN0K60EK20141228 |title=Islamic State executed nearly 2,000 people in six months: monitor |agency=Reuters |first=Oliver |last=Holmes |date=28 December 2014}}</ref>
In Mosul, ISIL has implemented a [[sharia]] school curriculum which bans the teaching of art, music, national history, literature and [[Christianity]]. Although [[Charles Darwin's theory of evolution]] has never been taught in Iraqi schools, the subject has been banned from the school curriculum. Patriotic songs have been declared blasphemous, and orders have been given to remove certain pictures from school textbooks.<ref name=MedievalCurriculum>{{cite news |last1=Bacchi |first1=Umberto |title=ISIS Medieval School Curriculum: No Music, Art and Literature for Mosul Kids |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/isis-medieval-school-curriculum-no-music-art-literature-mosul-kids-1465590 |work=International Business Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Spencer |first=Richard |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/11099882/Islamic-State-issues-new-school-curriculum-in-Iraq.html |title=Islamic State issues new school curriculum in Iraq |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=16 September 2014 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-eradicates-art-history-and-music-from-curriculum-in-iraq/ |title=ISIS eradicates art, history and music from curriculum in Iraq |date=15 September 2014 |publisher=CBS News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-16/mosul-schools-go-back-in-time-as-militants-impose-new-curriculum.html |title=Mosul Schools Go Back in Time With Islamic State Curriculum |date=17 September 2014 |first=Zaid |last=Sabah |first2=Khalid |last2=Al-Ansary |newspaper=Bloomberg News}}</ref> Iraqi parents have largely boycotted schools in which the new curriculum has been introduced.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/middleeast/article4208724.ece |title=Parents boycott militants' curriculum |date=17 September 2014 |first=Catherine |last=Philp |newspaper=The Times |location=London}}</ref>
After capturing cities in Iraq, ISIL issued guidelines on how to wear clothes and veils. ISIL warned women in the city of Mosul to wear full-face veils or face severe punishment.<ref name="Irish">{{cite web |title=Islamic State says women in Mosul must wear full veil or be punished |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/middle-east/islamic-state-says-women-in-mosul-must-wear-full-veil-or-be-punished-1.1878642 |date=26 July 2014 |work=The Irish Times |accessdate=23 August 2014}}</ref> A cleric told Reuters in Mosul that ISIL gunmen had ordered him to read out the warning in his mosque when worshippers gathered. ISIL ordered the faces of both male and female mannequins to be covered, in an order which also banned the use of naked mannequins.<ref>{{cite news |title=Islamic State tells Mosul shopkeepers to cover up naked mannequins |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10985288/Islamic-State-tells-Mosul-shopkeepers-to-cover-up-naked-mannequins.html |work=The Telegraph |location=London |first=Damien |last=McElroy |date=23 July 2014}}</ref> In Raqqa the group uses its two battalions of female fighters in the city to enforce compliance by women with its strict laws on individual conduct.<ref name=recruitingfemailfighters>{{cite news |title=ISIS Is Actively Recruiting Female Fighters To Brutalize Other Women |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-has-female-battalions-too-2014-10 |work=Business Insider}}</ref>
ISIL released 16 notes labelled "Contract of the City", a set of rules aimed at civilians in [[Nineveh]]. One rule stipulated that women should stay at home and not go outside unless necessary. Another rule said that stealing would be punished by amputation.<ref name="Atlantic consumer">{{cite web |last=Zelin |first=Aaron Y. |date=13 June 2014 |title=The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Has a Consumer Protection Office |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/06/the-isis-guide-to-building-an-islamic-state/372769/ |work=The Atlantic |accessdate=17 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Adam |title=The rules in ISIS' new state: Amputations for stealing and women to stay indoors. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/06/12/the-rules-in-isis-new-state-amputations-for-stealing-and-women-to-stay-indoors/ |date=12 June 2014 |website=The Washington Post |accessdate=2 August 2014}}</ref> In addition to the Muslim custom of banning the sale and use of alcohol, ISIL has banned the sale and use of cigarettes and [[hookah]] pipes. It has also banned "music and songs in cars, at parties, in shops and in public, as well as photographs of people in shop windows".<ref name=al-monitor-banned>{{cite news |title=ISIS bans music, imposes veil in Raqqa |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2014/01/isis-raqq-ban-music-smoking-impose-veil.html##ixzz3DAwTxPf5 |accessdate=13 September 2014 |work=Al-Monitor |date=20 January 2014}}</ref>
According to ''[[The Economist]]'', Saudi practices also followed by the group include the establishment of [[Islamic religious police|religious police]] to root out "vice" and enforce attendance at [[salat]] prayers, the widespread use of [[capital punishment]], and the destruction of Christian churches and non-Sunni mosques or their conversion to other uses.<ref name="economist-behead" />
ISIL carried out executions on both men and women who were accused of various acts and found guilty of crimes against Islam such as [[sodomy law|sodomy]],<ref name=independent-execution>{{Cite news |title=Isis executes more than 4,000 people in less than two years |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-has-executed-more-than-4000-people-in-under-two-years-of-the-islamic-state-in-syria-a7007876.html |accessdate=11 November 2016 |work=The Independent |date=30 April 2016}}</ref> [[adultery]], usage and possession of [[contraband]], [[rape]], [[Islam and blasphemy|blasphemy]], [[witchcraft]],<ref>"[https://news.yahoo.com/first-beheads-two-women-syria-monitor-073538672.html IS beheads two civilian women in Syria: monitor] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704173057/https://news.yahoo.com/first-beheads-two-women-syria-monitor-073538672.html |date=4 July 2015 }}". Yahoo News. 30 June 2015.</ref> [[Apostasy in Islam|renouncing Islam]] and [[murder]]. Before the accused are executed their charges are read to them and the spectators. Executions take various forms, including [[stoning]] to death, [[crucifixion]]s, beheadings, burning people alive, and throwing people from tall buildings.<ref>{{cite news |last=Saul |first=Heather |date=22 January 2015 |title=Isis publishes penal code listing amputation, crucifixion and stoning as punishments – and vows to vigilantly enforce it |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-publishes-penal-code-listing-amputation-crucifixion-and-stoning-as-punishments--and-vows-to-vigilantly-enforce-it-9994878.html |website=The Independent |accessdate=3 February 2015 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Withnall |first=Adam |date=18 January 2015 |title=Isis throws 'gay' men off tower, stones woman accused of adultery and crucifies 17 young men in 'retaliatory' wave of executions |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-throws-gay-men-off-tower-stones-woman-accused-of-adultery-and-crucifies-17-young-men-in-retaliatory-wave-of-executions-9986410.html |website=The Independent |accessdate=3 February 2015 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Rush |first=James |date=3 February 2015 |title=Images emerge of 'gay' man 'thrown from building by Isis militants before he is stoned to death after surviving fall' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/images-emerge-of-gay-man-thrown-from-building-by-isis-militants-before-he-is-stoned-to-death-after-surviving-fall-10019743.html |website=The Independent |accessdate=3 February 2015 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Daragahi |first=Borzou |date=25 February 2015 |title=Isis brutality in Iraq reawakens Sunni resistance |url=https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/43594cf2-bce5-11e4-9902-00144feab7de.html |website=Financial Times |accessdate=25 February 2014}}</ref> The Islamic State in Iraq frequently carries out mass executions [[Mass Executions in ISIS Occupied Mosul|in Mosul]] and [[Hawija]].
The Islamic State militants were accused of using civilian residents of towns as [[human shields]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Islamic State digging in <!-- not a mistake-->in Raqqa, hiding in civilian shadows, amassing human shields |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/11/18/world/islamic-state-digging-raqqa-hiding-civilian-shadows-amassing-human-shields/ |publisher=[[The Japan Times]] |date=18 November 2015}}</ref> The ''Telegraph'' reported that "Extremist fighters are deliberately hiding among civilian buildings and residents to try to prevent strikes."<ref>{{cite news |title=Islamic State jihadists using human shields to avoid air strikes |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/12004264/Islamic-State-jihadists-using-human-shields-to-avoid-air-strikes.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=20 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=ISIS using children human shields in Iraq and Syria as US and others increase airstrikes |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-children-human-shields-iraq-syria-us-airstrikes-civilian-casualties/ |publisher=CBS News |date=4 December 2015}}</ref> Civil rights activist told ARA News that "ISIS militants prevent the people of Manbij and Jarablus from leaving their hometowns despite the fierce airstrikes by Russian warplanes".<ref>"[http://aranews.net/2016/01/isis-use-syrian-civilians-as-human-shields-against-russian-strikes/ ISIS extremists use Syrian civilians as human shields against Russian strikes]". ARA News. 24 January 2016.</ref> The use of human shields and executions of civilians who tried to flee continued in Iraq right through until the group lost is final major urban territory there after its defeat in the [[Battle of Mosul (2016–17)|Battle for Mosul]] in July 2017.<ref>{{Cite document |title=At Any Cost: The Civilian Catastrophe in West Mosul |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde14/6610/2017/en/ |date=11 July 2017 |location=London |publisher=Amnesty International |access-date= 21 July 2017}}</ref>
=== Child soldiers ===
{{See also|Military use of children}}
According to a report by the magazine ''[[Foreign Policy]]'', children as young as six are recruited or kidnapped and sent to military and religious training camps, where they practice beheading with dolls and are indoctrinated with the religious views of ISIL.<ref name =DerSpiegel201607>{{Cite web |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/islamic-state-how-the-is-trains-child-soldiers-a-1103941.html |title=Islamic State's Child Soldiers: First Come the Sweets, Then the Beheadings |last=Kuntz |first=Katrine |date=29 July 2016 |website=SPIEGEL ONLINE |publisher=Der Spiegel|access-date=1 August 2016}}</ref> Children are used as human shields on front lines and to provide blood transfusions for Islamic State soldiers,<ref name =DerSpiegel201607 /> according to Shelly Whitman of the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative. The second instalment of a [[Vice News]] documentary about ISIL focused on how the group is specifically grooming children for the future. A spokesman told VICE News that those under the age of 15 go to [[sharia]] camp to learn about religion, while those older than 16 can go to military training camp.<ref name =DerSpiegel201607 /> Children are also used for propaganda. According to a UN report, "In mid-August, ISIL entered a cancer hospital in Mosul, forced at least two sick children to hold the ISIL flag and posted the pictures on the internet." Misty Buswell, a [[Save the Children]] representative working with refugees in Jordan, said, "It's not an exaggeration to say we could lose a whole generation of children to trauma."<ref name="Foreign Policy child">{{cite web |last1=Brannan |first1=Kate |title=Children of the Caliphate |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/10/24/children_of_the_caliphate_iraq_syria_child_soldiers |website=foreignpolicy.com/ |publisher=Foreign Policy Magazine |accessdate=30 November 2014}}</ref> A UN report indicated that at least 89 children, mostly from the ages of 12 to 16 had been killed fighting for the Islamic State in 2015, 39% of which died in suicide bombing attacks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35608878 |title=IS increases use of child soldiers, says US report |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> Der Spiegel estimated in 2016 that 1,500 boys were serving as child soldiers for ISIL.<ref name =DerSpiegel201607 /> It was reported that on 12 March 2017, ISIS used 6 child suicide bombers against the Syrian Army soldiers besieged in Deir Ez-zor.<ref>{{cite web |title=In pictures: ISIS launches fresh attacks against the Syrian Army in Deir Ezzor |url=https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/pictures-isis-launches-fresh-attacks-syrian-army-deir-ezzor/ |work=Al Masdar News |author=Chris Tomson |date=14 March 2017|access-date=14 March 2017}}</ref>
=== Sexual violence and slavery ===
{{further information|Sexual violence in the Iraqi insurgency|Slavery in 21st-century Islamism}}
{{See also|Islamic views on slavery|Ma malakat aymanukum|Raptio|Wartime sexual violence}}
Sexual violence perpetrated by ISIL includes using [[rape]] as a weapon of war;<ref name="FP rape weapon">{{cite web |last1=Peritz |first1=Aki |last2=Maller |first2=Tara |date=16 September 2014 |title=The Islamic State of Sexual Violence |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/09/16/the-islamic-state-of-sexual-violence/ |publisher=foreignpolicy.com |accessdate=14 August 2015}}</ref> instituting [[forced marriage]]s to its fighters;<ref name="Indie Feb 2015">{{Cite news |last=Saul |first=Heather |date=18 February 2015 |title=Isis Raqqa wives subjected to 'brutal' sexual assaults after marrying militants |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-in-raqqa-women-subjected-to-brutal-sexual-assaults-after-marrying-militants-10053020.html |work=The Independent |accessdate=14 August 2015 |location=London}}</ref> and trading women and girls as [[sex slave]]s.<ref name="NYT rape theology">{{Cite news |last=Callimachi |first=Rukmini |date=13 August 2015 |title=ISIS Enshrines a Theology of Rape |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/14/world/middleeast/isis-enshrines-a-theology-of-rape.html |website=The New York Times |accessdate=14 August 2015}}</ref>
There are many reports of sexual abuse and enslavement in ISIL-controlled areas of women and girls, predominantly from the minority Christian and Yazidi communities.<ref name="BBC, womentell">{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-30573385 |title=Islamic State: Yazidi women tell of sex-slavery trauma |publisher=BBC News |date=22 December 2014 |accessdate=4 January 2015 |first1=Paul |last1=Wood}}</ref><ref name=Nebehay-10-2 /> Fighters are told that they are free to have sex with or rape non-Muslim captive women.<ref name="dn_20140923">{{cite news |first=Katarina |last=Lagerwall |language=Swedish |title=Det jag har bevittnat i al-Raqqa kommer alltid förfölja mig |trans-title=What I have witnessed in al-Raqqa will always haunt me |url=http://www.dn.se/nyheter/varlden/det-jag-har-bevittnat-i-al-raqqa-kommer-alltid-forfolja-mig/ |accessdate=25 September 2014 |work=Dagens Nyheter |location=Stockholm, Sweden |date=23 September 2014}}</ref> Haleh Esfandiari from the [[Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars]] has highlighted the abuse of local women by ISIL militants after they have captured an area. "They usually take the older women to a makeshift slave market and try to sell them. The younger girls ... are raped or married off to fighters", she said, adding, "It's based on temporary marriages, and once these fighters have had sex with these young girls, they just pass them on to other fighters."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brekke |first1=Kira |title=ISIS Is Attacking Women, And Nobody Is Talking About It |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/08/isis-attacks-on-women_n_5775106.html?cps=gravity |accessdate=11 September 2014 |work=The Huffington Post |date=8 September 2014}}</ref>
The capture of Iraqi cities by the group in June 2014 was accompanied by an upsurge in [[Violence against women|crimes against women]], including kidnap and rape.<ref name="IPS women">{{cite news |url=http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/06/op-ed-surging-violence-against-women-in-iraq/ |title=Surging Violence Against Women in Iraq |work=Inter Press Service |date=27 June 2014 |accessdate=5 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/clare-winterton/why-we-must-act_b_5528162.html |title=Why We Must Act When Women in Iraq Document Rape |work=The Huffington Post |date=25 June 2014 |accessdate=10 July 2014 |first1=Clare |last1=Winterton}}</ref><ref name="giglio">{{cite news |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/mikegiglio/fear-of-sexual-violence-simmers-in-iraq-as-isis-advances |title=Fear of Sexual Violence Simmers in Iraq As ISIL Advances |work=BuzzFeed |date=27 June 2014 |accessdate=9 July 2014 |last=Giglio |first=Mike}}</ref> According to Martin Williams in ''[[The Citizen (South Africa)|The Citizen]]'', some hard-line [[Salafist]]s apparently regard extramarital sex with multiple partners as a legitimate form of [[holy war]] and it is "difficult to reconcile this with a religion where some adherents insist that women must be covered from head to toe, with only a narrow slit for the eyes".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://citizen.co.za/52696/sexual-jihad-is-a-bit-much/ |title=Sexual jihad is a bit much |work=The Citizen |date=25 September 2013 |accessdate=7 July 2014 |last=Williams |first=Martin |location=Gauteng, South Africa}}</ref>
As of August 2015, the trade in sex slaves appeared to remain restricted to Yazidi women and girls.<ref name="NYT rape theology" /> It has reportedly become a recruiting technique to attract men from conservative Muslim societies, where dating and casual sex are not allowed.<ref name="NYT rape theology" /> [[Nazand Begikhani]] said of the Yazidi victims, "These women have been treated like cattle ... They have been subjected to physical and sexual violence, including systematic rape and sex slavery. They've been exposed in markets in Mosul and in Raqqa, Syria, carrying price tags."<ref name="CNN Watson cattle">{{Cite news |last=Watson |first=Ivan |date=30 October 2014 |title='Treated like cattle': Yazidi women sold, raped, enslaved by ISIS |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/30/world/meast/isis-female-slaves/ |publisher=CNN |accessdate=14 August 2015}}</ref> According to UN Reports the price list for IS sex slaves range from 40 to 160 US dollars. The younger the slave the more expensive. Girls and boys between the age 1–9 are referred to as the most expensive, with the cheapest being women between 40 and 50 years old.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yoon |first1=Sangwoon |title=Islamic State Circulates Sex Slave Price List |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-03/sex-slaves-sold-by-islamic-state-the-younger-the-better |work=Bloomberg Business |date=4 August 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150807011203/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-03/sex-slaves-sold-by-islamic-state-the-younger-the-better |archivedate=7 August 2015}}</ref> According to another source the price of a slave equals the price of an AK-47.<ref>{{cite book |first=Jürgen |last=Todenhöfer |date=2015 |title=Inside IS- 10 Tage im <Islamischen Staat> |trans-title=Inside IS: 10 days in 'Islamic State' |language=German |location=Munich, Germany |publisher=C. Bertelsmann Verlag |isbn=978-3-570-10276-3}}</ref>
A United Nations report issued on 2 October 2014, based on 500 interviews with witnesses, said that ISIL took 450–500 women and girls to Iraq's [[Ninawa Governorate|Nineveh]] region in August, where "150 unmarried girls and women, predominantly from the Yazidi and Christian communities, were reportedly transported to Syria, either to be given to ISIL fighters as a reward or to be sold as sex slaves".<ref name=Nebehay-10-2>{{cite news |last=Nebehay |first=Stephanie |title=Islamic State committing 'staggering' crimes in Iraq: U.N. report |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/02/us-mideast-crisis-un-idUSKCN0HR0R120141002 |date=2 October 2014 |accessdate=2 October 2014 |agency=Reuters}}</ref> In mid-October, the UN confirmed that 5,000–7,000 Yazidi women and children had been abducted by ISIL and sold into slavery.<ref name="dailymail-yazidi-slavery" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Spencer |first=Richard |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11160906/Isil-carried-out-massacres-and-mass-sexual-enslavement-of-Yazidis-UN-confirms.html |title=Isil carried out massacres and mass sexual enslavement of Yazidis, UN confirms |date=14 October 2014 |work=The Telegraph |accessdate=3 November 2014 |location=London}}</ref> In November 2014 ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported on the accounts given by five who escaped ISIL of their captivity and abuse.<ref>{{cite news |first=Kirk |last=Semple |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/15/world/middleeast/yazidi-girls-seized-by-isis-speak-out-after-escape.html |title=Yazidi Girls Seized by ISIS Speak Out After Escape |work=The New York Times |date=14 November 2014}}</ref> In December 2014, the [[Ministry of Human Rights (Iraq)|Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights]] announced that ISIL had killed over 150 women and girls in [[Fallujah]] who refused to participate in [[sexual jihad]].<ref>{{cite news |title=ISIS Just Executed More Than 150 Women in Fallujah |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-just-executed-more-than-150-women-in-fallujah-2014-12 |agency=NOW News |publisher=Business Insider |date=17 December 2014}}</ref> Non-Muslim women have reportedly been married off to fighters against their will. ISIL claims the women provide the new converts and children necessary to spread ISIL's control.<ref name="Siddiqui – Contrived Ideology" />
Shortly after the death of US hostage [[Kayla Mueller]] was confirmed on 10 February 2015,<ref>{{cite news |first=Rukmini |last=Callimachi |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/11/world/middleeast/parents-of-kayla-mueller-isis-hostage-confirm-she-is-dead.html |title=Death of Kayla Mueller, ISIS Hostage, Confirmed by Family and White House |work=The New York Times |date=10 February 2015}}</ref> several media outlets reported that the US intelligence community believed she may have been given as a wife to an ISIL fighter.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kayla-mueller-was-given-to-isis-fighter-as-a-bride-u-s-believes/ |title=U.S. believes hostage was given to ISIS fighter as bride |publisher=CBS News |date=11 February 2015 |access-date=17 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=James Gordon |last=Meek |first2=Rhonda |last2=Schwartz |url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/officials-kayla-mueller-isis-commander/story?id=28870880 |title=Officials: Kayla Mueller May Have Been Given to ISIS Commander |publisher=ABC News |date=10 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Meg |last1=Wagner |first2=Corky |last2=Siemaszko |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/isis-hostage-kayla-mueller-confirmed-dead-article-1.2109508 |title=Kayla Jean Mueller, American aid worker held hostage, may have been forced to marry ISIS leader: report |work=Daily News |location=New York |date=10 February 2015}}</ref> In August 2015 it was confirmed that she had been forced into marriage<ref name="ap14Aug2015">{{cite news |first=Ken |last=Dilanian |date=14 August 2015 |title=Islamic State Leader Raped American Hostage, US Finds |url=https://news.yahoo.com/family-islamic-state-leader-raped-american-hostage-190501666--politics.html |dead-url=yes |work=Yahoo! News |agency=Associated Press |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814203110/http://news.yahoo.com/family-islamic-state-leader-raped-american-hostage-190501666--politics.html |archive-date=14 August 2015}}</ref> to [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]], who [[rape]]d her repeatedly.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33941913 |publisher=BBC News |title=Islamic State leader Baghdadi 'raped' Kayla Mueller |date=14 August 2015}}</ref><ref name="ap14Aug2015" /><ref name="Goldman and Miller 2015-08-14">{{cite news |last1=Goldman |first1=Adam |last2=Miller |first2=Greg |title=Leader of Islamic State took American hostage as sexual slave |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/leader-of-islamic-state-raped-american-hostage/2015/08/14/266b6bf4-42c1-11e5-846d-02792f854297_story.html |work=The Washington Post |date=14 August 2015}}</ref> The Mueller family was informed by the US [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) that [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]] had [[Sexual abuse|sexually abused]] Ms. Mueller, and that Ms. Mueller had also been [[torture]]d.<ref name="Goldman and Miller 2015-08-14" /> [[Abu Sayyaf (ISIL)|Abu Sayyaf]]'s widow, [[Umm Sayyaf]], confirmed that it was her husband who had been Mueller's primary abuser.<ref name=AbcNews2015-08-14>{{cite news |url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/isis-leader-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-sexually-abused/story?id=33085923 |title=ISIS Leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi Sexually Abused American Hostage Kayla Mueller, Officials Say |publisher=ABC News |first=James Gordon |last=Meek |date=14 August 2015 |location=Washington DC |accessdate=14 August 2015 |quote=The information about al-Baghdadi's extraordinary direct role in the captivity and physical abuse of Kayla Mueller was drawn from, among many sources, the U.S. debriefings of at least least two Yezedi teenage girls, ages 16 and 18, held as sex slaves in the Sayyaf compound as well as from the interrogation of Abu Sayyaf's wife Umm Sayyaf, who was captured in the U.S. raid, the officials told ABC News.}}</ref>
In its digital magazine ''[[Dabiq (magazine)|Dabiq]]'', ISIL explicitly claimed religious justification for enslaving Yazidi women.<ref name="Abdelaziz – ISIS States Justification" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Spencer |first=Richard |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11158797/Thousands-of-Yazidi-women-sold-as-sex-slaves-for-theological-reasons-says-Isil.html |title=Thousands of Yazidi women sold as sex slaves 'for theological reasons', says Isil |date=13 October 2014 |work=The Telegraph |accessdate=3 November 2014 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21625870-jihadists-boast-selling-captive-women-concubines-have-and-hold |title=Slavery in Islam: To have and to hold |work=The Economist |date=18 October 2014}}</ref> According to ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', ISIL appeals to [[Islamic eschatology|apocalyptic beliefs]] and claims "justification by a Hadith that they interpret as portraying the revival of slavery as a precursor to the end of the world".<ref>{{cite news |first=Nour |last=Malas |url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/ancient-prophecies-motivate-islamic-state-militants-1416357441 |title=Ancient Prophecies Motivate Islamic State Militants: Battlefield Strategies Driven by 1,400-year-old Apocalyptic Ideas |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=18 November 2014 |access-date=22 November 2014}}</ref> ISIL appeals to the [[hadith]] and [[Quran]] when claiming the right to enslave and rape captive non-Muslim women.<ref name="Abdelaziz – ISIS States Justification">{{cite news |last=Abdelaziz |first=Salma |title=ISIS states its justification for the enslavement of women |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/12/world/meast/isis-justification-slavery |publisher=CNN |date=13 October 2014 |accessdate=1 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="Sypher – Rape">{{cite news |last=Sypher |first=Ford |title=Rape and Sexual Slavery Inside an ISIS Prison |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/28/rape-and-sexual-slavery-inside-an-isis-prison.html |agency=Horror |work=The Daily Beast |date=28 August 2014 |accessdate=5 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="Kumar">{{cite news |last=Kumar |first=Anugrah |title=ISIS Claims Islam Justifies Making 'Infidel' Women Sex Slaves |url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/isis-claims-islam-justifies-making-infidel-women-sex-slaves-128004 |work=The Christian Post |date=13 October 2014 |accessdate=1 January 2015}}</ref> According to ''Dabiq,'' "enslaving the families of the [[kuffar]] and taking their women as concubines is a firmly established aspect of the Sharia's that if one were to deny or mock, he would be denying or mocking the verses of the Quran and the narration of the Prophet ... and thereby apostatizing from Islam." Captured Yazidi women and children are divided among the fighters who captured them, with one fifth taken as a tax.<ref name="Kumar" /><ref name="TZ – 10-14-2014">{{cite news |title=ISIL seeks to justify enslaving Yazidi women and girls in Iraq |url=http://www.todayszaman.com/national_isil-seeks-to-justify-enslaving-yazidi-women-and-girls-in-iraq_361547.html |agency=abril |work=Today's Zaman |date=14 October 2014 |accessdate=2 January 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115054011/http://www.todayszaman.com/national_isil-seeks-to-justify-enslaving-yazidi-women-and-girls-in-iraq_361547.html |archivedate=15 November 2014}}</ref> ISIL has received widespread criticism from Muslim scholars and others in the Muslim world for using part of the Quran to derive a ruling in isolation, rather than considering the entire Quran and hadith.<ref name="Abdelaziz – ISIS States Justification" /><ref name="Sypher – Rape" /><ref name="Kumar" /> According to [[Mona Siddiqui]], ISIL's "narrative may well be wrapped up in the familiar language of jihad and 'fighting in the cause of Allah', but it amounts to little more than destruction of anything and anyone who doesn't agree with them"; she describes ISIL as reflecting a "lethal mix of violence and sexual power" and a "deeply flawed view of manhood".<ref name="Siddiqui – Contrived Ideology">{{cite news |last=Siddiqui |first=Mona |title=Isis: a contrived ideology justifying barbarism and sexual control |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/24/isis-ideology-islamic-militants-british-appeal-iraq-syria |work=The Observer |date=24 August 2014 |accessdate=1 January 2015}}</ref> ''Dabiq'' describes "this large-scale enslavement" of non-Muslims as "probably the first since the abandonment of Shariah law".<ref name="Kumar" /><ref name="TZ – 10-14-2014" />
[[File:Female Yezidi resistance fighters - YJÊ.jpg|thumb|[[Êzîdxan Women's Units|YJÊ]] are women fighters trained by the [[Kurdistan Workers' Party|Kurdish Workers Party]] guerillas to defend themselves against Islamist extremists.]]
In late 2014, ISIL released a pamphlet that focused on the treatment of female slaves.<ref name="Smith – ISIS Publish Pamphlet">{{cite news |first=Amelia |last=Smith |url=http://www.newsweek.com/isis-release-questions-and-answers-pamphlet-how-treat-female-slaves-290511 |title=ISIS Publish Pamphlet On How to Treat Female Slaves |work=Newsweek |date=12 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="Our faith condones" /> It claims that the [[Quran]] allows fighters to have sex with captives, including adolescent girls, and to beat slaves as discipline. The pamphlet's guidelines also allow fighters to trade slaves, including for sex, as long as they have not been impregnated by their owners.<ref name="Smith – ISIS Publish Pamphlet" /><ref name="Our faith condones">{{cite news |title=Our faith condones raping underage slaves: ISIS publishes shocking guidebook telling fighters how to buy, sell and abuse captured women |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2872884/Our-faith-condones-raping-underage-slaves-ISIS-publishes-shocking-guidebook-telling-fighters-buy-sell-abuse-captured-women.html |first=Abul |last=Taher |work=Daily Mail |date=13 December 2014 |location=London}}</ref><ref name="Withnall – Abhorrent" /> Charlie Winter, a researcher at the counter-extremist [[think tank]] [[Quilliam (think tank)|Quilliam]], described the pamphlet as "abhorrent".<ref name="Withnall – Abhorrent">{{cite news |first=Adam |last=Withnall |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-releases-abhorrent-sex-slaves-pamphlet-with-27-tips-for-militants-on-taking-punishing-and-raping-female-captives-9915913.html |title=Isis releases 'abhorrent' sex slaves pamphlet with 27 tips for militants on taking, punishing and raping female captives |work=The Independent |date=10 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="Lodge – IS Issues Abhorrent">{{cite news |first=Carey |last=Lodge |url=http://www.christiantoday.com/article/islamic.state.issues.abhorrent.sex.slavery.guidelines.about.how.to.treat.women/44435.htm |title=Islamic State issues abhorrent sex slavery guidelines about how to treat women |work=Christianity Today |date=15 December 2014}}</ref> In response to this document Abbas Barzegar, a religion professor at [[Georgia State University]], said Muslims around the world find ISIL's "alien interpretation of Islam grotesque and abhorrent".<ref name="Botelho – 12/12/2014">{{cite news |first=Greg |last=Botelho |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/12/world/meast/isis-justification-female-slaves/ |title=ISIS: Enslaving, having sex with 'unbelieving' women, girls is OK |publisher=CNN |date=13 December 2014}}</ref> Muslim leaders and scholars from around the world have rejected the validity of ISIL's claims, claiming that the reintroduction of slavery is un-Islamic, that they are required to protect "People of the Scripture" including Christians, Jews, Muslims and Yazidis, and that ISIL's fatwas are invalid due to their lack of religious authority and the fatwas' inconsistency with Islam.<ref name=OpenLetToAlBagh /><ref name="huffpost-bagh-openlet" />
''[[The Independent]]'' reported in 2015 that the usage of Yazidi sex slaves had created ongoing friction among fighters within ISIL. Sajad Jiyad, a Research Fellow and Associate Member at the [[Iraqi Institute for Economic Reform]], told the newspaper that many ISIL supporters and fighters had been in denial about the trafficking of kidnapped Yazidi women until a ''[[Dabiq (magazine)|Dabiq]]'' article justifying the practice was published.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/yazidi-sex-slaves-gangraped-in-public-by-isis-fighters-harrowing-accounts-reveal-10166875.html |title=Yazidi sex slaves 'gang-raped in public' by Isis fighters, harrowing accounts reveal |work=The Independent |date=10 April 2015 |accessdate=11 April 2015 |last=Saul |first=Heather |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-infighting-tensions-rise-over-use-of-yazidi-sex-slaves-loss-of-kobani-and-poor-services-in-areas-controlled-by-group-10061457.html |title=Isis infighting: Tensions rise over use of Yazidi sex slaves, loss of Kobani and poor services in areas controlled by group |work=The Independent |date=21 February 2015 |accessdate=11 April 2015 |last=Saul |first=Heather |location=London}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' said in August 2015 that "[t]he systematic rape of women and girls from the Yazidi religious minority has become deeply enmeshed in the organization and the radical theology of the Islamic State in the year since the group announced it was reviving slavery as an institution."<ref name="NYT rape theology" /> The article claims that ISIL is not merely exonerating but sacralising rape, and illustrated this with the testimony of escapees. One 15-year-old victim said that, while she was being assaulted, her rapist "kept telling me this is [[ibadah]]"; a 12-year-old victim related how her assailant claimed that, "by raping me, he is drawing closer to God";<ref name="NYT rape theology" /> and one adult prisoner told how, when she challenged her captor about repeatedly raping a 12 year old, she was met with the retort, "No, she's not a little girl, she's a slave and she knows exactly how to have sex and having sex with her pleases God."<ref name="NYT rape theology" />
In July 2016 it was reported by an [[Associated Press|AP]] investigation that ISIL was using mobile apps like Telegram to sell their sex slaves and identify the slaves of other ISIL members at checkpoints.<ref>{{cite news |title=Islamic State tightens grip on captives held as sex slaves |first1=Lori |last1=Hinnant |first2=Maya |last2=Alleruzzo |first3=Balint |last3=Szlanko |date=5 July 2016 <!-- – 6:23 PM EDT --> |work=The Big Story |publisher=Associate Press |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/bc71decfae2f4fee8196a20515b4c5fc/islamic-state-tightens-grip-captives-held-sex-slaves}}</ref> In 2016, the Commission for International Justice and Accountability said they had identified 34 senior ISIL members who were instrumental in the systematic sex slave trade and planned to prosecute them after the end of hostilities.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36960657 |title=Iraq's Sinjar Yazidis: Bringing IS slavers to justice |last=Gardner |first=Ffrank |date=3 August 2016 |website=BBC News |publisher= |language=|access-date=3 August 2016}}</ref>
=== Attacks on members of the press ===
The [[Committee to Protect Journalists]] states: "Without a free press, few other human rights are attainable."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cpj.org/zinfo/aboutcpj2.html#how%7ctitle=aboutcpj%7cpublisher= |title=About CPJ |publisher=Committee to Protect Journalists}}</ref> ISIL has tortured and murdered local journalists,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Al Fares |first=Zaid |date=5 September 2014 |title=The Forgotten Isis Beheadings: The World Mourns Steven Sotloff, but who Remembers Bassam al-Rayes? |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/forgotten-isis-beheadings-world-mourns-steven-sotloff-who-remembers-bassam-al-raies-1464138 |newspaper=International Business Times UK |accessdate=17 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Kestler-D'Amours |first=Jillian |date=6 October 2014 |title=Syria journalists 'on the margins of history' |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/10/syria-journalists-margins-history-2014105111030664142.html |publisher=Al Jazeera |accessdate=17 December 2014}}</ref> creating what [[Reporters Without Borders]] calls "news blackholes" in areas controlled by ISIL. ISIL fighters have reportedly been given written directions to kill or capture journalists.<ref name="en.rsf.org">{{cite web |url=http://en.rsf.org/iraq-areas-controlled-by-islamic-state-23-10-2014,47147.html |title=Areas controlled by Islamic State are news 'black holes' |website=Reporters Without Borders |date=23 October 2014}}</ref>
In December 2013, two suicide bombers stormed the headquarters of TV station Salaheddin and killed five journalists, after accusing the station of "distorting the image of Iraq's Sunni community". Reporters Without Borders reported that on 7 September 2014, ISIL seized and on 11 October publicly beheaded Raad al-Azzawi, a TV Salaheddin cameraman from the village of Samra, east of Tikrit.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/10/reports-isil-executes-iraqi-journalist-20141010194149556427.html |title=ISIL 'publicly executes Iraqi journalist' |date=11 October 2014 |publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref> As of October 2014, according to the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory, ISIL is holding nine journalists and has nine others under close observation in Mosul and Salahuddin province.<ref name="en.rsf.org" />
During 2013 and part of 2014, an ISIL unit nicknamed [[The Beatles (terrorist cell)|the Beatles]] acquired and held 12 Western journalists hostage, along with aid workers and other foreign hostages, totalling 23 or 24 known hostages. A Polish journalist Marcin Suder was captured in July 2013 but escaped four months later.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/world/middleeast/horror-before-the-beheadings-what-isis-hostages-endured-in-syria.html |title=ISIS Hostages Endured Torture and Dashed Hopes, Freed Cellmates Say |work=The New York Times |first=Rukmini |last=Callimachi |date=25 October 2014}}</ref> The unit [[ISIL beheadings|executed American journalists]] [[James Foley (journalist)|James Foley]] and [[Steven Sotloff]] and released beheading videos. Eight of the other journalists were released for ransom: Danish journalist Daniel Rye Ottosen, French journalists Didier François, Edouard Elias, Nicolas Hénin, and Pierre Torres, and Spanish journalists Marc Marginedas, Javier Espinosa, and Ricardo García Vilanova. The unit continues to hold hostage British journalist [[John Cantlie]] and a female aid worker.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/10/24/world/middleeast/the-fate-of-23-hostages-in-syria.html |title=The Fates of 23 ISIS Hostages in Syria |first=Karen |last=Yourish |work=The New York Times |date=25 October 2014}}</ref>
Cyber-security group the [[Citizen Lab]] released a report finding a possible link between ISIL and a digital attack on the Syrian citizen media group [[Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently]] (RSS). Supporters of the media group received an emailed link to an image of supposed airstrikes, but clicking on the link introduced malware to the user's computer that sends details of the user's IP address and system each time it restarts. That information has been enough to allow ISIL to locate RSS supporters. "The group has been targeted for kidnappings, house raids, and at least one alleged targeted killing. At the time of that writing, ISIL was allegedly holding several citizen journalists in Raqqa", according to the Citizen Lab report.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Johnston |first1=Chris |title=Islamic State suspected of cyber-attack on Raqqa opponents |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/19/islamic-state-cyber-attack-raqqa-opponents-isis-syria-malware |work=The Guardian |date=9 December 2014 |accessdate=28 December 2014}}</ref>
On 8 January 2015, ISIL members in Libya claimed to have executed Tunisian journalists Sofiene Chourabi and Nadhir Ktari who disappeared in September 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/libyas-isis-branch-claims-execution-two-tunisian-journalists |title=Libya's ISIS branch claims execution of two Tunisian journalists |work=Al Akhbar English |date=9 January 2015}}</ref> Also in January 2015, Japanese journalist [[Kenji Goto]] was kidnapped and beheaded, after a demand for a $200 million ransom payment was not met.<ref name="guardian20150131">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/31/isis-video-beheading-japanese-hostage-kenji-goto |title=Isis video purports to show beheading of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto |first=Justin |last=McCurry |date=31 January 2015 |work=The Guardian |accessdate=1 July 2015}}</ref>
=== Beheadings and mass executions ===
{{Main article|ISIL beheading incidents}}
{{See also|Beheading video|Beheading in Islamism}}
An unknown number of Syrians and Iraqis, several Lebanese soldiers, male and female [[Kurds|Kurdish]] fighters near [[Kobanî]], two American journalists, one American and two British aid workers, 30 Ethiopian Christians<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/19/africa/libya-isis-executions-ethiopian-christians/ |title=ISIS executes more Christians in Libya, video shows |publisher=CNN |author=Eliott C. McLaughlin |date=20 April 2015}}</ref> and 21 Egyptian [[2015 kidnapping and beheading of Copts in Libya|Coptic Christians]] in Libya<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2015/02/isil-video-execution-egyptian-christian-hostages-libya-150215193050277.html |title=ISIL video shows Christian Egyptians beheaded in Libya |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=16 February 2015}}</ref> have been [[decapitation|beheaded]] by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. ISIL uses beheadings to intimidate local populations and has released a series of propaganda videos aimed at Western countries.<ref name=PropagandaVideos />
ISIL was reported to have beheaded about 100 foreign fighters as deserters who tried to leave Raqqa.<ref name=ft12>{{cite news |url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/f1705f00-85e6-11e4-a105-00144feabdc0.html |first=Erika |last=Solomon |title=Isis morale falls as momentum slows and casualties mount |work=Financial Times |date=19 December 2014 |accessdate=20 December 2014}}</ref>
They also engage in public and mass executions of Syrian and Iraqi soldiers and civilians,<ref name="village" /> sometimes forcing prisoners to dig their own graves before shooting lines of prisoners and pushing them in.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2014/october/help-identify-individuals-traveling-overseas-for-combat |title=Seeking Information: Help Identify Individuals Traveling Overseas for Combat |publisher=Federal Bureau of Investigation |date=7 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw_UIRkAyH0 |title=Syrian Soldiers Digging Their Own Graves Before Being Executed by ISIS |publisher=YouTube |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128074838/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw_UIRkAyH0 |archivedate=28 January 2015}}</ref> Among the known mass executions of captured soldiers carried out by ISIL are those in Tikrit ([[Camp Speicher massacre|ISIS executed]] up to 1,700 Shia [[Iraqi Air Force]] cadets from [[Camp Speicher]] near [[Tikrit]] on 12 June 2014),<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/06/middleeast/iraq-mass-graves/index.html |title=New mass graves found in Tikrit |publisher=CNN |last=Ellis |first=Ralph |date=6 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://yle.fi/uutiset/two_detained_in_finland_over_isis_executions_in_tikrit/8518806 |title=Two detained in Finland over ISIS executions in Tikrit |work=Yle |date=10 December 2015}}</ref> [[Al-Thawrah]] (ISIS executed 250 Syrian soldiers captured at the [[Battle of Al-Tabqa air base|Al-Tabqa air base]] between 27 and 28 August 2014),<ref>{{cite news |first1=Sylvia |last1=Westall |first2=Mariam |last2=Karouny |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-crisis-idUSKBN0GS10O20140829 |title=Video shows Islamic State executes scores of Syrian soldiers |agency=Reuters |date=28 August 2014}}</ref> [[Palmyra offensive (May 2015)|Palmyra]] (up to 280 Syrian soldiers and government loyalists were shot in the head or beheaded in a public square on 22 May 2015),<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesofindia.com/world/middle-east/ISIS-purges-Syrias-Palmyra-of-Assad-loyalists/articleshow/47397855.cms |title=ISIS purges Syria's Palmyra of Assad loyalists |work=The Times of India |agency=Associated Press |date=23 May 2015 }}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and [[Deir ez-Zor]] (ISIS killed at least 300 Syrian soldiers, pro-government militiamen and their families on 16 January 2016).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.in/isis-massacre-least-300-killed-several-held-hostages-east-syria-663542 |title=Isis massacre: At least 300 killed, several held hostages in east Syria |work=International Business Times |date=17 January 2016}}</ref>
ISIS executed 600 Shia prisoners in [[Mosul]] in June 2014.<ref>"[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/30/mass-graves-hundreds-iraqi-sunnis-killed-isis-albu-nimr Isis kills hundreds of Iraqi Sunnis from Albu Nimr tribe in Anbar province]". ''The Guardian''. 30 October 2014.</ref> In November 2014, there were reports that ISIS fighters massacred more than 630 members of the [[Albu Nimr]] tribe in Iraq. Albu Nimr was one of the [[Demographics of Iraq|Sunni Arab]] tribes that fiercely opposed the Islamic State.<ref>"[http://www.rferl.org/content/iraq-islamic-state-massacres-sunni-tribesmen/26683534.html IS Massacres 70 More Tribesmen In Iraqi Revenge Attack]". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty/Radio Liberty. 10 November 2014</ref> On 17 December 2014, it was reported by Turkish media, that the ISIS had executed at least 150 women from the Albu Nimr tribe in [[Falluja]] for refusing to marry ISIS militants.<ref>{{cite news |first=Heather |last=Saul |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-execute-150-women-for-refusing-to-marry-militants-and-bury-them-in-mass-graves-9930766.html |work=The Independent |location=London |title=Isis 'executes 150 women for refusing to marry militants' and buries them in mass graves |date=17 December 2014}}</ref>
=== Use of chemical weapons ===
{{Further information|Use of chemical weapons in the Iraqi civil war|Use of chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war}}
Kurds in northern Iraq reported being attacked by ISIS with chemical weapons in August 2015,<ref name="Graun Ks gas">{{cite news |title=Kurdish forces fighting Isis report being attacked with chemical weapons |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/13/kurdish-forces-fighting-isis-attacked-chemical-weapons-reports |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=13 August 2015 |accessdate=14 August 2015 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> which was later confirmed to be [[Sulfur mustard|mustard gas]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Deutsch |first=Anthony |title=Samples confirm Islamic State used mustard gas in Iraq – diplomat |agency=Reuters |date=15 February 2016 |url=http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKCN0VO1IC | access-date =15 February 2016}}</ref> At Kobanî, it is highly likely that ISIS used [[chlorine]] gas. These chemical weapons may be from a chemical weapons storage site at Al-Muthanna, which contained 2,500 chemical rockets. Although the rockets' chemical contents were deteriorated, ISIS may have used them in a concentrated manner.<ref>{{cite web |title=ISIS's Financial and Military Capabilities |url=http://www.crethiplethi.com/isis-s-financial-and-military-capabilities/islamic-countries/syria-islamic-countries/2015/ |website=Crethiplethi |date=Winter 2014 |accessdate=14 November 2015}}</ref>
=== Destruction of cultural and religious heritage ===
{{Main article|Destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL}}
[[File:Temple of Bel, Palmyra 02.jpg|thumb|[[Temple of Bel]] in [[Palmyra]], which was destroyed by ISIL in August 2015]]
[[UNESCO]]'s Director-General [[Irina Bokova]] has warned that ISIL is destroying Iraq's cultural heritage, in what she has called "[[cultural cleansing]]". "We don't have time to lose because extremists are trying to erase the identity, because they know that if there is no identity, there is no memory, there is no history", she said. Referring to the ancient cultures of Christians, Yazidis and other minorities, she said, "This is a way to destroy identity. You deprive them of their culture, you deprive them of their history, their heritage, and that is why it goes hand in hand with genocide. Along with the physical persecution they want to eliminate – to delete – the memory of these different cultures ... we think this is appalling, and this is not acceptable."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/video/2014/11/02/iraqs-heritage-needs-protection-from-isl?videoId=346781460 |title=Iraq's heritage needs protection from Islamic State – UNESCO |date=2 November 2014 |agency=Reuters}}</ref> [[Saad Eskander]], head of Iraq's National Archives said, "For the first time you have cultural cleansing... For the Yazidis, religion is oral, nothing is written. By destroying their places of worship... you are killing cultural memory. It is the same with the Christians – it really is a threat beyond belief."<ref name=CSM>{{cite news |first=Jane |last=Arraf |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2014/1108/Islamic-State-seeking-to-delete-entire-cultures-UNESCO-chief-warns-in-Iraq |title=Islamic State seeking to 'delete' entire cultures, UNESCO chief warns in Iraq |work=The Christian Science Monitor |date=8 November 2014}}</ref>
To finance its activities, ISIL is stealing artefacts from Syria<ref>{{cite web |first=Franklin |last=Lamb |title=SYRIA: "Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently" |website=Intifada Palestine |url=http://www.intifada-palestine.com/2014/05/syria-raqqa-slaughtered-silently/ |date=8 May 2014 |accessdate=28 December 2014 |quote=transcript of an interview conducted by the author at the National Museum of Syria with an employee of the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM). The gentleman had been working in the governorate of Raqqa, in eastern Syria, when armed groups were looting museums and conducting illegal excavations of heritage sites.}}</ref> and Iraq and sending them to Europe to be sold. UNESCO has asked for [[United Nations Security Council]] controls on the sale of antiquities, similar to those imposed after the 2003 [[Iraq War]]. UNESCO is working with [[Interpol]], national customs authorities, museums, and major auction houses in attempts to prevent looted items from being sold.<ref name=CSM /> ISIL occupied [[Mosul Museum]], the second most important museum in Iraq, as it was about to reopen after years of rebuilding following the Iraq War, saying that the statues were against Islam and threatening to destroy the museum's contents.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Melissa |last1=Block |url=http://www.npr.org/2014/07/09/330183802/the-plight-of-mosuls-museum-iraqi-antiquities-at-risk-of-ruin |title=The Plight of Mosul's Museum: Iraqi Antiquities At Risk Of Ruin |date=9 July 2014 |publisher=NPR}}</ref><ref name="Dickey-7.7.14">{{cite news |first=Christopher |last=Dickey |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/07/isis-is-about-to-destroy-biblical-history-in-iraq.html |title=ISIS Is About to Destroy Biblical History in Iraq |work=The Daily Beast |date=7 July 2014 |access-date=1 December 2014}}</ref>
ISIL considers worshipping at graves tantamount to [[idolatry]], and seeks to purify the community of unbelievers. It has used bulldozers to crush buildings and archaeological sites.<ref name="Dickey-7.7.14" /> [[Bernard Haykel]] has described al-Baghdadi's creed as "a kind of untamed [[Wahhabism]]", saying, "For Al Qaeda, violence is a means to an ends; for ISIS, it is an end in itself".<ref name=ISIS-NYT /> The destruction by ISIL in July 2014 of the [[Mosques and shrines of Mosul|tomb and shrine of the prophet Yunus]] – [[Jonah]] in Christianity – the 13th-century mosque of [[Yahya Muhammad Hamid ed-Din|Imam Yahya Abu al-Qassimin]], the 14th-century shrine of prophet Jerjis – [[Saint George|St George]] to Christians – and the attempted destruction of the [[Mosques and shrines of Mosul|Hadba]] minaret at the 12th-century [[Mosques and shrines of Mosul|Great Mosque of Al-Nuri]] have been described as "an unchecked outburst of extreme Wahhabism".<ref name=Al-Alawi>{{cite web |last1=Al-Alawi |first1=Irfan |title=Extreme Wahhabism on Display in Shrine Destruction in Mosul |url=http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4574/jonah-shrine-destruction |publisher=Gatestone Institute |accessdate=4 October 2014}}</ref> "There were explosions that destroyed buildings dating back to the [[Assyria]]n era", said [[National Museum of Iraq]] director Qais Rashid, referring to the destruction of the shrine of Yunus. He cited another case where "Daesh (ISIL) gathered over 1,500 manuscripts from convents and other holy places and burnt all of them in the middle of the city square".<ref name="abc.net.au">{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-30/islamic-state-pillaging-iraqi-artefacts2c-unesco-warns/5777990 |title=Islamic State: Jihadists destroying and looting Iraqi heritage sites for artefacts, UNESCO warns |publisher=ABC News |agency=Agence France-Presse}}</ref> In March 2015, ISIL reportedly bulldozed the 13th-century BC Assyrian city of [[Nimrud]], believing its sculptures to be idolatrous. [[UNESCO]] head, [[Irina Bokova]], deemed this to be a war crime.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nimrud: Outcry as IS bulldozers attack ancient Iraq site |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31760656 |accessdate=6 March 2015 |publisher=BBC News |date=6 March 2015}}</ref>
ISIL has burned or stolen collections of books and papers from the various locations including the Central Library of Mosul (which they rigged with explosives and burned down),<ref>{{cite web |first=Johnlee |last=Varghese |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.in/isis-burns-down-mosul-library-destroys-8000-rare-books-manuscripts-624375 |title=Isis Burns Down Mosul Library, Destroys 8,000 Rare Books and Manuscripts |publisher=Ibtimes.co.in |date=24 February 2015 |accessdate=21 May 2016}}</ref> the library at the [[University of Mosul]], a Sunni Muslim library, a 265-year-old Latin Church and Monastery of the Dominican Fathers, and the Mosul Museum Library. Some destroyed or stolen works date back to 5000 BCE and include "Iraq newspapers dating to the early 20th century, maps and books from the Ottoman Empire, and book collections contributed by about 100 of Mosul's establishment families." The stated goal is to destroy all non-Islamic books.
== See also ==
{{Wikipedia books
|1=Islamic terrorism
|3=Islamic terrorist groups
}}
{{Portal|Arab World|Iraq|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|Syria|Syrian Civil War|Terrorism}}
* [[Violent extremism]]
* [[List of armed groups in the Iraqi Civil War]]
* [[List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War]]
* [[List of wars and battles involving ISIL]]
* ''[[Management of Savagery]]''
* [[Operation Inherent Resolve]]
* [[Islamic Military Alliance]]
* [[Rape during the Syrian Civil War]]
{{clear}}
== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=note}}
== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
== Bibliography ==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last=Abass |first=Ademola |year=2014 |title=Complete International Law: Text, Cases and Materials |edition=2nd |location=Oxford |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |ref=harv}}
* {{Cite book |last=Al-Yaqoubi |first=Muhammad |authorlink=Muhammad al-Yaqoubi |year=2015 |title=[[Refuting ISIS: A Rebuttal Of Its Religious And Ideological Foundations]] |publisher=Sacred Knowledge |isbn=978-1-908224-12-5}}
* {{cite news |last1=Boffey |first1=Daniel |title='Islamic State' is a slur on our faith, say leading Muslims |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/13/term-islamic-state-slur-faith-david-cameron |work=The Guardian}}
* {{Cite book |ref={{harvid|Bowering|2013}}
|title = The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought |editor=Gerhard Böwering |url={{Google books|q1I0pcrFFSUC|plainurl=y}} |publisher=Princeton University Press |date = 2013 |isbn=978-0-691-13484-0}}
* {{cite new |last=Chulov |first=Martin |date=11 December 2014 |title=Isis: the inside story |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/11/-sp-isis-the-inside-story}}
* {{cite journal |last=Fishman |first=Brian |year=2008 |title=Using the Mistakes of al Qaeda's Franchises to Undermine Its Strategies |journal=Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science |volume=618 |pages=46–54 |jstor=40375774 |ref=harv |doi=10.1177/0002716208316650}}
* {{cite news |last=Fraile Ordonez |first=Siobhan |title=The Non-Islamic Non-State |url=http://foreignaffairsreview.co.uk/2015/09/the-non-islamic-non-state/ |work=St Andrews Foreign Affairs Review |date=28 September 2015}}
* {{cite magazine |last=Simon |first=Steven |year=2008 |title=The Price of the Surge: How U.S. Strategy Is Hastening Iraq's Demise |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/63398/steven-simon/the-price-of-the-surge |magazine=[[Foreign Affairs]] |volume=87 |number=3 |pages=57–72, 74–76 |jstor=20032651 |ref=harv}}
* {{cite journal |last=Tausch |first=Arno |title=Estimates on the Global Threat of Islamic State Terrorism in the Face of the 2015 Paris and Copenhagen Attacks |work=Middle East Review of International Affairs |publisher=Rubin Center, Research in International Affairs, Idc Herzliya, Israel |volume=19 |issue=1 |date=Spring 2015 |ssrn=2702356 |url=http://www.rubincenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Tausch-YC1-revised-YC-au1-ADDED-GRAPHS-PDF.pdf}}
* {{cite news |author-link=Graeme C.A. Wood |last=Wood |first=Graeme |date=March 2015 |title=What ISIS Really Wants |work=[[The Atlantic]] |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2015/02/what-isis-really-wants/384980/}}
{{Refend}}
== External links ==
{{Sister project links | wikt=ISIS | commons=Category:Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant | b = no | n = Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant | q = Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant | s=no | v=no | voy=no | species = no| d=no | mw= no}}
* [http://www.cfr.org/iraq/islamic-state/p14811 The Islamic State]. The [[Council on Foreign Relations]]
* [http://www.counterextremism.com/threat/isis ISIS], [[Counter Extremism Project]] profile
* [http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35695648 Islamic State group: The full story]. [[BBC News]]
* ''[[Frontline (U.S. TV series)|Frontline]]'': [http://video.pbs.org/video/2365297690/ ''Losing Iraq''] (July 2014), [https://web.archive.org/web/20150906175013/http://video.pbs.org/video/2365356572/ ''The Rise of ISIS''] (October 2014), [http://video.pbs.org/video/2365496883/ ''Obama at War''] (May 2015), [http://video.pbs.org/video/2365527957/ ''Escaping ISIS''] (July 2015), documentaries by [[PBS]]
* [https://www.vice.com/video/islamic-state-full-length ''The Islamic State – Full Length''], documentary by [[Vice News]] (August 2014)
* [http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/Data/articles/Art_20733/101_14_Ef_1329270214.pdf "ISIS: Portrait of a Jihadi Terrorist Organization"] – Report by the [[Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center]].
* [http://www.chechensinsyria.com/ From Chechnya To Syria] & Analysis of Russian-speaking Foreign Fighters in Syria
* [http://www.defense.gov/News/Special-Reports/0814_Inherent-Resolve Operation Inherent Resolve updates]
* [http://www.agathocledesyracuse.com/ ISIL frontline maps (Iraq and Syria)]
* [http://jihadology.net/category/the-islamic-state/ The Islamic State – Jihadology] Research project by Aaron Zelin
* [[Gabi Siboni]], [http://www.inss.org.il/uploadImages/systemFiles/The%20Military%20Power%20of%20the%20Islamic%20State%20%20Gabi%20Siboni260750900.pdf The Military Power of the Islamic State], a chapter inside "'''The Lessons of Operation Protective Edge'''", eds. Yoram Schweitzer and Omer Einav, [[Institute for National Security Studies (Israel)|INSS]], 2016.
* Tal Koren and [[Gabi Siboni]], [http://www.inss.org.il/uploadImages/systemFiles/No.%20601%20-%20Tal%20and%20Gabi%20for%20web.pdf Cyberspace in the Service of ISIS], [[Institute for National Security Studies (Israel)|INSS]] Insight No. 601, 4 September 2014.
* [https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/the-group-that-calls-itself-a-state-understanding-the-evolution-and-challenges-of-the-islamic-state "The Group That Calls Itself a State"] – Publication by the [[Combating Terrorism Center]] of West Point, [[The United States Military Academy]].
* [http://www.islamicsupremecouncil.com/historic-islamic-edict-fatwa-on-joining-isis-isil/ "Historic Islamic Edict (Fatwa) on Joining ISIS/ISIL"] – from [[Islamic Supreme Council of Canada]]
{{Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}
{{Military intervention against ISIL}}
{{Islamism}}
{{Syrian Civil War}}
{{Armed Iraqi groups in the Iraq War and the Iraq Civil War}}
{{Islamic terrorism in Europe}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1999 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant| ]]
[[Category:Anti-government factions of the Syrian Civil War]]
[[Category:Anti-Shi'ism]]
[[Category:Apocalyptic groups]]
[[Category:Dissolution of Iraq]]
[[Category:Dissolution of Syria]]
[[Category:Groups practising sexual slavery]]
[[Category:Iraqi insurgency (2003–11)]]
[[Category:Iraqi insurgency (2011–13)]]
[[Category:Islamism in Iraq]]
[[Category:Islamism in Syria]]
[[Category:Islamist groups]]
[[Category:Jihadist groups]]
[[Category:Organizations designated as terrorist by China]]
[[Category:Organizations designated as terrorist by Russia]]
[[Category:Organizations designated as terrorist by Syria]]
[[Category:Organisations designated as terrorist by the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Organizations designated as terrorist by the United States]]
[[Category:Organisations designated as terrorist by Australia]]
[[Category:Organisations designated as terrorist by India]]
[[Category:Organisations designated as terrorist by Iran]]
[[Category:Organizations designated as terrorist by Iraq]]
[[Category:Organisations designated as terrorist by the European Union]]
[[Category:Organisations designated as terrorist by Pakistan]]
[[Category:Organizations designated as terrorist by Turkey]]
[[Category:Organizations designated as terrorist in Asia]]
[[Category:Persecution of Christians by ISIL]]
[[Category:Persecution of Christians by Muslims]]
[[Category:Persecution of LGBT people]]
[[Category:Persecution of Yazidis]]
[[Category:Rebel groups in Egypt]]
[[Category:Rebel groups in Iraq]]
[[Category:Rebel groups in Libya]]
[[Category:Rebel groups in Syria]]
[[Category:Salafi groups]]
[[Category:Sunni Islamist groups]]
[[Category:Terrorism in Iraq]]
[[Category:Terrorism in Lebanon]]
[[Category:Terrorism in Syria]]
[[Category:Terrorism in Turkey]]
[[Category:Irregular military]]
[[Category:Politics of Syria]]
[[Category:Politics of Iraq]]
[[Category:Iraq War]]
[[Category:Violence against Shia Muslims]]
[[Category:Violence against Shia Muslims in Iraq]]
[[Category:Violence against LGBT people]]
[[Category:Wahhabism]]
[[Category:Totalitarian states]]' |
New page wikitext, after the edit (new_wikitext) | '{{distinguish|Islamic state|Islamic republic}}
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{{pp-move-indef}}
{{redirect-multi|5|ISIL|ISIS|Daish|Daesh|Islamic State group||ISIL (disambiguation)|and|ISIS (disambiguation)|and|Daish (disambiguation)|and|Islamic state (disambiguation)}}
{{very long|rps=105|date=June 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}
<!-- Please see [[Talk:Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant#RfC: infobox country?]] before changing infobox type. -->
{{Infobox war faction
|name = Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
|native_name = {{rtl-lang|ar|الدولة الإسلامية في العراق والشام}}<br /><small>''{{transl|ar|ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah fī 'l-ʿIrāq wa-sh-Shām}}''</small>
|war = the [[Iraq War]] (2003–2011), [[Iraqi insurgency (2011–13)|Iraqi insurgency]], [[Syrian Civil War]], [[Iraqi Civil War (2014-present)|Iraqi Civil War]], [[Libyan Civil War (2014–present)|Second Libyan Civil War]], [[Boko Haram insurgency]], [[War in North-West Pakistan]], [[War in Afghanistan (2015–present)|War in Afghanistan]], [[Yemeni Civil War (2015)|Yemeni Civil War]], and [[List of wars and battles involving ISIL|other conflicts]]
----
<small>Primary target of [[Operation Inherent Resolve]] and of the [[military intervention against ISIL]]: [[American-led intervention in Syria|in Syria]], [[American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)|Iraq]], [[2015 Egyptian military intervention in Libya|Libya]], and [[Boko Haram insurgency|Nigeria]].</small><!-- For wikilinks, if diff from name -->
|image = AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg{{!}}border
|caption = The [[Black Standard]] used by ISIL<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-flag-what-do-the-words-mean-and-what-are-its-origins-10369601.html |title=Isis flag: What do the words mean and what are its origins? |date=7 July 2015 |work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref>
|active =
{{Collapsible list | title = 1999 – present | bullets = on | 1 = Established under the name of [[Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad]]: 1999 | 2 = Joined [[al-Qaeda]]: October 2004 | 3 = Declaration of an [[Islamic state]] in Iraq: 13 October 2006 | 4 = Claim of territory in the [[Levant]]: 8 April 2013 | 5 = Separated from [[al-Qaeda]]:<ref name="JamestownFoundation20041018" /><ref name="qaedaisil">{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-26016318 |title=Al-Qaeda disavows ISIS militants in Syria |publisher=BBC News |date=3 February 2014 |accessdate=3 February 2014}}</ref> 3 February 2014<ref name="al-Qaeda severs link with ISIL">{{cite news |last=Holmes |first=Oliver |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/03/us-syria-crisis-qaeda-idUSBREA120NS20140203 |agency=Reuters |title=Al Qaeda breaks link with Syrian militant group ISIL |date=3 February 2014 |accessdate=6 July 2014}}</ref> | 6 = Declaration of [[caliphate]]: 29 June 2014|7=Claim of territory in:
* Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Yemen: 13 November 2014
*South Asia: 29 January 2015<ref name="Khorasan" />
* Nigeria: 12 March 2015<ref name="BokoHaramIS" /><ref name="cnn-boko-haram-isis" />
* North Caucasus: 23 June 2015<ref name="caucasus" /> | 8 = [[Battle of Mosul (2016–17)|Recapture]] of [[Mosul]] by Iraqi forces: 21 July 2017 | 9 = [[Battle of Raqqa (2017)|Recapture]] of [[Raqqa]] by SDF forces: 17 October 2017 }}
|ideology ={{plainlist|
*[[Caliphatism]]
*[[Salafi movement|Salafism]]<ref name="NS">{{cite web |title=Islamic State |url=http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/Listedterroristorganisations/Pages/IslamicState.aspx |accessdate=22 July 2014 |work=Australian National Security |publisher=Australian Government}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Islamic State |url=http://web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-bin/groups/view/1 |website=Mapping Militant Organizations |publisher=Stanford University |date=23 January 2015 |accessdate=23 April 2015}}</ref><ref name="quilliamfoundation.org">{{cite report |first1=Erin Marie |last1=Saltman |first2=Charlie |last2=Winter |title=Islamic State: The Changing Face of Modern Jihadism |url=http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/publications/free/islamic-state-the-changing-face-of-modern-jihadism.pdf |publisher=Quilliam Foundation |date=November 2014 |isbn=978-1-906603-98-4 |accessdate=23 April 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226115714/http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/publications/free/islamic-state-the-changing-face-of-modern-jihadism.pdf |archivedate=26 February 2015}}</ref>
*[[Salafi jihadism]]<ref name="quilliamfoundation.org" /><ref name="huffpost-wahhabi">{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alastair-crooke/isis-wahhabism-saudi-arabia_b_5717157.html |last=Crooke |first=Alastair |title=You Can't Understand ISIS If You Don't Know the History of Wahhabism in Saudi Arabia |date=5 September 2014 |work=[[The Huffington Post]]}}</ref>
*[[Wahhabism]]<ref name="huffpost-wahhabi" /><ref name=ISIS-NYT>{{cite news |last1=Kirkpatrick |first1=David |title=ISIS Harsh Brand of Islam Is Rooted in Austere Saudi Creed |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/25/world/middleeast/isis-abu-bakr-baghdadi-caliph-wahhabi.html |accessdate=6 May 2015 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=24 September 2014}}</ref>
*[[Anti-Zionism]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.algemeiner.com/2014/07/08/isis-threatens-to-commit-another-holocaust-against-jews/ |title=ISIS Threatens to Commit Another Holocaust Against Jews |website=Algemeiner.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://nationalinterest.org/feature/why-isis-fears-israel-17286 |title=Why ISIS Fears Israel |first=Graham |last=Allison |publisher=}}</ref>
*[[Antisemitism]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/israel/2015-10-28/what-isis-talks-about-when-it-talks-about-palestine |title=What ISIS Talks About When It Talks About Palestine |first1=Samar |last1=Batrawi |first2=Samar |last2=Batrawi |date=28 October 2015 |publisher= |via=www.foreignaffairs.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/ISIS-Threat/ISIS-fanatics-call-on-supporters-to-terrorize-Jewish-people-in-the-West-482987 |title=ISIS fanatics call on supporters to 'terrorize' Jewish people in the West |publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.adl.org/blog/new-isis-and-al-qaeda-propaganda-prioritize-the-us-and-jews-as-targets |title=New ISIS and Al-Qaeda propaganda prioritize the US and Jews as targets |website=Anti-Defamation League}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.adl.org/blog/isis-augments-its-threats-against-israel |title=ISIS Augments Its Threats Against Israel |website=Anti-Defamation League}}</ref>}}
|clans=
* [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Libya|Libyan Province]]
* [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Sinai Province|Sinai Province]]
* [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Yemen Province|Yemen Province]]
* [[Jund al-Khilafah|Algerian Province]]
* [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province|Khorasan Province]]
* [[Boko Haram|West Africa Province]]
* [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Caucasus Province|Caucasus Province]]
* [[Islamic State in Somalia|Somalia group]]
|leaders =
* '''Leader'''<!-- e.g. "Chair", "President", etc. but not caliph -->: [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]]<ref name="Caliph Ibrahim">{{cite news |last1=Rubin |first1=Alissa J. |title=Militant Leader in Rare Appearance in Iraq |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/06/world/asia/iraq-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-sermon-video.html |accessdate=6 July 2014 |work=The New York Times |date=5 July 2014}}</ref>
* '''Deputy leader in Iraq''': [[Abu Fatima al-Jaheishi]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aymennjawad.org/2016/01/an-account-of-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-islamic-state |title=An Account of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi & Islamic State Succession Lines |first=Aymenn Jawad |last=Al-Tamimi |work=Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi's Blog |date=24 January 2016}}</ref>
* '''Deputy leader in Syria''': [[Abu Ali al-Anbari]]{{KIA}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli |url=https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/abd_al_qaduli.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518171235/https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/abd_al_qaduli.html |dead-url=yes |archive-date=18 May 2015 |website=Rewards for Justice |publisher=U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security |date=5 May 2015 |accessdate=7 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Schmidt |first=Michael |title=A Top ISIS Leader Is Killed in an Airstrike, the Pentagon Says |work=The New York Times |date=25 March 2016 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/26/world/middleeast/abd-al-rahman-mustafa-al-qaduli-isis-reported-killed-in-syria.html |accessdate=26 March 2016}}</ref>
* '''Deputy leader in Libya''': Abdel Baqer Al-Najdi<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-16/islamic-state-spreads-in-north-africa-in-attacks-ignored-by-west |title=Islamic State Spreads in North Africa in Attacks Ignored by West}}</ref>
* '''Military chief''': Abu Saleh al-Obaidi<ref>{{cite report |title=An Account of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi & Islamic State Succession Lines |first=Aymenn |last=Jawad Al-Tamimi |url=http://www.aymennjawad.org/2016/01/an-account-of-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-islamic-state |work=Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi's Blog |date=January 2016 |accessdate=8 May 2016}}</ref>
* '''Head of the Shura Council''': Abu Arkan al-Ameri<ref>{{cite news |title=ISIS Leadership |url=http://apps.frontline.org/isis-leadership/ |accessdate=14 August 2015 |publisher=[[PBS]] |work=[[Frontline (U.S. TV series)|Frontline]] |date=2015}}</ref>
* '''Chief spokesperson''': [[Abu Mohammad al-Adnani]]{{KIA}}<ref name=Chulov/><ref name="brookings.edu">{{cite report |title=Islamic State Senior Leadership: Who's Who |first=Charles |last=Lister |url=http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Research/Files/Reports/2014/11/profiling-islamic-state-lister/en_whos_who.pdf?la=en |publisher=Brookings Institution |date=2014 |accessdate=11 May 2015}}</ref><ref name="Here's What We Know About The 'Caliph' Of The New 'Islamic State'">{{cite news |title=Here's What We Know About the 'Caliph' of the New Islamic State |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-what-we-know-about-the-caliph-of-the-new-islamic-state-2014-6 |accessdate=18 July 2014 |agency=Agence France-Presse |work=[[Business Insider]] |date=29 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="Ibrahim">{{cite news |url=http://news.siteintelgroup.com/Jihadist-News/isis-spokesman-declares-caliphate-rebrands-group-as-islamic-state.html |title=ISIS Spokesman Declares Caliphate, Rebrands Group as Islamic State |date=29 June 2014 |accessdate=29 June 2014 |work=Jihadist Threat |publisher=SITE Intelligence Group}}</ref><ref name="DoD">[http://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/941787/pentagon-confirms-US-strike-in-Syria-killed-isil-leader Pentagon Confirms U.S. Strike in Syria Killed ISIL Leader] 12 September 2016</ref>
* '''Chief of Syrian military operations''': [[Abu Omar al-Shishani]]{{KIA}}<ref name="brookings.edu" /><ref>[http://www.stripes.com/news/islamic-state-says-top-commander-is-dead-pentagon-unsure-1.419088 Islamic State says top commander is dead; Pentagon unsure] Stars and Stripes (14 July 2016)</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-confirms-death-of-hugely-popular-minister-of-war-omar-al-shishani-a7135446.html |title=Isis has confirmed the death of hugely popular 'minister of war' Omar al-Shishani |date=13 July 2016 |work=The Independent}}</ref><ref name="confirmation">{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/14/politics/u-s-confirms-death-of-isis-operative-omar-al-shishani/index.html |publisher=CNN |title=U.S. confirms death of ISIS operative Omar al-Shishani |date=14 March 2016 |accessdate=14 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Tarkhan Tayumurazovich Batirashvili |url=https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/tarkhan_batirashvili.html |website=Rewards for Justice |publisher=U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security |date=5 May 2015 |accessdate=7 May 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518171047/https://www.rewardsforjustice.net/english/tarkhan_batirashvili.html |archivedate=18 May 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
* '''Minister of War''': [[Gulmurod Khalimov]] <ref name="Khalimov"/>
* '''Minister of Information''': Wa’il Adil Hasan Salman al-Fayad{{KIA}}<ref name="confirmation2">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/16/isis-propaganda-chief-dr-wail-killed-in-airstrike |work=The Guardian |title=Isis's propaganda chief, Dr Wa'il, killed in airstrike, Pentagon confirms |date=16 September 2016 |accessdate=18 September 2016}}</ref>
* '''Spokesman''': [[Abul-Hasan Al-Muhajir]] (foreign fighter)
|headquarters = {{plainlist|
* [[Baqubah]], Iraq (2006–2007)
* ''No central headquarters'' (2007–2013)
* [[Raqqa]], Syria (2013–2017)
* [[Mayadin]], Syria (June–October 2017)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rt.com/news/385731-isis-moves-out-raqqa-deir-ezzor/ |title=ISIS ‘essentially moved’ its Syria HQ from Raqqa to Deir ez-Zor province – report |publisher=}}</ref><ref name="captures Mayadin">{{cite web|url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/141020174|title=Syrian army captures Mayadin from ISIS near Deir ez-Zor|author=|publisher=Rudaw|date=14 October 2017|accessdate=5 November 2017}}</ref>
* [[Al-Qa'im (town)|Al-Qa'im]], Iraq (October–November 2017)<ref name="last big fight">{{cite web|url=http://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/26102017|title=Iraq forces launch 'last big fight' against IS|author=Sarah Benhaida with Ahmad al-Rubaye|publisher=Rudaw|date=26 October 2017|accessdate=27 October 2017}}</ref>
* [[Abu Kamal]], Syria (November 2017)<ref name="converge">{{cite web|url=https://sg.news.yahoo.com/anti-forces-converge-syria-border-town-113315169.html|title=Anti-IS forces converge on Syria border town|author=|publisher=Yahoo Singapore News|date=4 November 2017|accessdate=5 November 2017}}</ref><ref name="Kamal">{{cite web|title=Syrian army & allies capture last major ISIS held town in Syria|url=https://www.rt.com/news/409274-syrian-army-capture-last-isis-town/|website=RT|publisher=TV-Novosti|accessdate=8 November 2017}}</ref>
* [[Rawa, Iraq|Rawa]], Iraq (8 - 17 November 2017)<ref>[https://www.vox.com/world/2017/11/17/16669650/iraq-isis-syria-rawa ISIS just lost its last town in Iraq]</ref>
}}
|area = [[File:Syrian, Iraqi, and Lebanese insurgencies.png|230px]]<br />Areas of control as of {{#invoke:Iraq_Syria_map_date|date}}, in the [[Iraqi Civil War (2014–present)|Iraqi]], [[Syrian Civil War|Syrian]], and [[Syrian Civil War spillover in Lebanon|Lebanese]] conflicts<div style="text-align: left;">
{{Collapsible list
| title = Map legend
| 1 = {{legend|#b4b2ae|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}
| 2 = {{legend|#db8ca6|[[Federal government of Iraq|Iraqi government]]}}
| 3 = {{legend|#ebc0b3|Syrian government}}
| 4 = {{legend|#ffa067|Lebanese government}}
| 5 = {{legend|#D2CD7E|[[Iraqi Kurdistan]] forces}}
| 6 = {{legend|#e2d974|[[Rojava|Syrian Kurdistan forces]]}}
| 7 = {{legend|#cae7c4|[[Syrian opposition]] forces}}
| 8 = {{legend|#ffffff|[[Tahrir al-Sham]] (HTS)}}
| 9 = {{legend|#3e79ff|[[w:Hezbollah|Hezbollah]]}}
| 11 = '''Note:''' Iraq and Syria contain large desert areas with sparse populations. These areas are mapped as under the control of forces holding roads and towns within them.
}}</div>
{{Collapsible list
| title = Detailed maps
| 1 = [[Template:Syrian, Iraqi, and Lebanese insurgencies detailed map|Detailed map of the Syrian, Iraqi, and Lebanese conflicts]]
| 2 = [[Template:Libyan Civil War detailed map|Detailed map of the Libyan Civil War]]
| 3 = [[Template:Sinai insurgency detailed map|Detailed map of the Sinai insurgency]]
| 4 = [[Template:Nigerian insurgency detailed map|Detailed map of the Nigerian insurgency]]
| 5 = [[Template:Yemeni Civil War detailed map|Detailed map of the Yemeni Civil War]]
| 6 = [[Template:Taliban insurgency detailed map|Detailed map of the Taliban insurgency]]
}}
|strength =
{{Collapsible list| title = List of combatant numbers
|Inside Syria and Iraq: {{plainlist|
*200,000<ref name="Kurdish">{{cite news |last1=Cockburn |first1=Patrick |title=War with Isis: Islamic militants have army of 200,000, claims senior Kurdish leader |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/war-with-isis-islamic-militants-have-army-of-200000-claims-kurdish-leader-9863418.html |accessdate=8 December 2014 |work=The Independent |date=16 November 2014 |location=London}}</ref> (Kurdish claim in 2014)
*100,000<ref name="saddam" /> (Jihadist claim in 2015)
*20,000–31,000<ref>{{cite news |first1=Jim |last1=Sciutto |first2=Jamie |last2=Crawford |first3=Chelsea J. |last3=Carter |title=ISIS can 'muster' between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters, CIA says |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/11/world/meast/isis-syria-iraq/ |publisher=CNN |date=12 September 2014 |accessdate=6 July 2015}}</ref> (CIA estimate in 2014)
*19,000–25,000<ref>{{cite news |title=New U.S. intelligence estimate sees 20-25K ISIL fighters |work=[[USA Today]] |first=Jim |last=Michaels |date=4 February 2016 |location=Washington, DC |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/02/03/isil-fighters-new-estimate-25000-iraq-syria/79775676/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=ISIS fighters in Libya surge as group suffers setbacks in Syria, Iraq |date=4 February 2016 |publisher=CNN |first1=Jim |last1=Sciutto |first2=Barbara |last2=Starr |first3=Kevin |last3=Liptak |location=Washington, DC |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/04/politics/isis-fighters-libya-syria-iraq/index.html}}</ref> (CIA estimate in early 2016)
*6,500 (U.S. military estimate in October 2017)<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/isis-down-to-6500-fighters-holds-only-3-percent-of-iraq/article/2637810 |title=ISIS down to 6,500 fighters, holds only 3 percent of Iraq|work=Washington Examiner |date=17 October 2017 |accessdate=12 November 2017}}</ref>}}
|Outside Syria and Iraq: 32,600–57,900 (See [[Military of ISIL]] for more detailed estimates.)
|Estimated total: 39,100 – 257,900 }}{{Collapsible list| title = Civilian population |In 2015 (near max extent): 6 million<ref>{{cite web |title=How many Fighters Does the Islamic State Really Have? |first=Daveed |last=Gartenstein-Ross-ROSS |date=9 February 2015 |publisher=War on the Rocks |url=https://warontherocks.com/2015/02/how-many-fighters-does-the-islamic-state-really-have/}}</ref>}}
|previous = [[Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad]] (1999)<ref name="winepJune14">{{cite report |first=Aaron Y. |last=Zelin |date=June 2014 |title=The War between ISIS and al-Qaeda for Supremacy of the Global Jihadist Movement |url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/pubs/ResearchNote_20_Zelin.pdf |work=Research Notes |volume=20 |publisher=Washington Institute for Near East Policy |accessdate=15 October 2014}}</ref>
| allies =
| opponents = '''State opponents'''
* {{flagcountry|Australia}}<ref>{{cite web|title=OKRA Home|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/Operations/Okra/default.asp|website=Global Operations|publisher=Department of Defense - Government of Australia|accessdate=25 October 2017}}</ref>
* {{flag|China}}<ref>http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-china-threaten-terror-attack-muslim-islamist-group-islamic-state-a7606211.html</ref>
* {{flagcountry|France}}
* {{flagcountry|Iran}}
* {{flagcountry|Iraq}}
* {{flagcountry|Lebanon}}
* {{flagcountry|Russia}}
* {{flagcountry|Saudi Arabia}}
* {{flagcountry|Syria}}
* {{flagcountry|Turkey}}
* {{flagcountry|United Kingdom}}
* {{flagcountry|United States}}
'''Non-state opponents'''
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Syrian Democratic Forces.svg}} [[Syrian Democratic Forces]]
* {{flagicon image|InfoboxHez.PNG}} [[Hezbollah]]
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Kurdistan.svg}} [[Peshmerga]]
* {{flagicon|Syrian opposition}} [[Free Syrian Army]]
* {{flagicon image|Flag of Jabhat al-Nusra.jpg}} [[Al-Nusra Front]] ({{small|[[Tahrir al-Sham]] since 2017}})
* {{flagicon image|Emblem of the Jaish al-Fatah.svg}} [[Army of Conquest]] ({{small|2015–17}})
|image_size = 200px
|active2=
}}
<!--Lead starts below-->
The '''Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant''' ('''ISIL''', {{IPAc-en|IPA|ˈ|aɪ|s|@l}}), [[Names of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|also known]] as the '''Islamic State of Iraq and Syria'''{{refn|group=note|or '''Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham'''}} ('''ISIS''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|aɪ|s|ᵻ|s}}),<ref name="ISIS or ISIL? The debate"/> '''Islamic State''' ('''IS''') and by its Arabic language acronym '''Daesh''' ({{lang-ar|داعش}} ''dāʿish'', {{IPA-ar|ˈdaːʕɪʃ|IPA}}),<ref name="DAESH shift">{{cite news |last1=Schwartz |first1=Felica |title=One More Name for Islamic State: Daesh |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/12/23/one-more-name-for-islamic-state-daesh/ |accessdate=25 December 2014 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=23 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.freewordcentre.com/explore/daesh-isis-media-alice-guthrie |title=Decoding Daesh: Why is the new name for ISIS so hard to understand? |first=Alice |last=Guthrie |date=19 February 2015 |accessdate=15 November 2015 |publisher=Free Word Centre}}</ref> is a [[Salafi jihadism|Salafi jihadist]] militant group and [[diplomatic recognition|unrecognised]] [[proto-state]] that follows a [[Islamic fundamentalism|fundamentalist]], [[Wahhabism|Wahhabi]] doctrine of [[Sunni Islam]].<ref name=Wahhabism>{{cite news |author=Fouad al-Ibrahim |title=Why ISIS is a threat to Saudi Arabia: Wahhabism's deferred promise |work=Al Akhbar English |url=http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/21234 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140824121659/http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/21234 |date=22 August 2014 |archive-date=24 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://orientalreview.org/2014/09/23/islamic-state-and-the-policy-of-the-west/ |title=Islamic State and the policy of the West |last1=Dolgov |first1=Boris |work=Oriental Review |date=23 September 2014}}<p>{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ejgkDQAAQBAJ&pg=PA178&lpg=PA178&dq=islamic%20unrecognised%20state%20isis&source=bl&ots=FxgFQd586j&sig=fnjh0lbWavoYJVIhGsD_L_XQ6E0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi2gsC11q3QAhXHCMAKHSzHD1cQ6AEITTAJ#v=onepage&q=islamic%20unrecognised%20state%20isis&f=false |title=Islam and Economic Policy |first=Rodney |last=Wilson |date=15 May 2015 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |via=Google Books}}<p>{{cite web |url=http://www.lrb.co.uk/v38/n05/patrick-cockburn/end-times-for-the-caliphate |title=End Times for the Caliphate? |first=Patrick |last=Cockburn |date=3 March 2016 |publisher= |pages=29–30 |via=London Review of Books}}<p>{{cite web |title=Does Islamic State have the economic and political institutions for future development? |first1=Dmitry |last1=Pastukhov |first2=Nathaniel |last2=Greenwold |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/economics/non-seminar/explore-econ16/accordian/greenwold_pastukhov-poster.pdf}}<p>{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A8nuBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA99&lpg=PA99&dq=islamic%20unrecognised%20state%20isis&source=bl&ots=JPF8tvGE6Z&sig=hCainZZmFnQfVW2i1fR75C1RtxY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj8gurD1q3QAhXCFsAKHXtiCOg4ChDoAQg4MAY#v=onepage&q=islamic%20unrecognised%20state%20isis&f=false |title=A Word Before Leaving: A Former Diplomat's Weltanschauung |first=John |last=Pedler |date=28 April 2015 |publisher=Troubador Publishing Ltd |via=Google Books}}<p>{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=koeMCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21&dq=islamic%20unrecognised%20state%20isis&source=bl&ots=RWKFjmQmIR&sig=07zTECZTRiIOfWKFrVdTBdi5GcU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj8gurD1q3QAhXCFsAKHXtiCOg4ChDoAQg7MAc#v=onepage&q=islamic%20unrecognised%20state%20isis&f=false |title=The Alawis of Syria: War, Faith and Politics in the Levant |first1=Michael |last1=Kerr |first2=Craig |last2=Larkin |date=1 January 2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |via=Google Books}}</ref> ISIL gained global prominence in early 2014 when it drove [[Iraqi security forces|Iraqi government forces]] out of key cities in its [[Anbar campaign (2013–14)|Western Iraq offensive]],<ref name=CNNanbar>{{cite news |title=John Kerry holds talks in Iraq as more cities fall to ISIS militants |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/23/world/meast/iraq-crisis/ |publisher=CNN |date=23 June 2014 |accessdate=10 December 2015}}</ref> followed by its [[Fall of Mosul|capture of Mosul]]<ref name=NYTmosul>{{cite news |author1=Suadad Al-Salhy |author2=Tim Arango |title=Sunni Militants Drive Iraqi Army Out of Mosul |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/world/middleeast/militants-in-mosul.html |date=10 June 2014 |accessdate=10 December 2015}}</ref> and the [[Sinjar massacre]].<ref name=CapturedSinjar>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/04/world/middleeast/iraq.html |title=Sunni Extremists in Iraq Seize 3 Towns From Kurds and Threaten Major Dam |work=The New York Times |last1=Arango |first1=Tim |date=3 August 2014 |accessdate=20 August 2014}}</ref>
This group has been designated a [[List of designated terrorist organizations|terrorist organisation]] by the [[United Nations]] and many individual countries. ISIL is widely known for [[ISIL beheading incidents|its videos of beheadings]]<ref name=PropagandaVideos>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/11/isis-propaganda-videos_n_6846688.html |title=A Short History Of ISIS Propaganda Videos |work=[[The World Post]] |date=11 March 2015}}</ref> of both soldiers and civilians, including journalists and aid workers, and [[Destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL|its destruction of cultural heritage sites]].<ref>{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219092526/http://mawtani.al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/iii/features/2015/02/13/feature-01 |url=http://mawtani.al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/iii/features/2015/02/13/feature-01 |title=Iraq churches, mosques under ISIL attack |first=Khalid |last=al-Taie |publisher=Al-Shorfa |date=13 February 2015 |archive-date=19 February 2015 |access-date=27 February 2015 |dead-url=yes}}</ref> The United Nations holds ISIL responsible for [[human rights abuses by ISIS|human rights abuses]] and [[war crime]]s and [[Amnesty International]] has charged the group with [[ethnic cleansing]] on a "historic scale" in northern Iraq.<ref name=amnestyethnic>{{cite web |title=Ethnic cleansing on a historic scale: The Islamic State's systematic targeting of minorities in northern Iraq |url=https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/8000/mde140112014en.pdf |publisher=Amnesty International |date=2 September 2014 |accessdate=19 October 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312220534/https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/8000/mde140112014en.pdf |archivedate=12 March 2015}}</ref>
ISIL originated as ''[[Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad]]'' in 1999, which pledged allegiance to [[al-Qaeda]] and participated in the [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–11)|Iraqi insurgency]] following the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]] by Western forces. The group proclaimed itself a [[worldwide caliphate]]<ref>{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Roggio |author-link=Bill Roggio |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/06/isis_announces_formation_of_ca.php |title=ISIS announces formation of Caliphate, rebrands as 'Islamic State' |work=[[Long War Journal]] |date=29 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="newname">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-declares-new-islamic-state-in-middle-east-with-abu-bakr-albaghdadi-as-emir-removing-iraq-and-syria-from-its-name-9571374.html |last=Withnall |first=Adam |title=Iraq crisis: Isis changes name and declares its territories a new Islamic state with 'restoration of caliphate' in Middle East |date=29 June 2014 |accessdate=29 June 2014 |work=The Independent |location=London}}</ref> and began referring to itself as the Islamic State ({{lang|ar|الدولة الإسلامية}} ''{{transl|ar|ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah}}'') or IS<ref name="What is IS">{{cite news |title=What is Islamic State? |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29052144 |publisher=BBC News |date=26 September 2014 |accessdate=9 March 2015}}</ref> in June 2014. As a caliphate, it claims religious, political and military authority over all [[Ummah|Muslims worldwide]].<ref name=caliphate>{{cite web |title=What does ISIS' declaration of a caliphate mean? |work=Al Akhbar English |url=http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/20378 |date=30 June 2014 |accessdate=25 November 2014}}. See also: {{harvc |contribution=Caliph, caliphate |first1=Wadad |last=Kadi |first2=Aram A. |last2=Shahin |url={{Google books|q1I0pcrFFSUC|page=81|plainurl=y}} |in=Bowering |year=2013}}</ref> Its adoption of the [[Names of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|name Islamic State]] and its idea of a [[caliphate]] have been widely criticised, with the United Nations, various governments and mainstream Muslim groups rejecting its [[state (polity)|statehood]].<ref name="NYT-20151221">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/21/opinion/a-medieval-antidote-to-isis.html |title=A Medieval Antidote to ISIS |last=Akyol |first=Mustafa |date=21 December 2015 |work=The New York Times |accessdate=4 January 2016}}{{failed verification|date=October 2016}}</ref>
In Syria, the group conducted ground attacks on both [[Syrian government|government forces]] and [[Syrian opposition|opposition factions]] and by December 2015 it held a large area in western Iraq and eastern Syria containing an estimated 2.8 to 8 million people,<ref name="politico2015"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2015/02/05/how-isis-rules/ |title=How ISIS Rules |last=Birke |first=Sarah |website=The New York Review of Books|access-date=2017-04-13}}</ref> where it enforced its interpretation of [[sharia law]]. ISIL is now believed to be operational in [[#Territorial control and claims|18 countries]] across the world, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, with "aspiring branches" in Mali, Egypt, Somalia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines.<ref>{{cite news |title=Islamic State and the crisis in Iraq and Syria in maps |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27838034 |accessdate=27 October 2016 |agency=BBC News |date=18 October 2016}}</ref><ref name="reuters-turfwar">{{cite news |title=Exclusive: In turf war with Afghan Taliban, Islamic State loyalists gain ground |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/29/us-afghanistan-islamic-state-idUSKCN0P91EN20150629 |agency=Reuters |date=29 June 2015 |accessdate=6 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="Pakistani Taliban pledges allegiance to ISIL">{{cite news |title=Pakistan Taliban splinter group vows allegiance to Islamic State |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/18/us-pakistan-militants-is-idUSKCN0J20YQ20141118 |agency=Reuters |date=18 November 2014 |accessdate=19 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="ISIL gains supporters" /> As of 2015, ISIL was estimated to have an annual budget of more than US$1 billion and a force of more than 30,000 fighters.<ref>{{Cite book |title=A History of ISIS |last=Gerges |first=Fawaz A. |publisher=Princeton University Press |year=2016 |isbn=9780691170008 |location=Princeton, New Jersey, USA |pages=21–22}}</ref>
In July 2017, the group lost control of its largest city, [[Mosul]], to the Iraqi army.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |url=http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/07/11/528164/Lebanon-Hezbollah-Nasrallah-Mosul-liberation-Daesh-terrorists-Middle-East |title=PressTV-'US created, allowed regional funding of Daesh'|access-date=2017-07-11 |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711234141/http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/07/11/528164/Lebanon-Hezbollah-Nasrallah-Mosul-liberation-Daesh-terrorists-Middle-East |archivedate=11 July 2017 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Following this major defeat, in August 2017 ISIL continued to lose territory to the various states and other military forces allied against it, resulting in significant territorial losses for ISIL in the areas of Syria and Iraq.<ref name="territorial-losses">[http://iswresearch.blogspot.com/search/label/ISIS Russia's Syria Mirage] Institute for Study of War website. By Matti Suomenaro, et all. Aug. 13, 2017. Downloaded Aug. 23, 2017.</ref>
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== Name{{anchor|Nomenclature|Name}} ==
{{Main article|Names of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}
{{See also|Name changes due to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}
{{anchor|ISIS}}In April 2013, having expanded into Syria, the group adopted the name ''{{transl|ar|ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah fī 'l-ʿIrāq wa-sh-Shām}}'' ({{rtl-lang|ar|الدولة الإسلامية في العراق والشام}}). As ''[[wikt:الشام|al-Shām]]'' is a region often compared with the [[Levant]] or [[Greater Syria]], the group's name has been variously translated as "Islamic State of Iraq and [[al-Sham]]",<ref>{{cite web |last1=Irshaid |first1=Faisal |title=Isis, Isil, IS or Daesh? One group, many names |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-27994277 |publisher=BBC |accessdate=2 December 2015 |date=2 December 2015}}</ref> "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria"<ref name="AlArabiya_9-4-2013">{{cite news |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/04/09/Al-Qaeda-in-Iraq-confirms-Syria-s-Nusra-Front-is-part-of-its-network.html |title=AlQaeda in Iraq confirms Syria's Nusra Front is part of its network |publisher=[[Al Arabiya English]] |date=9 April 2013 |accessdate=15 June 2014}}</ref> (both abbreviated as ISIS), or "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (abbreviated as ISIL).<ref name="ISIS or ISIL? The debate">{{cite news |last1=Tharoor |first1=Ishaan |title=ISIS or ISIL? The debate over what to call Iraq's terror group |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/06/18/isis-or-isil-the-debate-over-what-to-call-iraqs-terror-group/?_ga=1.75244306.1823250761.1403224335 |accessdate=21 June 2014 |work=The Washington Post |date=18 June 2014}}</ref>
While the use of either one or the other [[acronym]] has been the subject of debate,<ref name="ISIS or ISIL? The debate" /><ref name="ISIS vs ISIL">{{cite news |last1=Saxena |first1=Vivek |title=ISIS vs ISIL – Which One Is It? |url=http://www.inquisitr.com/1306844/isis-vs-isil-which-one-is-it/ |accessdate=20 June 2014 |work=The Inquisitr |date=18 June 2014}}</ref> the distinction between the two and its relevance has been considered not so great.<ref name="ISIS or ISIL? The debate" /> Of greater relevance is the name Daesh, which is an acronym of ISIL's [[Arabic language|Arabic]] name ''al-Dawlah al-Islamīyah fī l-ʻIrāq wa-sh-Shām.'' ''Dāʿish'' ({{rtl-lang|ar|داعش}}), or Daesh. This name has been widely used by ISIL's Arabic-speaking detractors,{{clarify|date=December 2015}}<ref name="daesh2">{{cite web |url=https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/05/226067.htm |title=Terrorist Designations of Groups Operating in Syria |publisher=United States Department of State |date=14 May 2014 |accessdate=18 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="daesh3">{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27994277 |title=Isis, Isil or Da'ish? What to call militants in Iraq |date=24 June 2014 |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=16 August 2014}}</ref> although – and to a certain extent because – it is considered derogatory, as it resembles the Arabic words ''Daes'' (lit. "one who crushes, or tramples down, something underfoot") and ''Dāhis'' (loosely translated: "one who sows discord").<ref name="DAESH shift" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Randal |first1=Collin |title=Why Does a Simple Word like Daesh Disturb Extremists so Much |url=http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/why-does-a-simple-word-like-daesh-disturb-extremists-so-much |work=The National |location=Abu Dhabi |accessdate=22 November 2014}}</ref> Within areas under its control, ISIL considers use of the name Daesh punishable by flogging<ref name="daesh">{{cite web |last=Abouzeid |first=Rania |title=Syria's uprising within an uprising |publisher=European Council on Foreign Relations |date=16 January 2014 |url=http://ecfr.eu/content/entry/commentary_syrias_uprising_within_an_uprising238 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140125092845/http://ecfr.eu/content/entry/commentary_syrias_uprising_within_an_uprising238 |archivedate=25 January 2014 |accessdate=15 August 2014}}</ref> or cutting out the tongue.<ref>{{cite news |first=Maria |last=Vultaggio |title=ISIL, ISIS, Islamic State, Daesh: What's The Difference? |date=16 November 2015 |work=International Business Times |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/isil-isis-islamic-state-daesh-whats-difference-2187131}}</ref>
In late June 2014, the group renamed itself ''{{transl|ar|ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah}}'' ({{literal translation|Islamic State}} or ''IS''), declaring itself a worldwide [[caliphate]].<ref name="newname" /> The name "Islamic State" and the group's claim to be a caliphate have been widely rejected, with the UN, various governments, and mainstream Muslim groups refusing to use the new name.<ref name="Moore">{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Jack |date=2 July 2014 |title=Iraq Crisis: Senior Jordan Jihadist Slams Isis Caliphate |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/iraq-crisis-senior-jordan-jihadist-slams-isis-caliphate-1455041 |work=International Business Times UK |accessdate=2 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite news |last1=Mandhai |first1=Shafik |title=Muslim leaders reject Baghdadi's caliphate |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/07/muslim-leaders-reject-baghdadi-caliphate-20147744058773906.html |accessdate=12 July 2014 |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=7 July 2014}}</ref> The group's declaration of a new caliphate in June 2014 and its adoption of the name "Islamic State" have been criticised and ridiculed by Muslim scholars and rival Islamists both inside and outside the territory it controls.<ref name="Moore" /><ref name="Al Jazeera">{{cite news |title=Iraq's Baghdadi calls for 'holy war' |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/07/iraqi-rebel-leader-calls-holy-war-201471202429388292.html |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=2 July 2014 |accessdate=2 July 2014}}</ref>
In a speech in September 2014, United States President Barack Obama said that ISIL is not "Islamic" on the basis that no religion condones the killing of innocents and that no government [[Diplomatic recognition|recognises]] the group as a state,<ref name="potus-statement" /> while many object to using the name "Islamic State" owing to the far-reaching religious and political claims to authority which that name implies. The [[United Nations Security Council]],<ref name="un.org">{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/2178%20(2014) |title=United Nations Official Document |publisher=United Nations |accessdate=13 October 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141028111035/http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S%2FRES%2F2178+%282014%29 |archivedate=28 October 2014 |df=dmy}}</ref> the United States,<ref name="potus-statement">{{cite web |url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/09/10/statement-president-isil-1 |title=Statement by the President on ISIL |publisher=White House |accessdate=13 October 2014}}</ref> Canada,<ref name="ottawacitizen.com">{{cite news |first=David |last=Pugliese |url=http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/details-about-the-canadian-governments-motion-about-going-to-war-against-isil |title=Details about the Canadian government's motion about going to war against ISIL |work=Ottawa Citizen |accessdate=13 October 2014}}</ref> Turkey,<ref name="aa.com.tr">{{cite web |url=http://www.aa.com.tr/en/turkey/397771--turkish-govt-files-motion-to-parliament-to-fight-isil |title=Turkish government files motion to Parliament to fight ISIL |publisher=Andalou Agency |accessdate=14 October 2014}}</ref> Australia,<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/10/australia-says-ready-strike-isil-iraq-201410344429911502.html |title=Australia says ready to strike ISIL in Iraq |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=3 October 2014 |accessdate=13 October 2014}}</ref> Russia,<ref name="presstv.ir">{{cite news |title=Russia urges Iran's participation in anti-ISIL battle |url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/09/28/380328/russia-urges-iran-role-against-isil/ |publisher=Press TV |accessdate=21 November 2014 |date=28 September 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012093942/http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/09/28/380328/russia-urges-iran-role-against-isil/ |archivedate=12 October 2014}}</ref> the United Kingdom<ref name="gov.uk">{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/isil-uk-government-response |title=ISIL: UK government response |publisher=Government of the United Kingdom |date=13 October 2014}}</ref> and other countries generally call the group "ISIL", while much of the Arab world uses the [[Arabic]] acronym "Dāʻish". France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said "This is a terrorist group and not a state. I do not recommend using the term Islamic State because it blurs the lines between Islam, Muslims, and Islamists. The Arabs call it 'Daesh' and I will be calling them the 'Daesh cutthroats.'"<ref name="ReferenceC">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/09/17/france-is-ditching-the-islamic-state-name-and-replacing-it-with-a-label-the-group-hates/ |title=France is ditching the 'Islamic State' name—and replacing it with a label the group hates |date=17 September 2014 |accessdate=6 October 2014 |work=The Washington Post |first=Adam |last=Taylor}}</ref> Retired general [[John R. Allen|John Allen]], the U.S. envoy appointed to co-ordinate the coalition; [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] Lieutenant General [[James L. Terry|James Terry]], head of operations against the group; and [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[John Kerry]] had all shifted towards use of the term DAESH by December 2014.<ref>{{cite news |first=Alan |last=Yuhasin |title=US general rebrands Isis 'Daesh' after requests from regional partners Leader of operations against group uses alternative name – a pejorative in Arabic that rejects fighters' claims on Islam |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/19/us-general-rebrands-isis |accessdate=22 December 2014 |date=19 December 2014}}</ref>
== Purpose and strategy ==
=== Ideology ===
{{Main article|Ideology of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}
ISIL is a [[theocracy]], [[proto-state]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=Tobey |first1=Mark |title=The ISIS Crisis: What You Really Need to Know |date=2015 |location=chapter 6 reference 13 |quote=The final expression of Islamic government found in the Middle East would seem to be the purest, yet actually represents the most dangerous form: '''theocratic''' Islam.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Belanger-McMurdo |first1=Adele |title=A Fight for Statehood? ISIS and Its Quest for Political Domination |url=http://www.e-ir.info/2015/10/05/a-fight-for-statehood-isis-and-its-quest-for-political-domination/ |quote=Nevertheless, ISIS is neither a terrorist organization nor a political party; instead, it is a '''theocratic proto-state'''.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Caldwell |first1=Dan |title=Seeking Security in an Insecure World |date=2016 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |page=195 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DqNaCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA195 |quote=It is a '''theocratic state''' that considers itself unbound by the Westphalian principle of sovereignty with its corollaries of nonaggression and nonintervention}}</ref> and a [[Salafi movement|Salafi]] or [[Wahhabism|Wahhabi]] group.<ref name="huffpost-wahhabi" /><ref name="guardian-traincamp">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/25/inside-isis-training-camps |title=The secret world of Isis training camps – ruled by sacred texts and the sword |last=Hassan |first=Hassan |work=The Guardian |date=24 January 2015 |accessdate=2 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/islamic-state-affiliate-takes-root-amid-libyas-chaos-1422837545 |title=Islamic State Affiliate Takes Root Amid Libya's Chaos |last=Bradley |first=Matt |date=1 February 2015 |accessdate=2 February 2015 |work=The Wall Street Journal}}</ref> It follows an extremist interpretation of [[Islam]], promotes religious violence, and regards Muslims who do not agree with its interpretations as [[infidel]]s or [[Apostasy|apostates]].<ref name="NS" /> According to Hayder al Khoei, ISIL's philosophy is represented by the symbolism in the [[Black Standard]] variant of the legendary battle flag of [[Muhammad|Prophet Muhammad]] that it has adopted: the flag shows the [[Seal of Muhammad]] within a white circle, with the phrase above it, "[[Shahada|There is no god but Allah]]".<ref name=time-2014-09-09>{{cite news |last1=Prusher |first1=Ilene |author-link=Ilene Prusher |date=9 September 2014 |title=What the ISIS Flag Says About the Militant Group |url=http://time.com/3311665/isis-flag-iraq-syria/ |work=Time |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140909202210/http://time.com/3311665/isis-flag-iraq-syria/ |archivedate=9 September 2014 |accessdate=29 September 2014}}</ref> Such symbolism has been said to point to ISIL's belief that it represents the restoration of the caliphate of early Islam, with all the political, religious and eschatological ramifications that this would imply.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/anne-speckhard/isis-iraq_b_5541693.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140917040453/http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/anne-speckhard/isis-iraq_b_5541693.html |archivedate=17 September 2014 |title=Endtimes Brewing |work=Huffington Post (UK) |first=Anne |last=Speckhard |date=29 August 2014}}</ref>
According to some observers, ISIL emerged from the ideology of the [[Muslim Brotherhood]], the first [[Ottoman Empire|post-Ottoman]] Islamist group dating back to the late 1920s in Egypt.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hussain |first=Ghaffar |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/iraq-crisis-what-does-the-isis-caliphate-mean-for-global-jihadism-9573951.html |title=Iraq crisis: What does the Isis caliphate mean for global jihadism? |date=30 June 2014 |website=The Independent |accessdate=6 July 2014 |location=London}}</ref> It adheres to global [[Jihadism|jihadist]] principles and follows the hard-line ideology of [[al-Qaeda]] and many other modern-day jihadist groups.<ref name="al-Qaeda severs link with ISIL" /><ref name="NS" />
However, other sources trace the group's roots to [[Wahabbi movement|Wahhabism]].
{{quote|text=For their guiding principles, the leaders of the Islamic State ... are open and clear about their almost exclusive commitment to the Wahhabi movement of Sunni Islam. The group circulates images of Wahhabi religious textbooks from Saudi Arabia in the schools it controls. Videos from the group's territory have shown Wahhabi texts plastered on the sides of an official missionary van. |author=David D. Kirkpatrick |source=''The New York Times''<ref name=ISIS-NYT />}}
According to ''[[The Economist]]'', dissidents in the former ISIL capital of [[Raqqa]] report that "all 12 of the judges who now run its court system ... are Saudis". Saudi practices also followed by the group include the establishment of [[Islamic religious police|religious police]] to root out "vice" and enforce attendance at [[salat]] prayers, the widespread use of capital punishment, and the destruction or re-purposing of any non-Sunni religious buildings.<ref name="economist-behead">{{cite magazine |title=Crime and punishment in Saudi Arabia: The other beheaders |magazine=The Economist |date=20 September 2014 |url=https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21618918-possible-reasons-mysterious-surge-executions-other-beheaders |accessdate=7 November 2014}}</ref> [[Bernard Haykel]] has described ISIL leader [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi|Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's]] creed as "a kind of untamed Wahhabism".<ref name=ISIS-NYT /> Senior Saudi religious leaders have issued statements condemning ISIL<ref>{{cite news |last1=Staff writer |title=‘ISIS is enemy No. 1 of Islam,’ says Saudi grand mufti |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/08/19/Saudi-mufti-ISIS-is-enemy-No-1-of-Islam-.html |accessdate=5 October 2017 |work=Al Arabiyah News English |date=19 August 2014}}</ref> and attempting to distance the group from official Saudi religious beliefs.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Staff writer |title=Some Saudi clerics condemn Isil but preach intolerance |url=http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/saudi-arabia/some-saudi-clerics-condemn-isil-but-preach-intolerance-1.1383191 |accessdate=5 October 2017 |work=Gulf News |agency=Reuters |issue=10 September 2014}}</ref>
ISIL aims to return to the early days of Islam, rejecting all [[Bid‘ah|innovations]] in the religion, which it believes corrupts its original spirit. It condemns later caliphates and the [[Ottoman Empire]] for deviating from what it calls pure Islam, and seeks to revive the original Wahhabi project of the restoration of the caliphate governed by strict Salafist doctrine. Following Salafi-Wahhabi tradition, ISIL condemns the followers of secular law as disbelievers, putting the current Saudi Arabian government in that category.<ref name=Wahhabism />
Salafists such as ISIL believe that only a legitimate authority can undertake the leadership of [[jihad]], and that the first priority over other areas of combat, such as fighting non-Muslim countries, is the purification of Islamic society. For example, ISIL regards the Palestinian Sunni group [[Hamas]] as apostates who have no legitimate authority to lead jihad and see fighting Hamas as the first step toward confrontation by ISIL with Israel.<ref name=ISIS-NYT /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mamouri |first1=Ali |title=Why Islamic State has no sympathy for Hamas |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/07/islamic-state-fighting-hamas-priority-before-israel.html |date=29 July 2014 |work=Al-Monitor |accessdate=1 August 2014}}</ref>
=== Islamic eschatology ===
{{see also|Islamic eschatology}}
One difference between ISIL and other Islamist and jihadist movements, including [[al-Qaeda]], is the group's emphasis on [[Islamic eschatology|eschatology]] and [[apocalypticism]] – that is, a belief in a final [[Last Judgment#Islam|Day of Judgment]] by God, and specifically, a belief that the arrival of one known as Imam [[Mahdi]] is near. ISIL believes that it will defeat the army of "Rome" at the town of [[Dabiq, Syria|Dabiq]], in fulfilment of prophecy.<ref name="what-isis-really-wants" /> Following its interpretation of the [[Hadith of the Twelve Successors]], ISIL also believes that after al-Baghdadi there will be only four more legitimate caliphs.<ref name="what-isis-really-wants" />
The noted scholar of militant Islamism [[Will McCants|William McCants]] writes:
{{quote|text=References to the End Times fill Islamic State propaganda. It's a big selling point with foreign fighters, who want to travel to the lands where the final battles of the apocalypse will take place. The civil wars raging in those countries today [Iraq and Syria] lend credibility to the prophecies. The Islamic State has stoked the apocalyptic fire. [...] For Bin Laden's generation, the apocalypse wasn't a great recruiting pitch. Governments in the Middle East two decades ago were more stable, and sectarianism was more subdued. It was better to recruit by calling to arms against corruption and tyranny than against the Antichrist. Today, though, the apocalyptic recruiting pitch makes more sense than before. |first=William|last=McCants |source=''The ISIS Apocalypse: The History, Strategy, and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State''<ref>{{Cite book |title=The ISIS Apocalypse: The History, Strategy, and Doomsday Vision of the Islamic State |last=McCants |first=William |publisher=St. Martin's Press |year=2015 |isbn=978-1-250-08090-5 |location=New York |page=147 |url=https://www.amazon.com/The-ISIS-Apocalypse-Strategy-Doomsday/dp/1250080908}}</ref>}}
=== Goals ===
Since at least 2004, a significant goal of the group has been the foundation of a [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] [[Islamic state]].<ref name="Beauchamp14">{{cite web |url=https://www.vox.com/cards/things-about-isis-you-need-to-know/isis-goal-theocracy |title=17 things about ISIS and Iraq you need to know |first=Zack |last=Beauchamp |date=2 September 2014 |website=Vox |accessdate=5 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="dni.gov">{{cite news |last1=Abu Mohammad |title=Letter dated 9 July 2005 |url=http://www.dni.gov/press_releases/letter_in_english.pdf |accessdate=22 July 2014 |publisher=Office of the Director of National Intelligence |at=See page 2 onwards |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522153638/http://www.dni.gov/press_releases/letter_in_english.pdf |archivedate=22 May 2011}}</ref> Specifically, ISIL has sought to establish itself as a [[caliphate]], an Islamic state led by a group of religious authorities under a supreme leader – the [[caliph]] – who is believed to be the successor to Prophet [[Muhammad]].<ref name=Johnson14 /> In June 2014, ISIL published a document in which it claimed to have traced the lineage of its leader al-Baghdadi back to Muhammad,<ref name="Johnson14" /> and upon proclaiming a new caliphate on 29 June, the group appointed al-Baghdadi as its caliph. As caliph, he demands the allegiance of all devout Muslims [[worldwide caliphate|worldwide]], according to Islamic jurisprudence (''[[fiqh]]'').<ref name="aj140707">{{cite news |url=http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/inside-story/articles/2014/7/7/isil-s-leader-emergesfromtheshadowswhoisabubakralbaghdadi.html |title=Who is the U.S. targeting in Iraq air strikes? |date=7 July 2014 |first=Laith |last=Kubba |publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref>
ISIL has detailed its goals in its ''[[Dabiq (magazine)|Dabiq]]'' magazine, saying it will continue to seize land and take over the entire Earth until its:
{{quote|text=Blessed flag...covers all eastern and western extents of the Earth, filling the world with the truth and justice of Islam and putting an end to the falsehood and tyranny of jahiliyyah [state of ignorance], even if American and its coalition despise such. |source=5th edition of ''Dabiq'', the Islamic State's English-language magazine <ref name="Joscelyn">{{cite news |last=Joscelyn |first=Thomas |title=US counterterrorism efforts in Syria: A winning strategy? |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/09/us-counterterrorism-efforts-in-syria-a-winning-strategy.php |work=Long War Journal |date=29 September 2015}}</ref>}}
According to German journalist [[Jürgen Todenhöfer]], who spent ten days embedded with ISIL in Mosul, the view he kept hearing was that ISIL wants to "conquer the world", and that all who do not believe in the group's interpretation of the [[Quran]] will be killed. Todenhöfer was struck by the ISIL fighters' belief that "all religions who agree with democracy have to die",<ref name=Withnall>{{cite news |last1=Withnall |first1=Adam |title=Middle East. Inside Isis: The first Western journalist ever to be given access to the 'Islamic State' has just returned – and this is what he discovered |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/inside-isis-the-first-western-journalist-ever-given-access-to-the-islamic-state-has-just-returned-9938438.html |accessdate=3 October 2015 |work=The Independent |date=21 December 2014}}</ref> and by their "incredible enthusiasm" – including enthusiasm for killing "hundreds of millions" of people.<ref name=Greyvenstein>{{cite news |last1=Greyvenstein |first1=Hester Maria |title=Q&A: German journalist on surviving ISIL |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/2014/12/qa-german-journalist-surviving-isil-20141224164752725983.html |accessdate=4 October 2015 |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=15 January 2015 |quote=Something that I don't understand at all is the enthusiasm in their plan of religious cleansing, planning to kill the non-believers... They also will kill Muslim democrats because they believe that non-ISIL-Muslims put the laws of human beings above the commandments of God. These were very difficult discussions, especially when they were talking about the number of people who they are willing to kill. They were talking about hundreds of millions. They were enthusiastic about it, and I just cannot understand that.}}</ref>
When the caliphate was proclaimed, ISIL stated: "The legality of all emirates, groups, states and organisations becomes null by the expansion of the khilafah's [caliphate's] authority and arrival of its troops to their areas."<ref name="Johnson14" /> This was a rejection of the political divisions in [[Southwestern Asia]] that were established by the UK and France during [[World War I]] in the [[Sykes–Picot Agreement]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tran |first1=Mark |last2=Weaver |first2=Matthew |date=30 June 2014 |title=Isis announces Islamic caliphate in area straddling Iraq and Syria |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/30/isis-announces-islamic-caliphate-iraq-syria |work=The Guardian |accessdate=6 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=McGrath |first1=Timothy |title=Watch this English-speaking ISIS fighter explain how a 98-year-old colonial map created today's conflict |url=http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20140702/watch-this-english-speaking-isis-fighter-explain-how-a-98-year-old-colonial-map-created-todays-conflict |accessdate=22 July 2014 |work=Los Angeles Times |agency=GlobalPost |date=2 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://carnegieendowment.org/syriaincrisis/?fa=54017 |title=The Islamic State: Leaving al-Qaeda Behind |first=Romain |last=Caillet |date=27 December 2013 |publisher=Carnegie Endowment for International Peace}}</ref>
All non-Muslim areas would be targeted for conquest after the Muslim lands were dealt with, according to the Islamist manual ''[[Management of Savagery]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.themonthly.com.au/issue/2016/june/1464703200/robert-manne/mind-islamic-state |title=The mind of the Islamic State: An ideology of savagery |work=The Monthly |date=June 2016 |first=Robert |last=Manne}}</ref><ref name="MoghadamFishman2011">{{cite book |first1=Assaf |last1=Moghadam |first2=Brian |last2=Fishman |title=Fault Lines in Global Jihad: Organizational, Strategic, and Ideological Fissures |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MLE68zW_7LUC&pg=PA55 |date=10 May 2011 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-136-71058-2 |page=55}}</ref><ref>{{cite report |editor-first1=Assaf |editor-last1=Moghadam |editor-first2=Brian |editor-last2=Fishman |title=Self-Inflicted Wounds: Debates and Divisions within al-Qa’ida and its Periphery |publisher=Harmony Project, Combating Terrorism Center at West Point |date=16 December 2010 |url=https://www.ctc.usma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Self-Inflicted-Wounds.pdf}}</ref>
=== Strategy ===
Documents found after the death of Samir Abd Muhammad al-Khlifawi, a former colonel in the intelligence service of the [[Iraqi Air Force]] before the US invasion who had been described as "the strategic head" of ISIL, detailed planning for the ISIL takeover of northern Syria which made possible "the group's later advances into Iraq". Al-Khlifawi called for the infiltration of areas to be conquered with spies who would find out "as much as possible about the target towns: Who lived there, who was in charge, which families were religious, which Islamic school of religious jurisprudence they belonged to, how many mosques there were, who the imam was, how many wives and children he had and how old they were". Following this surveillance and espionage would come murder and kidnapping – "the elimination of every person who might have been a potential leader or opponent". In Raqqa, after rebel forces drove out the Assad regime and ISIL infiltrated the town, "first dozens and then hundreds of people disappeared".
<ref name=Reuter-4-18-2015>{{cite news |last1=Reuter |first1=Christoph |date=18 April 2015 |title=The Terror Strategist: Secret Files Reveal the Structure of Islamic State |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/islamic-state-files-show-structure-of-islamist-terror-group-a-1029274.html |accessdate=4 December 2015 |work=Der Spiegel}}</ref>
Security and intelligence expert Martin Reardon has described ISIL's purpose as being to psychologically "break" those under its control, "[...] so as to ensure their absolute allegiance through fear and intimidation," while generating, "[...]outright hate and vengeance" among its enemies.<ref name=Reardon-6-7-15>{{cite news |last1=Reardon |first1=Martin |title=ISIL and the management of savagery |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/07/isil-management-savagery-150705060914471.html |accessdate=20 November 2015 |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=6 July 2015}}</ref> [[Jason Burke]], a journalist writing on [[Salafi jihadism]], has written that ISIL's goal is to "terrorize, mobilize [and] polarize".<ref name=Gude-2015-3 /><ref>{{cite news |first=Jason |last=Burke |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/14/islamic-state-goes-global-paris-attacks |title=Islamic State ‘Goes Global’ with Paris Attacks |work=The Observer |date=14 November 2015}}</ref> Its efforts to terrorise are intended to intimidate civilian populations and force governments of the target enemy "to make rash decisions that they otherwise would not choose". It aims to mobilise its supporters by motivating them with, for example, spectacular deadly attacks deep in Western territory (such as the [[November 2015 Paris attacks]]), to polarise by driving Muslim populations – particularly in the West – away from their governments, thus increasing the appeal of ISIL's self-proclaimed caliphate among them, and to: "Eliminate neutral parties through either absorption or elimination".<ref name=Gude-2015-3>{{cite book |last1=Gude |first1=Ken |title=Anti-Muslim Sentiment Is a Serious Threat to American Security |date=November 2015 |publisher=Center for American Progress |page=3 |url=https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/25074358/ISISTrap.pdf |accessdate=4 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite report |first=Harleen |last=Gambhir |url=http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/INTSUM_Summary_update.pdf |title=ISIS Global Intelligence Summary: January 7 – February 18 |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Institute for the Study of War |date=February 2015}}</ref> Journalist [[Rukmini Maria Callimachi]] also emphasises ISIL's interest in polarization or in eliminating what it calls the "grey zone" between the black (non-Muslims) and white (ISIL). "The gray is moderate Muslims who are living in the West and are happy and feel engaged in the society here."<ref name="slate-12-7-2016">{{cite news |last1=Chotiner |first1=Isaac |title=The ISIS Correspondent [interview with Rukmini Callimachi] |url=http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/interrogation/2016/07/rukmini_callimachi_the_new_york_times_isis_reporter_discusses_her_beat.html |date=12 July 2016 |work=Slate.com}}</ref>
A work published online in 2004 entitled ''[[Management of Savagery]]''<ref name=MoS>{{cite book |first=Abu Bakr |last=Naji |title=The Management of Savagery: The Most Critical Stage Through Which the Umma Will Pass |date=23 May 2006 |publisher=John M. Olin Institute for Strategic Studies at Harvard University |url=https://azelin.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/abu-bakr-naji-the-management-of-savagery-the-most-critical-stage-through-which-the-umma-will-pass.pdf |accessdate=20 November 2015}}</ref> (''Idarat at Tawahoush''), described by several media outlets as influential on ISIL<ref>{{cite web |last=McCoy |first=Terrence |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/08/12/the-calculated-madness-of-the-islamic-states-horrifying-brutality/ |title=The calculated madness of the Islamic State's horrifying brutality |work=The Washington Post |date=12 August 2014 |accessdate=1 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Alastair |first=Crooke |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alastair-crooke/iraq-isis-alqaeda_b_5542575.html |title=The ISIS' 'Management of Savagery' in Iraq |work=The Huffington Post |date=30 June 2014 |accessdate=1 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hassan |first=Hassan |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/08/isis-islamic-state-ideology-sharia-syria-iraq-jordan-pilot |title=Isis has reached new depths of depravity. But there is a brutal logic behind it |work=The Guardian |date=8 February 2015 |accessdate=10 February 2015}}</ref>
and intended to provide a strategy to create a new Islamic caliphate,<ref name="nyJune14">{{cite web |last=Wright |first=Lawrence |title=ISIS's Savage Strategy in Iraq |url=http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/isiss-savage-strategy-in-iraq |work=The New Yorker |date=16 June 2014 |accessdate=1 September 2014}}</ref> recommended a strategy of attack outside its territory in which fighters would, "Diversify and widen the vexation strikes against the Crusader-Zionist enemy in every place in the Islamic world, and even outside of it if possible, so as to disperse the efforts of the alliance of the enemy and thus drain it to the greatest extent possible."<ref name=Atran-nybooks-11-16-15>{{cite news |last1=Atran |first1=Scott |last2=Hamid |first2=Nafees |title=Paris: The War ISIS Wants |url=http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2015/nov/16/paris-attacks-isis-strategy-chaos |work=The New York Review of Books |accessdate=20 November 2015 |date=16 November 2015}}</ref>
The group has been accused of attempting to "bolster morale" and distract attention from its loss of territory to enemies by staging terror attacks abroad (such as the [[2017 Tehran attacks|6 June 2017 attacks on Tehran]], the [[2017 Manchester Arena bombing|May 22, 2017 bombing in Manchester, UK]], and the [[June 2017 London Bridge attack|3 June 2017 attacks in London]] that ISIL claimed credit for).<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/07/world/middleeast/iran-parliament-attack-khomeini-mausoleum.html |title=Iran Assails Saudi Arabia After Pair of Deadly Terrorist Attacks |last=Erdbrink |first=Thomas |date=2017-06-07 |work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-06-07 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Change-point analyses show that the rate of ISIL terror attacks has decreased significantly since the February 19, 2017 <ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/19/africa/libya-us-airstrike-isis/index.html|title=U.S. strikes ISIS camp in Libya; 49 killed - CNN|last=CNN|first=Greg Botelho and Barbara Starr,|work=CNN|access-date=2017-11-02}}</ref> American bombing in Libya that resulted in the death of Noureddine Chouchane but the mean number of fatalities for each attack increased giving further credence to the morale boosting accusations. <ref>{{Cite news|url=https://adventuresinstatistics.wordpress.com/2017/10/31/modeling-isil-terror-attacks-and-their-intensities-via-marked-point-process-bayesian-models/|title=Modeling ISIL terror attacks and their intensities via marked point process Bayesian models|date=2017-10-31|work=adventuresinstatistics|access-date=2017-11-02|language=en-US}}</ref>
== Organisation ==
[[Raqqa]] in Syria had been under ISIL control since 2013 and in 2014 it became the group's ''de facto'' capital city.<ref name="nytimesraqqa">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/24/world/middleeast/islamic-state-controls-raqqa-syria.html |date=24 July 2014 |title=Life in a Jihadist Capital: Order With a Darker Side |accessdate=5 September 2014 |first=Ben |last=Hubbard |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> In October 2017, ISIL lost control of Raqqa.
=== Leadership and governance ===
{{Further information|List of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant members}}
[[File:Mugshot of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, 2004.jpg|thumb|upright|Mugshot of al-Baghdadi by US armed forces while in detention at [[Camp Bucca]] in 2004]]
ISIL is headed and run by [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]]. Before their deaths, he had two deputy leaders, [[Abu Muslim al-Turkmani]] for Iraq and [[Abu Ali al-Anbari]] (also known as Abu Ala al-Afri)<ref name="confusion">{{cite web |title=Everything We Knew About This ISIS Mastermind Was Wrong |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/15/everything-we-knew-about-this-isis-mastermind-was-wrong.html |publisher=The Daily Beast |date=15 April 2016 |accessdate=1 May 2016}}</ref> for Syria, both ethnic [[Iraqi Turkmen|Turkmen]]. Advising al-Baghdadi is a cabinet of senior leaders, while its operations in Iraq and Syria are controlled by local governors.<ref name="The Islamic State">{{cite web |title=The Islamic State |url=http://soufangroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/TSG-The-Islamic-State-Nov14.pdf |website=Soufan Group |date=November 2014 |accessdate=23 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=ISIS Replace Injured Leader Baghdadi With Former Physics Teacher |url=http://europe.newsweek.com/isis-replace-injured-leader-baghdadi-former-physics-teacher-324082 |website=Newsweek |date=22 April 2015 |accessdate=7 May 2015}}</ref> Beneath the leaders are councils on finance, leadership, military matters, legal matters (including decisions on executions) foreign fighters' assistance, security, intelligence and media. In addition, a [[shura]] council has the task of ensuring that all decisions made by the governors and councils comply with the group's interpretation of [[sharia]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Thompson |first1=Nick |last2=Shubert |first2=Attika |title=The anatomy of ISIS: How the 'Islamic State' is run, from oil to beheadings |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/18/world/meast/isis-syria-iraq-hierarchy/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 |accessdate=21 September 2014 |publisher=CNN |date=18 September 2014}}</ref> While al-Baghdadi has told followers to "advise me when I err" in sermons, according to observers "any threat, opposition, or even contradiction is instantly eradicated".<ref name=NYRoB-7-9-2015>{{cite magazine |last1=Ruthven |first1=Malise |title=Inside the Islamic State. Review of Islamic State: The Digital Caliphate by Abdel Bari Atwan |work=[[The New York Review of Books]] |date=9 July 2015 |url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2015/07/09/inside-islamic-state/}}</ref>
According to Iraqis, Syrians and analysts who study the group, almost all of ISIL's leaders—including the members of its military and security committees and the majority of its [[emir]]s and princes—are former Iraqi military and intelligence officers, specifically former members of [[Saddam Hussein]]'s [[Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region|Ba'ath]] government who lost their jobs and pensions in the [[de-Ba'athification]] process after that regime was overthrown.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/the-hidden-hand-behind-the-islamic-state-militants-saddam-husseins/2015/04/04/aa97676c-cc32-11e4-8730-4f473416e759_story.html The hidden hand behind the Islamic State militants? Saddam Hussein’s.], ''Washington Post''</ref><ref name="nytimes27Aug14" /><ref name="ind5Apr2015">{{cite news |last=Sly |first=Liz |date=5 April 2015 |title=How Saddam Hussein's former military officers and spies are controlling Isis |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/how-saddam-husseins-former-military-officers-and-spies-are-controlling-isis-10156610.html |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |access-date=21 April 2015 |quote=But American officials didn't anticipate that they would become not only adjuncts to al-Qaeda, but core members of the jihadist group. They were instrumental in the group's rebirth from the defeats inflicted on insurgents by the US military, which is now back in Iraq bombing many of the same men it had already fought twice before.}}</ref> The former Chief Strategist in the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism of the US State Department, [[David Kilcullen]], has said that "There undeniably would be no Isis if we had not invaded Iraq."<ref name="Indie ISIL">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iraq-war-invasion-caused-isis-islamic-state-daesh-saysus-military-adviser-david-kilcullen-a6912236.html |title=Former US military adviser David Kilcullen says there would be no Isis without Iraq invasion |work=The Independent |date=4 March 2016 |accessdate=8 March 2016}}</ref>
It has been reported that Iraqis and Syrians have been given greater precedence over other nationalities within ISIL because the group needs the loyalties of the local Sunni populations in both Syria and Iraq in order to be sustainable.<ref>{{cite web |title=Foreign Recruits Are Islamic State's Cannon Fodder |publisher=Bloomberg News |date=11 February 2015 |url=http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-02-11/foreign-fighters-are-islamic-state-s-cannon-fodder}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Iraqis, Saudis call shots in Raqa, ISIL's Syrian 'capital' |publisher=[[Channel NewsAsia]] |date=19 June 2014 |url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/specialreports/mh370/news/iraqis-saudis-call-shots/1178866.html |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212174907/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/specialreports/mh370/news/iraqis-saudis-call-shots/1178866.html |archivedate=12 February 2015 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Other reports, however, have indicated that Syrians are at a disadvantage to foreign members, with some native Syrian fighters resenting "favouritism" allegedly shown towards foreigners over pay and accommodation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Splits in Islamic State Emerge as Its Ranks Expand |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/islamic-state-feels-growing-pains-1425903933 |website=The Wall Street Journal |date=9 March 2015 |accessdate=11 April 2015 |first=Maria |last=Abi-Habib}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=In Islamic State Stronghold of Raqqa, Foreign Fighters Dominate |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/in-islamic-state-stronghold-of-raqqa-foreign-fighters-dominate-1423087426 |website=The Wall Street Journal |date=4 February 2015 |accessdate=11 April 2015 |first=Yaroslav |last=Trofimov}}</ref>
In August 2016, media reports based on briefings by Western intelligence agencies suggested that ISIL had a multilevel [[secret service]] known in Arabic as [[Emni]], established in 2014, that has become a combination of an internal police force and an external operations directorate complete with regional branches. The unit was believed to be under the overall command of ISIL's most senior Syrian operative, spokesman and propaganda chief [[Abu Mohammad al-Adnani]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.france24.com/en/20160804-islamic-state-group-emni-group-exporting-terror-world-europe |title=IS group unit known as 'Emni' aims to export terror around the world – France 24 |date=4 August 2016 |publisher=}}</ref><ref name=network>{{cite web |title=How a Secretive Branch of ISIS Built a Global Network of Killers |date=3 August 2016 |accessdate=7 August 2016 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/04/world/middleeast/isis-german-recruit-interview.html |work=The New York Times}}</ref> until his death by airstrike in late August 2016.<ref name=Chulov>{{cite web |first=Martin |last=Chulov |title=Abu Muhammad al-Adnani's death does not signal the demise of Isis |date=31 August 2016 |accessdate=31 August 2016 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/31/abu-muhammad-al-adnanis-death-does-not-signal-the-demise-of-isis |work=Reuters}}</ref>
=== Civilians in ISIL-controlled areas ===
{{Main page|Human rights in ISIL-controlled territory}}{{anchor|war crimes}}
In 2014 ''The Wall Street Journal'' estimated that eight million people lived in the Islamic State.<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HzMucorCwo |title=The Islamic State: How Its Leadership Is Organized |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=8 September 2014 |via=YouTube}}</ref> The [[United Nations Commission on Human Rights]] has stated that ISIL "seeks to subjugate civilians under its control and dominate every aspect of their lives through terror, indoctrination, and the provision of services to those who obey".<ref name="UNRuleOfTerror">{{cite web |title=Rule of Terror: Living under ISIS in Syria |url=http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/CoISyria/HRC_CRP_ISIS_14Nov2014.pdf |publisher=United Nations Commission on Human Rights |accessdate=29 November 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204115327/http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/CoISyria/HRC_CRP_ISIS_14Nov2014.pdf |archivedate=4 February 2015}}</ref> Civilians, as well as the Islamic State itself, have released footage of some of the human rights abuses.<ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-hidden-footage-reveals-reality-of-life-in-raqqa-a6928721.html |title=Two women release extraordinary footage of what life is really like living under Isis |work=The Independent |date=13 March 2016 |via=The Independent}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/10/deserters-describe-life-isil-rule-161010132353949.html |date=13 October 2016 |title=Deserters describe life under ISIL rule |accessdate=21 October 2016 |work=Al Jazeera}}</ref>
[[Social control]] of civilians is by imposition of ISIL's reading of sharia law,<ref name="McCoyTop"/> enforced by [[Islamic religious police|morality police]] forces known as ''Al-Hisbah'' and the all-women [[Al-Khanssaa Brigade]], a general police force, courts, and other ''entities managing recruitment, tribal relations, and education''.<ref name="UNRuleOfTerror"/> ''Al-Hisbah'' is led by Abu Muhammad al-Jazrawi.<ref name="officials">{{cite web |url=http://aranews.net/2016/12/islamic-state-replaces-syrian-officials-foreign-jihadists-raqqa/ |title=Islamic State replaces Syrian officials by foreign jihadists in Raqqa |publisher=[[ARA News]] |author=Haytham Mustafa |date=31 December 2016 |accessdate=31 December 2016}}</ref>
=== Military ===
{{Main article|Military of ISIL|Military equipment of ISIL}}
==== Number of combatants ====
{{Bar chart
| float=right
| title = Country origins of ISIL fighters (500 or more)<ref>[http://economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Global-Terrorism-Index-2015.pdf "Global Terrorism Index 2015"]. Institute For Economics and Peace. October 2015. Pages 46–47.</ref>
| label_type = Country
| label1 = Tunisia | data1 = 5,000
| label2 = Saudi Arabia | data2 = 2,500
| label3 = Russia | data3 = 2,400
| label4 = France | data4 = 2,000
| label5 = Jordan | data5 = 2,000
| label6 = Morocco | data6 = 1,500
| label7 = Turkey | data7 = 1,400
| label8 = Lebanon | data8 = 900
| label9 = Germany | data9 = 700
| label10 = Libya | data10 = 600
| label11 = United Kingdom | data11 = 600
| label12 = Indonesia | data12 = 500
| label13 = Uzbekistan | data13 = 500
| label14 = Pakistan | data14 = 500
<!-- | label15 = Belgium | data15 = 440
| label16 = Turkmenistan | data16 = 360
| label17 = Egypt | data17 = 600
| label18 = Serbia | data18 = 350
| label19 = Bosnia | data19 = 330
| label20 = China | data20 = 300
| label21 = Kosovo | data21 = 300
| label22 = Sweden | data22 = 300
| label23 = Australia | data23 = 250
| label24 = Kazakhstan | data24 = 250
| label25 = Netherlands | data25 = 250
| label26 = Austria | data26 = 200
| label27 = Algeria | data27 = 200
| label28 = Malaysia | data28 = 200
| label29 = Tajikistan | data29 = 190
| label30 = United States | data30 = 180
| label31 = Norway | data31 = 150
| label32 = Denmark | data32 = 150
| label33 = Albania | data33 = 140
| label34 = Canada | data34 = 130
| label35 = Palestine | data35 = 70–80
| label36 = Yemen | data36 = 110
| label37 = Sudan | data37 = 100
| label38 = Kyrgyzstan | data38 = 100
| label39 = Spain | data39 = 100
| label40 = Italy | data40 = 80
| label41 = Somalia | data41 = 70
| label42 = Kuwait | data42 = 70
| label43 = Finland | data43 = 70
| label44 = Ukraine | data44 = 50
| label45 = Israel | data45 = 40–50
| label46 = Switzerland | data46 = 40
| label47 = Ireland | data47 = 40
| label48 = India | data48 = 18
| label49 = Portugal | data49 = 10–12
| label50 = Philippines | data50 = 3–200 -->
}}
Estimates of the size of ISIL's military vary widely, from tens of thousands<ref>{{cite web |url=http://top-channel.tv/lajme/artikull.php?id=293580&fundi |title=Sa është numri i xhihadistëve të ISIS-it? |trans-title=How Many Jihadists ISIS? |language=Albanian |publisher=Top Channel |location=Tirana, Albania |accessdate=22 February 2015}}</ref> up to 200,000.<ref name="Kurdish" />
In early 2015, journalist Mary Anne Weaver estimated that half of ISIL fighters are foreigners.<ref name=NYT-HMJ>{{cite news |last1=Weaver |first1=Mary Anne |title=Her Majesty's Jihadists |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/magazine/her-majestys-jihadists.html |accessdate=14 April 2015 |work=The New York Times |date=19 April 2015}}</ref> A UN report estimated a total of 15,000 fighters from over 80 countries were in ISIL's ranks in November 2014.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/571503/20141103/isis-un-report-haaretz-caliphate-security-council.htm |title=UN Report on 15,000 Foreigners Joining ISIS Fighters in Syria And Iraq Will Shock You |work=International Business Times |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110162633/http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/571503/20141103/isis-un-report-haaretz-caliphate-security-council.htm |archivedate=10 November 2014}}</ref> US intelligence estimated an increase to around 20,000 foreign fighters in February 2015, including 3,400 from the [[Western world]].<ref name=NBCforeignfighters>{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Windrem |title=ISIS By the Numbers: Foreign Fighter Total Keeps Growing |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/isis-numbers-foreign-fighter-total-keeps-growing-n314731 |publisher=NBC News |date=28 February 2015 |accessdate=10 December 2015}}</ref> In September 2015, the CIA estimated that 30,000 foreign fighters had joined ISIL.<ref>Sarhan, Arme. "CIA: 30,000 foreign fighters have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS". Iraq News. 29 September 2015.</ref>
According to Abu Hajjar, a former senior leader of ISIL, foreign fighters receive food, petrol and housing, but unlike native Iraqi or Syrian fighters, they do not receive payment in wages.<ref>{{cite news |title=World's Richest Terror Army |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05s4ytp/this-world-worlds-richest-terror-army |publisher=BBC |date=24 April 2015 |page=25:06 – within a 59 minute programme |quote=excerpt from, interview with Abu Hajjar, a former "senior leader of IS": "How much money would a foreign fighter receive as a wage?" "A foreigner? They aren't given a salary. They are given food and housing, not money."}}</ref>
{{anchor|Equipment}}
==== Conventional weapons ====
ISIL relies mostly on captured weapons with major sources including [[Saddam Hussein]]'s Iraqi stockpiles from the [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–11)|2003–11 Iraq insurgency]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Insight into How Insurgents Fought in Iraq |url=http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/17/insight-into-how-insurgents-fought-in-iraq/ |date=17 October 2013 |work=The New York Times |accessdate=22 August 2014 |first=John |last=Ismay}}</ref> and weapons from government and opposition forces fighting in the [[Syrian Civil War]] and during the [[Iraqi insurgency (2011–present)|post-US withdrawal Iraqi insurgency]]. The captured weapons, including armour, guns, surface-to-air missiles, and even some aircraft, enabled rapid territorial growth and facilitated the capture of additional equipment.<ref name="huffpo7aug">{{cite news |first=Charles |last=Lister |title=Not Just Iraq: The Islamic State Is Also on the March in Syria |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charles-lister/not-just-iraq-the-islamic_b_5658048.html |work=The Huffington Post |date=7 August 2014 |accessdate=11 August 2014}}</ref> For example, ISIL captured US-made [[BGM-71 TOW|TOW anti-tank missiles]] supplied by the United States and Saudi Arabia to the [[Free Syrian Army]] in Syria.<ref>"[http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-used-us-made-anti-tank-missiles-near-palmyra-2015-6 ISIS used US-made anti-tank missiles near Palmyra]". ''Business Insider.'' 9 June 2015.</ref><ref>"[http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/10/world/u-s-missile-brought-russian-helicopter-syria-report/ U.S. missile brought down Russian helicopter in Syria: report]". Japan Times. 10 July 2016.</ref>
==== Non-conventional weapons ====
The group uses truck and [[car bomb]]s, [[suicide bombers]] and [[Improvised explosive device|IEDs]], and has used [[chemical weapon]]s in Iraq and Syria.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/sm103.aspx |publisher=[[United States Department of the Treasury]] |title=Treasury Targets ISIS Leader Involved in Chemical Weapons Development |date=June 12, 2017 |quote=Al-Jaburi is an Iraq-based, ISIS senior leader in charge of factories producing improvised explosive devices (IEDs), vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs), and explosives, and he is involved in the development of chemical weapons}}</ref> ISIL captured nuclear materials from [[Mosul University]] in July 2014, but is unlikely to be able to convert them into weapons.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cowell |first1=Alan |title=Low-Grade Nuclear Material Is Seized by Rebels in Iraq, U.N. Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/11/world/middleeast/iraq.html |accessdate=15 July 2014 |work=The New York Times |date=10 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sherlock |first1=Ruth |title=Iraq jihadists seize 'nuclear material', says ambassador to UN |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10958388/Iraq-jihadists-seize-nuclear-material-says-ambassador-to-UN.html |accessdate=15 July 2014 |work=The Telegraph |date=10 July 2014 |location=London}}</ref>
In September 2015 a US official stated that ISIL was manufacturing and using [[mustard agent]] in Syria and Iraq, and had an active chemical weapons research team.<ref name=bbc-20150911>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-34211838 |title=US official: 'IS making and using chemical weapons in Iraq and Syria' |first=Paul |last=Blake |publisher=BBC |date=11 September 2015 |accessdate=16 September 2015}}</ref><ref name=independent-20150911>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-manufacturing-and-using-chemical-weapons-in-iraq-and-syria-us-official-claims-10496094.html |title=Isis 'manufacturing and using chemical weapons' in Iraq and Syria, US official claims |first=Lizzie |last=Dearden |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |date=11 September 2015 |accessdate=16 September 2015}}</ref> ISIL has also used water as a weapon of war. The group closed the gates of the smaller Nuaimiyah dam in Fallujah in April 2014, flooding the surrounding regions, while cutting the water supply to the [[Shia]]-dominated south. Around 12,000 families lost their homes and 200 km² of villages and fields were either flooded or dried up. The economy of the region also suffered with destruction of cropland and electricity shortages.<ref>{{cite report |title=Water and Violence Link: Crisis of Survival in the Middle East |url=http://strategicforesight.com/publication_pdf/63948150123-web.pdf |publisher=Strategic Foresight |location=Mumbai, India |date=December 2014 |isbn=978-81-88262-24-3}}</ref>
During the [[Battle of Mosul (2016–17)|Battle of Mosul]] it was reported that commercially available quadcopters and drones were being used by ISIL as surveillance and weapons delivery platforms using extemporised cradles to drop grenades and other explosives.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://defense-update.com/20161012_drone_attacks.html |title=Weaponized Mini-Drones Entering the Fight |last=Eshel |first=Tamir |date=12 October 2016 |website=[[Defense Update]] |publisher=|access-date=25 February 2017 |quote=}}</ref> The ISIL drone facility became a target of Royal Air Force strike aircraft.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://defense-update.com/20170117_drones_attacked.html |title=RAF Strikes Daesh Drone Facility in Mosul |last=Eshel |first=Tamir |date=17 January 2017 |website=[[Defense Update]] |publisher=|access-date=25 February 2017 |quote=}}</ref>
=== Non-combatant recruits ===
Although ISIL attracts followers from different parts of the world by promoting the image of holy war, not all of its recruits end up in combatant roles. There have been several cases of new recruits expecting to be ''[[mujihadeen|mujahideen]]'' who have returned from Syria disappointed by the everyday jobs that were assigned to them, such as drawing water or cleaning toilets, or by the ban imposed on use of mobile phones during military training sessions.<ref>{{cite news |first=Simon |last=Tomlinson |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2855780/Indian-IS-recruit-goes-home-having-clean-toilets.html |title='ISIS made me clean the toilets... and my iPod didn't work': How disenchanted Islamic fanatics are returning home because jihad isn't as glamorous as they hoped |date=1 December 2014 |accessdate=22 January 2015 |location=London |work=Daily Mail}}</ref>
ISIL publishes material directed at women. Although women are not allowed to take up arms, media groups encourage them to play supportive roles within ISIL, such as providing first aid, cooking, nursing and sewing skills, in order to become "good wives of jihad".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-now-targeting-women-with-guides-on-how-to-be-the-ultimate-wives-of-jihad-9830562.html |title=Isis now targeting women with guides on how to be the 'ultimate wives of jihad' |date=31 October 2014 |accessdate=22 January 2015 |location=London |work=The Independent |first=Heather |last=Saul}}</ref> In a document entitled ''Women in the Islamic State: Manifesto and Case Study'' released by the media wing of ISIL's all-female [[Al-Khansaa Brigade|Al-Khanssaa Brigade]], emphasis is given to the paramount importance of marriage and motherhood (as early as nine years old). Women should live a life of "sedentariness", fulfilling her "divine duty of motherhood" at home, with a few exceptions like teachers and doctors.<ref name=imsorfw>{{cite magazine |last1=Abdul-Alim |first1=Jamaal |title=ISIS 'Manifesto' Spells Out Role for Women |magazine=The Atlantic |date=8 March 2015 |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/03/isis-manifesto-spells-out-role-for-women/387049/ |accessdate=23 November 2015}}</ref><ref name=quilliam-women>{{cite web |last1=Winter |first1=Charlie |title=QUILLIAM Translation and Analysis of Islamic State Manifesto on Jihadist Brides |url=http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/press/quilliam-translation-and-analysis-of-islamic-state-manifesto-on-jihadist-brides/ |publisher=Quilliam Foundation |accessdate=23 November 2015 |date=5 February 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160119055307/http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/press/quilliam-translation-and-analysis-of-islamic-state-manifesto-on-jihadist-brides/ |archivedate=19 January 2016}}</ref> Equality for women is opposed, as is education on non-religious subjects, the "worthless worldly sciences".<ref name=quilliam-women />
===Communications===
==== {{visible anchor|Propaganda|Propaganda and social media}} ====
ISIL is known for its extensive and effective use of [[propaganda]].<ref name="ft-20140617">{{cite news |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/69e70954-f639-11e3-a038-00144feabdc0.html?—ftcamp=crm/email/2014617/nbe/AsiaMorningHeadlines/product |title=Selling terror: how Isis details its brutality |date=17 June 2014 |last2=Jones |first2=Sam |first1=Roula |last1=Khalaf |newspaper=Financial Times |accessdate=18 June 2014}}</ref><ref name=ibtimes-2014-06-17>{{cite news |last=Stone |first=Jeff |date=17 June 2014 |title=ISIS Attacks Twitter Streams, Hacks Accounts To Make Jihadi Message Go Viral |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/isis-attacks-twitter-streams-hacks-accounts-make-jihadi-message-go-viral-1603842 |newspaper=International Business Times |accessdate=19 June 2014}}</ref> It uses a version of the Muslim [[Black Standard]] flag and developed an [[emblem]] which has clear symbolic meaning in the Muslim world.<ref name=time-2014-09-09 />
====Traditional media====
In November 2006, shortly after the group's rebranding as the "Islamic State of Iraq", it established the Al-Furqan Foundation for Media Production, which produces CDs, DVDs, posters, pamphlets, and web-related propaganda products and official statements.<ref name="LWJMmedia">{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Roggio |title=US targets al Qaeda's al Furqan media wing in Iraq |work=Long War Journal |date=28 October 2007 |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2007/10/us_targets_al_qaedas.php}}</ref> It began to expand its media presence in 2013, with the formation of a second media wing, Al-I'tisam Media Foundation, in March<ref name="Bilger 2014 p1">{{Harvnb|Bilger|2014|p=1}}.{{full citation needed|date=September 2016}}</ref><ref name="Jihadologymedia">{{cite web |last=Zelin |first=Aaron Y. |title=New statement from the Global Islamic Media Front: Announcement on the Publishing of al-I'tiṣām Media Foundation – A Subsidiary of the Islamic State of Iraq – It Will Be Released Via GIMF |url=http://jihadology.net/2013/03/08/new-statement-from-the-global-islamic-media-front-announcement-on-the-publishing-of-al-iti%E1%B9%A3am-media-foundation-a-subsidiary-of-the-islamic-state-of-iraq-it-will-be-released-via-gimf/ |work=Jihadology |date=8 March 2013 |accessdate=24 June 2014}}</ref> and the Ajnad Foundation for Media Production, specialising in [[nasheed]]s and audio content, in August.<ref>{{cite web |last=Zelin |first=Aaron Y. |url=http://jihadology.net/2013/08/20/new-statement-from-the-islamic-state-of-iraq-and-al-sham-announcing-ajnad-foundation-for-media-production/ |title=New statement from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Shām: "Announcing Ajnād Foundation For Media Production" |work=Jihadology |date=20 August 2013 |accessdate=8 June 2015}}</ref> In mid-2014, ISIL established the Al-Hayat Media Center, which targets Western audiences and produces material in English, German, Russian and French.<ref name="FreeBeaconMedia">{{cite web |last=Gertz |first=Bill |title=New Al Qaeda Group Produces Recruitment Material for Americans, Westerners |url=http://freebeacon.com/national-security/new-al-qaeda-group-produces-recruitment-material-for-americans-westerners/ |work=The Washington Free Beacon |date=13 June 2014 |accessdate=24 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="MEMRIMedia">{{cite web |title=ISIS Declares Islamic Caliphate, Appoints Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi As 'Caliph', Declares All Muslims Must Pledge Allegiance To Him |url=http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/8049.htm |publisher=MEMRI |date=30 June 2014 |accessdate=7 July 2014}}</ref> When ISIL announced its expansion to other countries in November 2014 it established media departments for the new branches, and its media apparatus ensured that the new branches follow the same models it uses in Iraq and Syria.<ref name=wapo28jan>{{cite news |title=The Islamic State's model |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2015/01/28/the-islamic-states-model/ |accessdate=30 March 2015 |work=The Washington Post |date=28 January 2015 |first=Aaron Y. |last=Zelin}}</ref> FBI Director [[James Comey]] has said that ISIL's "propaganda is unusually slick," noting that, "They are broadcasting... in something like 23 languages".<ref name="Washington Post">{{cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Kevin |date=8 December 2014 |title=Three American teens, recruited online, are caught trying to join the Islamic State |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/three-american-teens-recruited-online-are-caught-trying-to-join-the-islamic-state/2014/12/08/8022e6c4-7afb-11e4-84d4-7c896b90abdc_story.html?tid=hybrid_1.1_strip_1 |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=9 December 2014}}</ref>
In July 2014, al-Hayat began publishing a digital magazine called ''[[Dabiq (magazine)|Dabiq]]'', in a number of different languages including English. According to the magazine, its name is taken from the town of [[Dabiq (town)|Dabiq]] in northern Syria, which is mentioned in a [[hadith]] about [[Islamic eschatology|Armageddon]].<ref name="JamestownDabiq">{{cite web |title=Dabiq: What Islamic State's New Magazine Tells Us about Their Strategic Direction, Recruitment Patterns and Guerrilla Doctrine |url=http://www.jamestown.org/programs/tm/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=42702&cHash=0efbd71af77fb92c064b9403dc8ea838 |publisher=The Jamestown Foundation |date=1 August 2014 |accessdate=18 August 2014}}</ref> Al-Hayat also began publishing other digital magazines, including the Turkish language ''[[Konstantiniyye (magazine)|Konstantiniyye]]'', the [[Ottoman Turkish language|Ottoman]] word for Istanbul,<ref>{{cite web |last=Akkoc |first=Raziye |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11926022/Ankara-bombings-Islamic-State-is-main-suspect-says-Turkish-PM-Ahmet-Davutoglu.html |title=Ankara bombings: Islamic State is main suspect, says Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=12 October 2015 |accessdate=2 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Isabel |last=Hunter |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/suruc-bombings-turkish-president-accused-of-not-doing-enough-to-help-kurds-fight-isis-threat-across-10408839.html |title=Suruc bombings: Turkish President accused of not doing enough to help Kurds fight Isis threat across its border in Syria |work=The Independent |date=22 July 2015 |accessdate=2 December 2015}}</ref> and the French language ''[[Dar al-Islam (magazine)|Dar al-Islam]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Jihadists Release First Issue of Pro-IS French Magazine "Dar al-Islam" |publisher=SITE Intelligence Group |date=22 December 2014 |accessdate=31 March 2016 |url=https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Periodicals/jihadists-release-first-issue-of-pro-is-french-magazine-dar-al-islam.html}}</ref> By late 2016, these magazines had apparently all been discontinued, with Al-Hayat's material being consolidated into a new magazine called ''[[Rumiyah (magazine)|Rumiyah]]'' (Arabic for Rome).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/ISW%20The%20Virtual%20Caliphate%20Gambhir%202016.pdf |title=The Virtual Caliphate: ISIS'S Information Warfare |publisher=''Institute for the Study of War''|access-date=2017-02-07 |quote=As of late 2016, Rumiyah has apparently supplanted other internationally oriented publications, as al-Hayat has ceased publishing them}}</ref>
The group also runs a radio network called [[Al-Bayan (radio station)|Al-Bayan]], which airs bulletins in Arabic, Russian and English and provides coverage of its activities in Iraq, Syria and Libya.<ref name="radio">{{cite news |title=Islamic State launches English-language radio bulletins |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11519977/Islamic-State-launches-English-language-radio-news-bulletins.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |accessdate=18 May 2015 |location=London |date=7 April 2015}}</ref>
==== Social media ====
ISIL's use of [[social media]] has been described by one expert as "probably more sophisticated than [that of] most US companies".<ref name="ft-20140617" /><ref name="Atlantic socmedia">{{cite web |last=Berger |first=J. M. |date=16 June 2014 |title=How ISIS Games Twitter |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/06/isis-iraq-twitter-social-media-strategy/372856/ |work=The Atlantic |accessdate=19 June 2014}}</ref> It regularly uses social media, particularly [[Twitter]], to distribute its messages.<ref name="Atlantic socmedia" /><ref name=adl-2014-06-27>{{cite web |title=ISIS Propaganda Campaign Threatens U.S. |url=http://blog.adl.org/extremism/isis-propaganda-campaign-threatens-u-s |date=27 June 2014 |publisher=Anti-Defamation League |accessdate=27 June 2014}}</ref> The group uses the encrypted instant messaging service [[Telegram (software)|Telegram]] to disseminate images, videos and updates.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.yahoo.com/isis-telegram-channel-doubles-followers-172356843.html |title=Isis Telegram channel doubles followers to 9,000 in less than 1 week |date=12 October 2015 |via=Yahoo News}}</ref>
The group is known for releasing videos and photographs of executions of prisoners, whether beheadings, shootings, caged prisoners being burnt alive or submerged gradually until drowned.<ref name=cnn-12-8-15>{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Ian |last2=Hanna |first2=Jason |title=Croatian ISIS captive reportedly beheaded |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/12/middleeast/isis-croatian-hostage/ |accessdate=12 August 2015 |publisher=CNN |date=12 August 2015}}</ref> Journalist [[Abdel Bari Atwan]] described ISIL's media content as part of a "systematically applied policy". The escalating violence of its killings "guarantees" the attention of the media and public.<ref name=NYRoB-7-9-2015 />
Along with images of brutality, ISIL presents itself as "an emotionally attractive place where people 'belong', where everyone is a 'brother' or 'sister'". The "most potent psychological pitch" of ISIL media is the promise of heavenly reward to dead jihadist fighters. Frequently posted in their media are dead jihadists' smiling faces, the ISIL 'salute' of a 'right-hand index finger pointing heavenward', and testimonies of happy widows.<ref name=NYRoB-7-9-2015 /> ISIL has also attempted to present a more "rational argument" in a series of videos hosted by the kidnapped journalist [[John Cantlie]]. In one video, various current and former US officials were quoted, such as the then US President [[Barack Obama]] and former [[CIA]] Officer [[Michael Scheuer]].<ref name=nydailynews-2014-09-23>{{cite news |last1=Walsh |first1=Michael |title=ISIS releases second 'lecture video' of British hostage John Cantlie |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/isis-releases-lecture-video-british-hostage-john-cantlie-article-1.1949195 |accessdate=6 October 2014 |work=Daily News |location=New York |date=23 September 2014}}</ref>
It has encouraged sympathisers to initiate [[Vehicle-ramming attack|Vehicle-ramming]] and [[Stabbing as a terrorist tactic|attacks]] worldwide.<ref name=AttackingTheWest>{{cite journal |first1=Thomas |last1=Hegghammer |first2=Petter |last2=Nesser |title=Assessing the Islamic State's Commitment to Attacking the West |work=Perspectives on Terrorism |publisher=Terrorism Research Initiative |volume=9 |issue=4 |date=9 July 2015 |issn=2334-3745 |url=http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/440}}</ref>
=== Finances ===
{{Main article|Finances of ISIL}}
{{See also|Oil production and smuggling in ISIL}}
According to a 2015 study by the [[Financial Action Task Force]], ISIL's five primary sources of revenue are as followed (listed in order of significance):
* proceeds from the occupation of territory (including control of banks, petroleum reservoirs, taxation, extortion, and robbery of economic assets)
* kidnapping for ransom<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34312450 |title=Inside the Islamic State kidnap machine |date=22 September 2015 |newspaper=BBC News |language=en-GB|access-date=9 October 2016}}</ref>
* donations from Saudi Arabia and Gulf states, often disguised as meant for "humanitarian charity"
* material support provided by foreign fighters
* fundraising through modern communication networks<ref name = FATF>{{cite news |title=Financing of the Terrorist Organisation Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant |url=http://www.fatf-gafi.org/media/fatf/documents/reports/Financing-of-the-terrorist-organisation-ISIL.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate=19 April 2015 |publisher=Financial Action Task Force |date=February 2015}}</ref>
Since 2012, ISIL has produced annual reports giving numerical information on its operations, somewhat in the style of corporate reports, seemingly in a bid to encourage potential donors.<ref name="ft-20140617" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.vox.com/2014/6/24/5834068/the-iraqi-rebels-make-annual-reports-with-infographics-we-translated |title=The surreal infographics ISIS is producing, translated |date=24 July 2014 |publisher=Vox |last1=Matthews |first1=Dylan |accessdate=25 July 2014}}</ref>
In 2014, the [[RAND Corporation]] analysed ISIL's funding sources from documents captured between 2005 and 2010.<ref name="ISIfunding" /> It found that outside donations amounted to only 5% of the group's operating budgets,<ref name="ISIfunding" /> and that cells inside Iraq were required to send up to 20% of the income generated from kidnapping, extortion rackets and other activities to the next level of the group's leadership, which would then redistribute the funds to provincial or local cells that were in difficulties or needed money to conduct attacks.<ref name="ISIfunding">{{cite news |last=Allam |first=Hannah |url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/06/23/231223/records-show-how-iraqi-extremists.html |title=Records show how Iraqi extremists withstood U.S. anti-terror efforts |publisher=McClatchy News |date=23 June 2014 |accessdate=25 June 2014}}</ref> In 2016, RAND estimated that ISIL finances from its largest source of income — oil revenues and the taxes it extracts from people under its control — had fallen from about $1.9 billion in 2014 to $870 million.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/12/opinion/man-without-an-isis-plan.html |title=Man Without an ISIS Plan |last=The Editorial Board |date=2017-03-12 |work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-03-13 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
In mid-2014, the [[Iraqi National Intelligence Service]] obtained information that ISIL had assets worth US$2 billion,<ref name="isil-wealth">{{cite news |last=Chulov |first=Martin |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/15/iraq-isis-arrest-jihadists-wealth-power |title=How an arrest in Iraq revealed Isis's $2bn jihadist network |date=15 June 2014 |work=The Guardian |accessdate=17 June 2014}}</ref> making it the richest jihadist group in the world.<ref>{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Jack |date=11 June 2014 |title=Mosul Seized: Jihadis Loot $429m from City's Central Bank to Make Isis World's Richest Terror Force |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/mosul-seized-jihadis-loot-429m-citys-central-bank-make-isis-worlds-richest-terror-force-1452190 |newspaper=International Business Times |accessdate=19 June 2014}}</ref> About three-quarters of this sum was said to looted from Mosul's central bank and commercial banks in the city.<ref name="WAPO richest">{{cite news |last=McCoy |first=Terrence |date=12 June 2014 |title=ISIS just stole $425 million, Iraqi governor says, and became the 'world's richest terrorist group' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/06/12/isis-just-stole-425-million-and-became-the-worlds-richest-terrorist-group |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=18 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Carey |first1=Glen |last2=Haboush |first2=Mahmoud |last3=Viscusi |first3=Gregory |title=Financing Jihad: Why ISIS Is a Lot Richer Than Al-Qaeda |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-26/looted-banks-fund-iraq-fighters-eyeing-wealth-al-qaeda-never-had.html |accessdate=19 July 2014 |publisher=Bloomberg News |date=26 June 2014}}</ref> However, doubt was later cast on whether ISIL was able to retrieve anywhere near that sum from the central bank,<ref>{{cite news |first=Robert |last=Windrem |title=U.S. Official Doubts ISIS Mosul Bank Heist Windfall |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/iraq-turmoil/u-s-official-doubts-isis-mosul-bank-heist-windfall-n139846 |accessdate=22 July 2014 |publisher=NBC News |date=24 June 2014}}</ref> and even on whether the looting had actually occurred.<ref name="ft bank">{{cite news |last1=Daragahi |first1=Borzou |title=Biggest bank robbery that 'never happened' – $400m Isis heist |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0378d4f4-0c28-11e4-9080-00144feabdc0.html |accessdate=21 July 2014 |work=Financial Times |date=17 July 2014 |subscription=yes}}</ref>
==== Monetary system ====
{{Main article|Modern gold dinar}}
ISIL mints its own gold, silver, and copper coins, based on the [[Gold dinar|coinage]] used by the [[Umayyad Caliphate]] in the 7th century.<ref name="IsisDinar">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/14/isis-gold-silver-copper-islamic-dinar-coins |title=Isis to mint own Islamic dinar coins in gold, silver and copper |work=The Guardian |date=21 November 2014}}</ref><ref name=GoldDinar>{{cite web |title=Islamic State reportedly buying silver, gold as it prepares to issue currency |url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/world/middle-east/article24776572.html |work=McClatchy |accessdate=21 November 2014 |date=20 November 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150716031031/http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/world/middle-east/article24776572.html |archivedate=16 July 2015}}</ref><ref name="GoldDinar2">{{cite news |title=Islamic State announces its own currency |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11230324/Islamic-State-announces-its-own-currency.html |work=The Telegraph |accessdate=21 November 2014 |date=14 November 2014 |location=London |first=Josie |last=Ensor |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141117074745/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11230324/Islamic-State-announces-its-own-currency.html |archivedate=17 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Marwan |last=Jabbar |work=Niqash |url=http://www.niqash.org/en/articles/economy/5097/Islamic-State-Release-Their-Own-'Fake'-Currency.htm |title=Gold at End of Extremist Rainbow: Islamic State Release Their Own 'Fake' Currency |location=Baghdad |date=3 September 2015}}</ref> It believes paper money is or will be "worthless". (Economists believe this use of gold will present problems as users will want to hoard rather than spend gold coins and will use paper currency instead.)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://money.cnn.com/2015/12/04/news/world/isis-gold/index.html |title=ISIS is obsessed with gold currency |last=Pagliery |first=Jose |date=2015-12-04 |website=CNNMoney|access-date=2017-03-13}}</ref>
== History ==
{{History of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}
{{anchor|JTJ}}
=== Foundation (1999–2006) ===
[[File:UNOfficeofHumanitarianCoordinator-Baghdad (UN DF-SD-04-02188).jpg|thumb|The UN headquarters building in Baghdad after the [[Canal Hotel bombing]], on 22 August 2003]]
The group was founded in 1999 by Jordanian [[Salafist jihadism|Salafi jihadist]] [[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]] under the name ''[[Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad|Jamāʻat al-Tawḥīd wa-al-Jihād]]'' ({{Literal translation|"The Organisation of Monotheism and Jihad"}}).<ref name="winepJune14" /> Following the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]] by Western forces, al-Zarqawi and ''Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad'' achieved notoriety in the early stages of the [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–11)|Iraqi insurgency]] for their [[suicide attack]]s on [[Shia Islam|Shia]] mosques, civilians, Iraqi government institutions and Italian soldiers of the US-led '[[Multi-National Force – Iraq|Multi-National Force]]'.
{{anchor|Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn}}
In October 2004, when al-Zarqawi [[Bay'ah|swore loyalty]] to [[Osama bin Laden]] and [[al-Qaeda]], he renamed the group ''[[Tanzim Qaidat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn|Tanẓīm Qāʻidat al-Jihād fī Bilād al-Rāfidayn]]'' ({{Literal translation|"The Organisation of Jihad's Base in [[Mesopotamia]]"}}), commonly known as [[al-Qaeda in Iraq]] (AQI).<ref name="JamestownFoundation20041018">{{cite magazine |last1=Pool |first1=Jeffrey |title=Zarqawi's Pledge of Allegiance to Al-Qaeda: From Mu'Asker Al-Battar, Issue 21 |magazine=Terrorism Monitor |date=16 December 2004 |volume=2 |issue=24 |page=The Jamestown Foundation |url=http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=400&issue_id=3179&article_id=2369020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930180847/http://www.jamestown.org/publications_details.php?volume_id=400&issue_id=3179&article_id=2369020 |archivedate=30 September 2007 |accessdate=30 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="Dawn20041018">{{cite news |title=Zarqawi pledges allegiance to Osama |url=http://www.dawn.com/2004/10/18/top7.htm |date=18 October 2004 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071229020549/http://www.dawn.com/2004/10/18/top7.htm |archivedate=29 December 2007 |agency=Agence France-Presse |work=Dawn |accessdate=13 July 2007}}</ref><ref name="Msnbc20041018">{{cite news |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6268680/ |agency=Associated Press |publisher=NBC News |title=Al-Zarqawi group vows allegiance to bin Laden |date=18 October 2004 |accessdate=13 July 2007}}</ref><ref name="Conflict Encyclopedia">{{cite book |title=Uppsala Data Conflict Programme: Conflict Encyclopaedia (Iraq) |url=http://www.ucdp.uu.se/gpdatabase/gpcountry.php?id=77®ionSelect=10-Middle_East|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927151947/http://www.ucdp.uu.se/gpdatabase/gpcountry.php?id=77®ionSelect=10-Middle_East|dead-url=yes|archive-date=2013-09-27}} (See One-sided violence – ISIS-civilians – Actor information-ISIS.) Retrieved 23 September 2016.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/09/AR2006060902040.html |title=Death Could Shake Al-Qaeda in Iraq and Around the World |work=The Washington Post |last=Whitlock |first=Craig |date=10 June 2006 |accessdate=22 July 2014}}</ref> Although the group never called itself ''al-Qaeda in Iraq'', this remained its informal name for many years.<ref name="ctc29May">{{cite web |url=http://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/the-isils-stand-in-the-ramadi-falluja-corridor |title=The ISIL's Stand in the Ramadi-Falluja Corridor |last=Knights |first=Michael |publisher=Combating Terrorism Center |date=29 May 2014 |accessdate=12 July 2014}}</ref> Attacks by the group on civilians, Iraqi government forces, foreign diplomats and soldiers, and American convoys continued with roughly the same intensity. In a letter to al-Zarqawi in July 2005, al-Qaeda's then deputy leader [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]] outlined a four-stage plan to expand the [[Iraq War]]. The plan included expelling [[Military of the United States|US forces]] from Iraq, establishing an Islamic authority as a [[caliphate]], spreading the conflict to Iraq's secular neighbours, and clashing with Israel, which the letter said, "[...] was established only to challenge any new Islamic entity".<ref>{{cite news |last=Whitaker |first=Brian |title=Revealed: Al-Qaida plan to seize control of Iraq |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/oct/13/alqaida.iraq |work=The Guardian |date=13 October 2005 |accessdate=19 September 2014}}</ref>
{{anchor|Mujahideen Shura Council}}
In January 2006, AQI joined with several smaller Iraqi Sunni insurgent groups under an umbrella organisation called the [[Mujahideen Shura Council (Iraq)|Mujahideen Shura Council]] (MSC). According to counterterrorism researcher Brian Fishman, the merger was an attempt to give the group a more Iraqi flavour, and perhaps to distance al-Qaeda from some of al-Zarqawi's tactical errors, such as the [[2005 Amman bombings|2005 bombings]] by AQI of three hotels in Amman.<ref>{{Harvnb|Fishman|2008|pp=48–9}}.</ref> On 7 June 2006, a US airstrike killed al-Zarqawi, who was succeeded as leader of the group by the Egyptian militant [[Abu Ayyub al-Masri]].<ref name="bbc1">{{cite news |title=Al-Qaeda in Iraq names new head |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5073092.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=12 June 2006}}</ref><ref name="Al Masri">{{cite news |last=Tran |first=Mark |title=Al-Qaida in Iraq leader believed dead |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/may/01/iraq.alqaida |newspaper=The Guardian |date=1 May 2007}}</ref><ref name="Fishman 2008 49–50">{{Harvnb|Fishman|2008|pp=49–50}}</ref>
=== Islamic State of Iraq (2006–2013) ===
[[File:USMC-060523-M-0008D-004.jpg|thumb|U.S. Marines in [[Ramadi under U.S. Military Occupation|Ramadi]], May 2006. The Islamic State of Iraq had declared the city to be its capital.]]
On 12 October 2006, MSC united with three smaller groups and six Sunni tribes to form the [[Mujahideen Shura Council (Iraq)|Mutayibeen Coalition]], pledging "To rid Sunnis from the oppression of the rejectionists (Shi'ite Muslims) and the crusader occupiers ... to restore rights even at the price of our own lives ... to make Allah's word supreme in the world, and to restore the glory of Islam".<ref name="lwj121006">{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Roggio |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2006/10/alqaedas_grand_coali.php |title=al Qaeda's Grand Coalition in Anbar |work=Long War Journal |date=12 October 2006 |accessdate=11 February 2015}}</ref><ref name="memri171006">{{cite web |url=http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/1910.htm |title=Jihad Groups in Iraq Take an Oath of Allegiance |website=MEMRI |publisher=Middle East Media Research Institute |date=17 October 2006 |accessdate=10 February 2015}}</ref> A day later, MSC declared the establishment of the [[Islamic State of Iraq]] (ISI), comprising Iraq's six mostly Sunni Arab [[Governorates of Iraq|governorates]],<ref name=FT15Oct06>{{cite news |url=http://www.isisiraq.com/call-sunni-state-iraq/ |first=Stephen |last=Negus |title=Call for Sunni state in Iraq |work=Financial Times |date=15 October 2006 |access-date=23 September 2016 |subscription=yes}}</ref> with [[Abu Omar al-Baghdadi]] its [[emir]]<ref name="lwj161006">{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Roggio |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2006/10/the_rump_islamic_emi.php |title=The Rump Islamic Emirate of Iraq |work=Long War Journal |date=16 October 2006 |accessdate=2 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="Al-Qaida">{{cite web |title=Al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) |url=http://www.nps.edu/Library/Research/SubjectGuides/SpecialTopics/TerroristProfile/Current/AlQaidaIraq.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070401114027/http://www.nps.edu/Library/Research/SubjectGuides/SpecialTopics/TerroristProfile/Current/AlQaidaIraq.html |archivedate=1 April 2007 |website=[[Dudley Wright Knox|Dudley Knox]] Library |publisher=Naval Postgraduate School |accessdate=14 July 2014}}</ref> and al-Masri Minister of War within ISI's ten-member cabinet.<ref name="cabinetlist">{{cite news |title=Islamic State of Iraq Announces Establishment of the Cabinet of its First Islamic Administration in Video Issued Through al-Furqan Foundation |url=http://www.siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications274907&Category=publications&Subcategory=0 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928061225/http://www.siteinstitute.org/bin/articles.cgi?ID=publications274907&Category=publications&Subcategory=0 |archivedate=28 September 2007 |accessdate=20 July 2014 |publisher=SITE Institute |date=19 April 2007}}</ref>
{{anchor|Islamic State of Iraq (2006–2013)}}
According to a study compiled by [[United States intelligence agencies]] in early 2007, ISI planned to seize power in the central and western areas of Iraq and turn it into a Sunni [[caliphate]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Mahnaimi |first=Uzi |title=Al-Qaeda planning militant Islamic state within Iraq |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article1782088.ece |newspaper=The Sunday Times |date=13 May 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524071632/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article1782088.ece |archivedate=24 May 2011 |location=London}}</ref>
The group built in strength and at its height enjoyed a significant presence in the [[governorates of Iraq|Iraqi governorates]] of [[Al Anbar Governorate|Al Anbar]], [[Diyala Governorate|Diyala]] and [[Baghdad Governorate|Baghdad]], claiming [[Baqubah]] as a capital city.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ricks |first1=Thomas E. |title=Situation Called Dire in West Iraq |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/10/AR2006091001204.html?nav=rss_email/components |accessdate=13 July 2014 |work=The Washington Post |date=11 September 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Linzer |first1=Dafna |last2=Ricks |first2=Thomas E. |title=Anbar Picture Grows Clearer, and Bleaker |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/27/AR2006112701287.html |accessdate=18 July 2014 |work=The Washington Post |date=28 November 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Engel |first1=Richard |url=http://onthescene.msnbc.com/baghdad/2006/12/reporting_under.html#posts |title=Reporting under al-Qaida control |publisher=MSNBC |date=27 December 2006 |accessdate=28 October 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Engel |first=Richard |url=http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/01/17/32969.aspx |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071102170117/http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/01/17/32969.aspx |archivedate=2 November 2007 |title=Dangers of the Baghdad plan |publisher=MSNBC |date=17 January 2007 |accessdate=28 October 2009}}</ref>
The [[Iraq War troop surge of 2007]] supplied the US military with more manpower for operations, and dozens of high-level AQI members being captured or killed.<ref>{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Roggio |url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2007/11/targeting_al_qaeda_in_iraqs_ne.asp |title=Targeting al Qaeda in Iraq's Network |work=The Weekly Standard |date=13 November 2007}}</ref> Between July and October 2007, al-Qaeda in Iraq was reported to have lost its secure military bases in Al Anbar province and the [[Baghdad]] area.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ricks |first1=Thomas |last2=DeYoung |first2=Karen |title=Al-Qaeda in Iraq Reported Crippled |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/14/AR2007101401245.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=15 October 2007 |accessdate=13 February 2015}}</ref> During 2008, a series of US and Iraqi offensives managed to drive out AQI-aligned insurgents from their former safe havens, such as the [[Diyala campaign|Diyala]] and Al Anbar governorates, to the area of the northern city of [[Mosul]].<ref name="nostra">{{cite news |last=Samuels |first=Lennox |title=Al Qaeda in Iraq Ramps Up Its Racketeering |url=http://www.newsweek.com/id/138085 |magazine=[[Newsweek]] |date=20 May 2008 |accessdate=13 February 2015}}{{subscription required}} Accessible via Google.</ref>
[[File:U.S. Army soldier with captured ISIS flag in Iraq, December 2010.jpg|thumb|left|210px|U.S. Army soldier with captured ISI flag in Iraq, December 2010]]
By 2008, the ISI was describing itself as being in a state of "extraordinary crisis".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Phillips |first=Andrew |year=2009 |title=How al Qaeda lost Iraq |journal=Australian Journal of International Affairs |volume=63 |number=1 |pages=64–84 |doi=10.1080/10357710802649840}}</ref> Its violent attempts to govern territory led to a backlash from Sunni Arab Iraqis and other insurgent groups and a temporary decline in the group, which was attributable to a number of factors,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Kahl |first=Colin H . |year=2008 |title=When to Leave Iraq: Walk Before Running |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/64458/colin-h-kahl-and-william-e-odom/when-to-leave-iraq |magazine=Foreign Affairs |volume=87 |number=4 |pages=151–54 |jstor=20032727}}</ref> notably the [[Anbar Awakening]].
In late 2009, the commander of US forces in Iraq, [[Raymond T. Odierno|General Ray Odierno]], stated that ISI "has transformed significantly in the last two years. What once was dominated by foreign individuals has now become more and more dominated by Iraqi citizens".<ref>{{cite news |title=Al Qaeda in Iraq becoming less foreign-US general |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLI176502 |date=18 November 2009 |agency=Reuters |first=Michael |last=Christie}}</ref> On 18 April 2010, ISI's two top leaders, al-Masri and Omar al-Baghdadi, were killed in a joint US-Iraqi raid near [[Tikrit]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Arango |first=Tim |title=Top Qaeda Leaders in Iraq Reported Killed in Raid |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/20/world/middleeast/20baghdad.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=22 August 2014}}</ref> In a press conference in June 2010, General Odierno reported that 80% of ISI's top 42 leaders, including recruiters and financiers, had been killed or captured, with only eight remaining at large. He said that they had been cut off from al-Qaeda's leadership in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite news |last=Shanker |first=Thom |title=Qaeda Leaders in Iraq Neutralized, US Says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/05/world/middleeast/05military.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=4 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=US says 80% of al-Qaeda leaders in Iraq removed |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/middle_east/10243585.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=4 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Attacks in Iraq down, Al-Qaeda arrests up: US general |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iliKXlauRMdj1Uijz1Zv-WkJ7RUQ |via=Google News |date=4 June 2010 |agency=Agence France-Presse |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225073345/https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iliKXlauRMdj1Uijz1Zv-WkJ7RUQ |archivedate=25 February 2014}}</ref>
[[File:Al-Askari Mosque 2006.jpg|thumb|The [[Al-Askari Mosque]], one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam, after [[2006 al-Askari Mosque bombing|the first attack]] by Islamic State of Iraq in 2006]]
[[File:Iraq Sunni Protests 2013 7.png|thumb|[[2012–13 Iraqi protests]]: Iraqi Sunni demonstrators protesting against the Shia-led government. Some Sunnis took up arms and joined forces with ISIL to conduct a [[Anbar campaign (2013–14)|military campaign]] against the [[Nouri al-Maliki|Maliki]] government.]]
On 16 May 2010, [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]] was appointed the new leader of ISI.<ref name="ISI">{{cite news |last=Shadid |first=Anthony |url=http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/16/iraqi-insurgent-group-names-new-leaders/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 |title=Iraqi Insurgent Group Names New Leaders |work=The New York Times |date=16 May 2010 |accessdate=22 August 2014}}</ref><ref name="bbc31July14">{{cite web |title=Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: Islamic State's driving force |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28560449 |publisher=BBC World News |date=31 July 2014 |accessdate=19 August 2014}}</ref> Al-Baghdadi replenished the group's leadership by appointing former [[Iraqi Army#During the 1990s|Iraqi military]] and [[Iraqi Intelligence Service|Intelligence Service]] officers who had served during [[Saddam Hussein]]'s rule.<ref name="ind5Apr2015" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Sly |first=Liz |title=The hidden hand behind the Islamic State militants? Saddam Hussein's. |date=4 April 2015 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/the-hidden-hand-behind-the-islamic-state-militants-saddam-husseins/2015/04/04/aa97676c-cc32-11e4-8730-4f473416e759_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=21 April 2015}}</ref> These men, nearly all of whom had spent time imprisoned by the US military at [[Camp Bucca]], came to make up about one third of Baghdadi's top 25 commanders, including [[Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi]], [[Abu Ayman al-Iraqi]], and [[Abu Muslim al-Turkmani]]. One of them, a former colonel called [[Samir al-Khlifawi]], also known as Haji Bakr, became the overall military commander in charge of overseeing the group's operations.<ref name="nytimes27Aug14">{{cite news |title=Military Skill and Terrorist Technique Fuel Success of ISIS |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/28/world/middleeast/army-know-how-seen-as-factor-in-isis-successes.html |work=The New York Times |date=27 August 2014 |accessdate=28 August 2014 |first1=Ben |last1=Hubbard |first2=Eric |last2=Schmitt}}</ref><ref name="nytimes10Aug14">{{cite news |first1=Tim |last1=Arango |first2=Eric |last2=Schmidtt |title=U.S. Actions in Iraq Fueled Rise of a Rebel |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/11/world/middleeast/us-actions-in-iraq-fueled-rise-of-a-rebel.html |work=The New York Times |date=10 August 2014 |accessdate=28 August 2014}}</ref> Al-Khlifawi was instrumental in doing the ground work that led to the growth of ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |agency=Reuters |date=20 April 2015 |title=Former Saddam Hussein spy masterminded the rise of Isis, says report |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/20/former-saddam-spy-masterminded-the-rise-of-islamic-state-says-report |newspaper=The Guardian |location=United Kingdom |access-date=21 April 2015}}</ref><ref name=Reuter-4-18-2015 />
In July 2012, al-Baghdadi released an audio statement online announcing that the group was returning to former strongholds from which US troops and the [[Sons of Iraq]] had driven them in 2007 and 2008.<ref name="ap22July12">{{cite news |first=Maamoun |last=Youssef |title=Al-Qaida: We're returning to old Iraq strongholds |url=https://news.yahoo.com/al-qaida-were-returning-old-iraq-strongholds-131645698.html |via=Yahoo! News |agency=Associated Press |date=22 July 2012 |accessdate=22 August 2014}}</ref> He declared the start of a new offensive in Iraq called ''Breaking the Walls'', aimed at freeing members of the group held in Iraqi prisons.<ref name="ap22July12" />
Violence in Iraq had begun to escalate in June 2012, primarily with AQI's [[Car bomb|car bomb attacks]], and by July 2013, monthly fatalities exceeded 1,000 for the first time since April 2008.<ref name="iswSeptember13">{{cite report |first=Jessica D. |last=Lewis |title=Al Qaeda in Iraq Resurgent |url=http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/AQI-Resurgent-10Sept_0.pdf |publisher=Institute for the Study of War |date=September 2013 |accessdate=13 February 2015}}</ref>
==== Syrian Civil War ====
In March 2011, protests began in Syria against the Syrian government of [[Bashar al-Assad]]. In the following months, violence between demonstrators and security forces led to a gradual militarisation of the conflict.<ref name="bbc14March14">{{cite web |title=Syria: The story of the conflict |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26116868 |date=14 March 2014 |accessdate=22 August 2014 |publisher=BBC News |first=Rania |last=Abouzeid}}</ref> In August 2011, following the outbreak of the [[Syrian Civil War]], al-Baghdadi began sending Syrian and Iraqi ISI members experienced in [[guerilla warfare]] across the border into Syria to establish an organisation there. Under the name ''{{transl|ar|Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahli ash-Shām}}'' (or [[al-Nusra Front]]), it established a large presence in Sunni-majority [[Raqqa Governorate|Raqqa]], [[Idlib Governorate|Idlib]], [[Deir ez-Zor Governorate|Deir ez-Zor]], and [[Aleppo Governorate|Aleppo]] provinces. Led by a Syrian known as [[Abu Muhammad al-Julani]], this group began to recruit fighters and establish cells throughout the country.<ref name="politico23June14">{{cite web |title=The Jihad Next Door |url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/06/al-qaeda-iraq-syria-108214_full.html |date=23 June 2014 |accessdate=22 August 2014 |publisher=Politico |first=Rania |last=Abouzeid}}</ref><ref name="quilliam">{{cite report |first1=Noman |last1=Benotman |first2=Roisin |last2=Blake |title=Jabhat al-Nusra: A Strategic Briefing |url=http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/publications/free/jabhat-al-nusra-a-strategic-briefing.pdf |publisher=Quilliam Foundation |date=8 January 2013 |accessdate=22 August 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140722191931/http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/publications/free/jabhat-al-nusra-a-strategic-briefing.pdf |archivedate=22 July 2014}}</ref>
On 23 January 2012, the Syrian group called itself ''Jabhat al-Nusra li Ahl as-Sham'',<ref name="alarabiya">{{cite news |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/03/21/202177.html |title=Islamist group claims Syria bombs 'to avenge Sunnis' |date=21 March 2012 |publisher=[[Al Arabiya]] |accessdate=23 March 2012}}</ref> more commonly known as the [[al-Nusra Front]]. Al-Nusra grew rapidly into a capable fighting force, with popular support among Syrians opposed to the Assad government.<ref name="politico23June14" />
{{anchor|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (2013–2014)|as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}
===Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (2013–2014) ===
{{Main article|Timeline of ISIL-related events (2013)|Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)}}
On 8 April 2013, al-Baghdadi released an audio statement in which he announced that the al-Nusra Front had been established, financed, and supported by ISI,<ref name="globalpost">{{cite news |url=http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130409/qaeda-iraq-confirms-syrias-nusra-part-network |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513193707/http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/130409/qaeda-iraq-confirms-syrias-nusra-part-network |dead-url=yes |archive-date=13 May 2013 |title=Qaeda in Iraq confirms Syria's Nusra is part of network |date=9 April 2013 |accessdate=9 April 2013 |agency=Agence France-Presse |publisher=GlobalPost}}</ref> and that the two groups were merging under the name [[Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham|Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham]] (ISIL, Al-Sham also translates as the Levant).<ref name="memri">{{cite web |url=http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/7119.htm |title=ISI Confirms That Jabhat Al-Nusra Is Its Extension in Syria, Declares 'Islamic State of Iraq And Al-Sham' As New Name of Merged Group |website=MEMRI |publisher=Middle East Media Research Institute |date=8 April 2013 |accessdate=10 April 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006085808/http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/7119.htm |archivedate=6 October 2014 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> However, [[Abu Mohammad al-Julani]] and [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]], the leaders of al-Nusra and al-Qaeda respectively, rejected the merger. Al-Julani issued a statement denying the merger, and complaining that neither he nor anyone else in al-Nusra's leadership had been consulted about it.<ref name="naharnet">{{cite news |url=http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/78961-al-nusra-commits-to-al-qaida-deny-iraq-branch-merger/ |title=Al-Nusra Commits to al-Qaida, Deny Iraq Branch 'Merger' |date=10 April 2013 |accessdate=18 May 2013 |publisher=Naharnet |agency=Agence France-Presse}}</ref> In June 2013, [[Al Jazeera]] reported that it had obtained a letter written by al-Qaeda's leader [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]], addressed to both leaders, in which he ruled against the merger, and appointed an emissary to oversee relations between them to put an end to tensions.<ref name="aljazeera090613">{{cite news |last=Atassi |first=Basma |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/06/2013699425657882.html |title=Qaeda chief annuls Syrian-Iraqi jihad merger |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=9 June 2013 |accessdate=10 June 2013}}</ref> That same month, al-Baghdadi released an audio message rejecting al-Zawahiri's ruling and declaring that the merger was going ahead.<ref name="aljazeera150613">{{cite news |first=Basma |last=Atassi |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2013/06/2013615172217827810.html |title=Iraqi al-Qaeda chief rejects Zawahiri orders |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=15 June 2013 |accessdate=15 June 2013}}</ref>
Meanwhile, the ISIL campaign to free its imprisoned members culminated in simultaneous raids on [[Taji]] and [[Abu Ghraib prison|Abu Ghraib]] prisons in July 2013, freeing more than 500 prisoners, many of them veterans of the [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–11)|Iraqi insurgency]].<ref name="iswSeptember13" /><ref name="reuters23July13">{{cite news |title=Al Qaeda says it freed 500 inmates in Iraq jail-break |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/23/us-iraq-violence-alqaeda-idUSBRE96M0C720130723 |agency=Reuters |date=23 July 2013 |accessdate=22 August 2014}}</ref> In October 2013, al-Zawahiri ordered the disbanding of ISIL, putting al-Nusra Front in charge of jihadist efforts in Syria,<ref>{{cite news |title=Zawahiri disbands main Qaeda faction in Syria |url=http://dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Nov-08/237219-zawahiri-disbands-main-qaeda-faction-in-syria-jazeera.ashx |accessdate=8 November 2013 |work=The Daily Star |location=Beirut, Lebanon |date=8 November 2013}}</ref> but al-Baghdadi rejected al-Zawahiri's order,<ref name="aljazeera150613" /> and his group continued to operate in Syria. In February 2014, after an eight-month power struggle, al-Qaeda publicly disavowed any relations with ISIL.<ref name="AlQaedaTiesEnd" />
According to journalist Sarah Birke, there are "significant differences" between al-Nusra Front and ISIL. While al-Nusra actively calls for the overthrow of the Assad government, ISIL "tends to be more focused on establishing its own rule on conquered territory". ISIL is "far more ruthless" in building an Islamic state, "carrying out sectarian attacks and imposing sharia law immediately". While al-Nusra has a "large contingent of foreign fighters", it is seen as a home-grown group by many Syrians; by contrast, ISIL fighters have been described as "foreign 'occupiers'" by many Syrian refugees.<ref name="birke3">{{cite magazine |last=Birke |first=Sarah |title=How al-Qaeda Changed the Syrian War |magazine=New York Review of Books |date=27 December 2013 |url=http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2013/dec/27/how-al-qaeda-changed-syrian-war/}}</ref> Foreign fighters in Syria include Russian-speaking jihadists who were part of [[Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar]] (JMA).<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://journal-neo.org/2014/01/18/rus-rost-mezhdunarodno-terroristicheskoj-ugrozy-s-territorii-sirii/ |title=Growth of International Terrorist Threat from Syria |first=Vladimir |last=Platov |journal=New Eastern Outlook |date=18 January 2014 |accessdate=11 June 2014}}</ref> In November 2013, [[Abu Omar al-Shishani]], leader of the [[Jaish al-Muhajireen wal-Ansar]] (JMA), swore an [[Bay'at|oath of allegiance]] to al-Baghdadi;<ref>{{cite news |first=Thomas |last=Joscelyn |title=Chechen-led group swears allegiance to head of Islamic State of Iraq and Sham |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/11/muhajireen_army_swea.php |date=27 November 2013 |accessdate=13 July 2014 |work=Long War Journal}}</ref> the group then split between those who followed al-Shishani in joining ISIL and those who continued to operate independently in the JMA under new leadership.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25151104 |title=Syria crisis: Omar Shishani, Chechen jihadist leader |publisher=BBC News |date=3 December 2013 |accessdate=8 December 2013}}</ref>
In January 2014, rebels affiliated with the [[Islamic Front (Syria)|Islamic Front]] and the US-trained [[Free Syrian Army]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.latimes.com/2013/jun/21/world/la-fg-wn-cia-syria-20130621 |title=U.S. training Syrian rebels; White House 'stepped up assistance' |work=Los Angeles Times |date=21 June 2013 |first1=David S. |last1=Cloud |first2=Raja |last2=Abdulrahim}}</ref> launched an offensive against ISIL militants in and around the city of [[Aleppo]], following months of tensions over ISIL's behavior, which included the seizure of property and weapons from rebel groups, and the arrests and killings of activists.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/04/world/middleeast/qaeda-insurgents-in-syria.html |title=Qaeda-Linked Insurgents Clash With Other Rebels in Syria, as Schism Grows |work=The New York Times |date=4 January 2014 |accessdate=16 January 2014 |first1=Hwaida |last1=Saad |first2=Rick |last2=Gladstone}}</ref><ref name="Casey">{{cite news |last1=Casey-Baker |first1=Mary |first2=Joshua |last2=Haber |title=Rebel factions continue fight against ISIL in Northern Syria |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/01/07/rebel-factions-continue-fight-against-isil-in-northern-syria/ |date=7 January 2014 |work=Foreign Policy |accessdate=7 January 2014}}</ref> Months of clashes ensued, causing thousands of casualties, with ISIL withdrawing its forces from Idlib and Latakia provinces and redeploying them to reinforce its strongholds in Raqqa and Aleppo.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.worldbulletin.net/news/131070/isil-fighters-pull-out-of-key-syrian-turkmen-town |title=ISIL fighters pull out of key Syrian Turkmen town |work=World Bulletin |accessdate=22 October 2014}}</ref> It also [[Deir ez-Zor offensive (April–July 2014)|launched an offensive]] against all other opposition forces active in the eastern province of Deir ez-Zor, on the border with Iraq.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Apr-10/252903-syria-qaeda-loses-ground-to-jihadist-rivals-on-iraq-border.ashx |title=Syria Qaeda loses ground to jihadist rivals on Iraq border |work=The Daily Star Newspaper – Lebanon |accessdate=25 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2014/04/isis_reportedly_killed_al_nusr.php |title=ISIS reportedly kills Al Nusrah Front’s commander for Idlib province |work=The Long War Journal}}</ref> By June 2014, ISIL had largely defeated its rivals in the province, with many who had not been killed or driven away pledging allegiance to it.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Al-Qaida-offshoot-in-fierce-offensive-carves-out-territory-across-Syria-and-Iraq-355874 |title=Al-Qaida offshoot in fierce offensive, carves out territory across Syria and Iraq |publisher=Reuters |date=10 June 2014 |accessdate=10 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="ANF">{{cite news |title=Al Nusra pledges allegiance to Isil |url=http://gulfnews.com/news/region/iraq/al-nusra-pledges-allegiance-to-isil-1.1352029 |date=25 June 2014 |work=Gulf News |agency=Agence France-Presse |accessdate=29 June 2014}}</ref>
In Iraq, ISIL was able to [[Fall of Fallujah (2014)|capture most of Fallujah]] in January 2014,<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/01/iraq-government-loses-control-fallujah-20141414625597514.html |title=Iraq government loses control of Fallujah |last= |first= |date=January 4, 2014 |work=Al-Jazeera |accessdate=11 December 2014}}</ref> and in June 2014 was able to [[Fall of Mosul|seize control of Mosul]].<ref name=NYTmosul/>
After an eight-month power struggle, al-Qaeda cut all ties with ISIL by February 2014, citing its failure to consult and "notorious intransigence".<ref name="al-Qaeda severs link with ISIL" /><ref name="AlQaedaTiesEnd">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/al-qaeda-disavows-any-ties-with-radical-islamist-isis-group-in-syria-iraq/2014/02/03/2c9afc3a-8cef-11e3-98ab-fe5228217bd1_story.html |title=Al-Qaeda disavows any ties with radical Islamist ISIS group in Syria, Iraq |work=The Washington Post |first=Liz |last=Sly |date=3 February 2014 |accessdate=7 February 2014}}</ref>
In early 2014, ISIL drove [[Government of Iraq|Iraqi government forces]] out of key cities in its [[Anbar campaign (2013–14)|Anbar campaign]],<ref name=CNNanbar /> which was followed by the [[Fall of Mosul|capture of Mosul]]<ref name=NYTmosul /> and the [[Sinjar massacre]].<ref name=CapturedSinjar /> The loss of control almost caused a collapse of the Iraqi government and prompted a renewal of [[American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)|US military action in Iraq]]. In Syria, ISIL has conducted ground attacks on both the [[Syrian Arab Army]] and [[Syrian opposition|rebel factions]].
{{anchor|As ''Islamic State'' (June 2014–present)}}
=== Islamic State (2014–present) ===
{{Main article|Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)|Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)|Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)|Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)}}
{{See also|ISIL beheading incidents|American-led intervention in Syria|American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)|Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War|Iranian intervention in Iraq (2014–present)|Military intervention against ISIL|Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014)|Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War}}
On 29 June 2014, ISIL proclaimed itself to be a [[worldwide caliphate]].<ref name=worldwide1>{{cite news |last1=Lawrence |first1=Jessica |title=Iraq crisis: Could an ISIS caliphate ever govern the entire Muslim world? |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-02/could-an-isis-caliphate-ever-govern-the-muslim-world/5559806 |publisher=ABC News (Australia) |accessdate=22 November 2014}}</ref> Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi – known by his supporters as [[Amir al-Mu'minin]], Caliph Ibrahim – was named its [[caliph]], and the group renamed itself ''ad-Dawlah al-Islāmiyah'' ({{transl|en|"Islamic State" (IS)}}).<ref name="newname" /> As a "Caliphate", it claims religious, political and military authority over all Muslims worldwide.<ref name=caliphate /> The concept of it being a caliphate and the name "Islamic State" have been rejected by governments and Muslim leaders worldwide.<ref name="Moore" /><ref name="ReferenceA" /><ref name="Goodenough">{{cite news |last=Goodenough |first=Patrick |url=http://cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/self-appointed-caliph-makes-first-public-appearance |title=Self-Appointed 'Caliph' Makes First Public Appearance |work=CNS News |date=6 July 2014 |accessdate=26 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="un.org" /><ref name="ottawacitizen.com" /><ref name="ReferenceB" /><ref name="potus-statement" />
In June and July 2014, Jordan and Saudi Arabia moved troops to their borders with Iraq, after the Iraqi government lost control of (or withdrew from) strategic crossing points that then came under the control of either ISIL or tribes that supported it.<ref name="NYT Jordan border">{{cite news |last1=Arango |first1=Tim |last2=Gordon |first2=Michael R. |date=23 June 2014 |title=Iraqi Insurgents Secure Control of Border Posts |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/24/world/middleeast/sunni-militants-seize-crossing-on-iraq-jordan-border.html |work=The New York Times |accessdate=6 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="DTel">{{cite news |last=Spencer |first=Richard |date=3 July 2014 |title=Saudi Arabia sends 30,000 troops to Iraq border |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/saudiarabia/10942680/Saudi-Arabia-sends-30000-troops-to-Iraq-border.html |work=The Telegraph |accessdate=6 July 2014 |location=London}}</ref> There was speculation that Iraqi Prime Minister [[Nouri al-Maliki]] had ordered a withdrawal of troops from the Iraq–Saudi crossings in order "to increase pressure on Saudi Arabia and bring the threat of ISIS over-running its borders as well".<ref name="FT Saudi troops">{{cite news |last1=Solomon |first1=Erika |last2=Kerr |first2=Simeon |date=3 July 2014 |title=Saudi Arabia sends 30,000 troops to Iraq border |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3312faba-0286-11e4-aa85-00144feab7de.html |work=Financial Times |accessdate=6 July 2014 |subscription=yes}}</ref>
In July 2014, ISIL recruited more than 6,300 fighters, according to the [[Syrian Observatory for Human Rights]], some of whom were thought to have previously fought for the [[Free Syrian Army]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Aug-30/269031-syrians-adjust-to-life-under-isis-rule.ashx |title=Syrians adjust to life under ISIS rule |work=The Daily Star |location=Beirut, Lebanon |date=29 August 2014 |accessdate=29 August 2014}}</ref> On 23 July 2014, [[Abu Sayyaf]] leader [[Isnilon Totoni Hapilon]] and some masked men swore loyalty to al-Baghdadi in a video, giving ISIL a presence in the Philippines.<ref name="ISIL gains supporters">{{cite news |last=Zavadski |first=Katie |title=ISIS Now Has a Network of Military Affiliates in 11 Countries Around the World |url=http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/11/isis-now-has-military-allies-in-11-countries.html |accessdate=25 November 2014 |work=New York |date=23 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="sayyaf-swears-loyalty">{{cite news |first=Maria A. |last=Ressa |title=Senior Abu Sayyaf leader swears oath to ISIS |work=Rappler |location=Pasig City, Philippines |date=4 August 2014 |url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/65199-abu-sayyaf-leader-oath-isis}}</ref> In September 2014, the group began kidnapping people for ransom.<ref name="Abu Sayyaf kidnaps 2 Germans in the name of ISIL">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/24/islamists-philippines-threaten-kill-german-hostages-isis |title=Islamists in Philippines threaten to kill German hostages |first=Philip |last=Oltermann |work=The Guardian |date=24 September 2014}}</ref>
==== Capture of territory ====
[[File:USAID Mt Sinjar.jpg|thumb|Yazidi refugees and American aid workers on Mount Sinjar in August 2014]]
On 3 August 2014, ISIL captured the cities of [[Zumar]], [[Sinjar]], and [[Wana, Iraq|Wana]] in northern Iraq.<ref name=CapturedSinjar /> Thousands of [[Yazidis]] fled up [[Sinjar Mountains|Mount Sinjar]], fearful of the approaching hostile ISIL militants. The stranded Yazidis' need for food and water, the threat of [[genocide]] to them and to others announced by ISIL, along with the desire to protect US citizens in Iraq and support the Iraqi government in its fight against ISIL, were all reasons given for the [[2014 American intervention in Iraq]], which began on 7 August.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/08/07/statement-president |title=Statement by the President |publisher=The White House |date=7 August 2014 |accessdate=18 August 2014}}</ref> A US aerial bombing campaign began the following day.
At the end of October 2014, 800 militants gained partial control of the Libyan city of [[Derna, Libya|Derna]] and pledged their allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, thus making Derna the first city outside Syria and Iraq to be a part of the "Islamic State Caliphate".<ref name="Derna">{{cite news |first=Maggie |last=Michael |date=9 November 2014 |title=Libyan city declares itself part of Islamic State caliphate |publisher=CP24 |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.cp24.com/world/libyan-city-declares-itself-part-of-islamic-state-caliphate-1.2093900}}</ref> On 10 November 2014, a major faction of the Egyptian militant group [[Ansar Bait al-Maqdis]] also pledged its allegiance to ISIL.<ref name="news.yahoo.com">{{cite news |first1=Ammar |last1=Karim |first2=Samer |last2=al-Atrush |title=Egypt jihadists vow loyalty to IS as Iraq probes leader's fate |date=10 November 2014 |via=Yahoo! News |agency=Agence France-Presse |url=https://news.yahoo.com/egypts-main-jihadist-group-pledges-allegiance-islamic-state-060836737.html}}</ref> In mid-January 2015, a Yemeni official said that ISIL had "dozens" of members in Yemen, and that they were coming into direct competition with [[al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula]] because of their recruitment drive.<ref name="ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al Qaeda">{{cite news |first=Brian |last=Todd |title=ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al Qaeda |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/21/politics/isis-gaining-ground-in-yemen/ |publisher=CNN |date=22 January 2015}}</ref> The same month, Afghan officials confirmed that ISIL had a military presence in Afghanistan.<ref name="ISIL confirmed to have presence in Afghanistan">{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2015/01/afghan-officials-confirm-isil-presence-201511815245847478.html |title=Officials confirm ISIL present in Afghanistan |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=18 January 2015}}</ref> However, by February 2015, 65 of the militants were either captured or killed by the [[Taliban]], and ISIL's top Afghan recruiter, [[Abdul Rauf Aliza|Mullah Abdul Rauf]], was killed in a [[US drone strike]].<ref>{{cite news |first1=David |last1=Sterman |first2=Neeli |last2=Shah |title=ISIS Reportedly Kills Afghan Taliban Commander; Modi to Visit China; Pakistan Tests Cruise Missile |work=Foreign Policy |date=6 February 2015 |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/02/02/isis-reportedly-kills-afghan-taliban-commander-modi-to-visit-china-pakistan-tests-cruise-missile/}}</ref><ref name="cbsnews-southafghan">{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-active-in-south-afghanistan-officials-confirm-for-first-time/ |title=ISIS active in south Afghanistan, officials confirm for first time |date=12 January 2015 |accessdate=6 February 2015 |publisher=CBS News}}</ref><ref name=BBC31290147>{{cite news |title=Afghanistan drone strike 'kills IS commander Abdul Rauf' |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-31290147 |publisher=BBC News |date=9 February 2015 |accessdate=24 February 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Coalition Airstrike on ISIL position in Kobane.jpg|thumb|right|Coalition airstrike on ISIL position in [[Kobani]], October 2014]]
In early February 2015, ISIL militants in Libya managed to capture part of the countryside to the west of [[Sabha, Libya|Sabha]], and later, an area encompassing the cities of [[Sirte]], [[Fall of Nofaliya (2015)|Nofolia]], and a military base to the south of both cities. By March, ISIL had captured additional territory, including a city to the west of Derna, additional areas near Sirte, a stretch of land in southern Libya, some areas around [[Benghazi]], and an area to the east of [[Tripoli]].
On 7 March 2015, [[Boko Haram]] swore formal allegiance to ISIL, giving ISIL an official presence in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.<ref name="cnn-boko-haram-isis">{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/07/africa/nigeria-boko-haram-isis/ |title=Boko Haram purportedly pledges allegiance to ISIS |first1=Nima |last1=Elbagir |first2=Paul |last2=Cruickshank |first3=Mohammed |last3=Tawfeeq |date=7 March 2015 |publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref name="Boko Haram joins ISIL">{{cite news |url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/03/08/boko-haram-swears-formal-allegiance-to-isis/ |title=Boko Haram swears formal allegiance to ISIS |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Fox News Channel |date=8 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="sunnewsonline.com">{{cite news |url=http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=85939 |title=Jonathan tasks Defence, Foreign Ministers of Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger, Benin on Boko Haram's defeat |publisher=sunnewsonline.com |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119024527/http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=85939 |archivedate=19 January 2015}}</ref> On 13 March 2015, a group of militants from the [[Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan]] swore allegiance to ISIL;<ref name="IMU joins ISIL">{{cite news |first=Mirwais |last=Adeel |url=http://www.khaama.com/uzbek-militants-in-afghanistan-pledge-allegiance-to-isis-in-beheading-video-9962 |title=Uzbek militants in Afghanistan pledge allegiance to ISIS in beheading video |work=Khaama Press |location=Kabul, Afghanistan}}</ref> the group released another video on 31 July 2015 showing its spiritual leader also pledging allegiance.<ref>{{cite web |first=Edward |last=Lemon |url=http://www.eurasianet.org/node/74471 |title=IMU Pledges Allegiance to Islamic State |work=EurasiaNet |publisher=The Open Society Institute |date=1 August 2015}}</ref> In June 2015, the US Deputy Secretary of State announced that ISIL had lost more than 10,000 members in [[airstrike]]s over the preceding nine months.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sg.news.yahoo.com/more-10-000-jihadists-killed-since-coalition-raids-141800399.html |title=More than 10,000 jihadists killed since coalition raids: US |date=3 June 2015 |work=Yahoo News Singapore |accessdate=8 June 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150624114921/https://sg.news.yahoo.com/more-10-000-jihadists-killed-since-coalition-raids-141800399.html |archivedate=24 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Laura |last1=Smith-Spark |first2=Noisette |last2=Martel |title=U.S. official: 10,000 ISIS fighters killed in 9 months |publisher=CNN |date=3 June 2015 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/03/middleeast/isis-conflict/}}</ref>
=== Terrorist attacks outside Iraq and Syria ===
In 2015, 2016 and 2017, ISIL claimed responsibility for a number of high-profile [[List of terrorist incidents, July–December 2015|terrorist attacks]] outside Iraq and Syria, including a mass shooting at [[2015 Sousse attacks|a Tunisian tourist resort]] (38 European tourists killed),<ref>{{cite news |first=Tarek |last=Amara |title=Gunman kills 39 at Tunisian beachside hotel, Islamic State claims attack |agency=Reuters |date=26 June 2015 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/26/us-tunisia-security-idUSKBN0P61F020150626}}</ref> the [[2015 Suruç bombing|Suruç bombing]] in Turkey (33 leftist and pro-Kurdish activists killed), the [[Bardo National Museum attack|Tunisian National Museum attack]] (24 foreign tourists and Tunisians killed), the [[2015 Sana'a mosque bombings|Sana'a mosque bombings]] (142 Shia civilians killed), the crash of [[Metrojet Flight 9268]] (224 killed, mostly Russian tourists), the [[2015 Ankara bombings|bombings in Ankara]] (102 pro-Kurdish and leftist activists killed), the [[2015 Beirut bombings|bombings in Beirut]] (43 Shia civilians killed), the [[November 2015 Paris attacks]] (130 civilians killed), the killing of [[Jaafar Mohammed Saad]], the governor of [[Aden]], the [[January 2016 Istanbul bombing]] (11 foreign tourists killed), the [[2016 Brussels bombings]] (32 civilians killed), the [[2016 Nice attack]] (86 civilians killed), the [[July 2016 Kabul bombing]] (at least 80 civilians killed, mostly Shia [[Hazaras]]), the [[2016 Berlin attack]] (12 civilians killed), the [[2017 Istanbul nightclub shooting]] (39 foreigners and Turks killed), the [[2017 Saint Petersburg Metro bombing]] (15 civilians killed), the [[2017 Manchester Arena bombing]] (22 civilians killed) and the [[2017 Tehran attacks]] (18 civilians killed).<ref>{{cite news |first=Hannah |last=Al-Othman |url=http://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/paris-attacks-french-president-francois-hollande-says-shootings-were-an-act-of-war-by-islamic-state-a3114476.html |title=Paris attacks: Islamic State claims responsibility as French President Francois Hollande promises "merciless" revenge |newspaper=London Evening Standard |date=14 November 2015 |accessdate=14 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Yemen conflict: Governor of Aden killed in Islamic State attack |publisher=BBC News |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35019302 |date=6 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Islamic State claims attacks at Brussels airport and metro station |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/22/brussels-airport-explosions-heard |date=22 March 2016}}</ref> The Saudi Arabian government reports that in one relatively short period—the first 8 months of 2016—there were 25 attacks in the kingdom by ISIL.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/26/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-islam.html |title=Saudis and Extremism: ‘Both the Arsonists and the Firefighters’ |last=Shane |first=Scott |date=2016-08-25 |work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-06-22 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
==== Mass killings ====
On 30 August 2016, a survey conducted by the [[Associated Press]] found that around 72 mass graves have been discovered in areas that have been liberated from ISIL control. In total, these mass graves contain the bodies of approximately 15,000 people killed by ISIL. The report stated that the mass graves were evidence of genocides conducted by ISIL in the region, including the [[genocide of Yazidis by ISIL|genocide of Yazidis]]. Seventeen graves were discovered in Syria, with the rest being found in Iraq. At least 16 of the graves in Iraq contained remains that were not counted, as they are located in dangerous conflict zones. Instead, the number of dead in these graves has been estimated.<ref>{{cite news |title=Forces in Iraq and Syria discovers 72 mass graves in areas freed from ISIS |publisher=Iraqi News |date=30 August 2016 |url=http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/forces-in-iraq-and-syria-discovers-72-mass-graves-areas-freed-from-isis/}}</ref>
{{anchor|Timeline}}
=== Timeline of events ===
{{Main article|Timeline of ISIL related events}}
{{See also|Islamic State of Iraq#Timeline|Syrian Civil War#Course of events|Terrorist incidents in Iraq in 2014|Terrorist incidents in Iraq in 2015}}
: ''[[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2013)|2013 events]].''
: ''Index [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)|2014 events]]: [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Jan14|January]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Feb14|February]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Mar14|March]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Apr14|April]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#May14|May]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Jun14|June]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Jul14|July]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Aug14|August]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Sep14|September]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Oct14|October]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Nov14|November]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2014)#Dec14|December]].''
: ''Index [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)|2015 events]]: [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Jan15|January]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Feb15|February]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Mar15|March]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Apr15|April]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#May15|May]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Jun15|June]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Jul15|July]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Aug15|August]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Sep15|September]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Oct15|October]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Nov15|November]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2015)#Dec15|December]].''
: ''Index [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)|2016 events]]: [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Jan16|January]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Feb16|February]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Mar16|March]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Apr16|April]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#May16|May]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Jun16|June]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Jul16|July]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Aug16|August]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Sep16|September]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Oct16|October]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Nov16|November]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2016)#Dec16|December]].''
: ''Index [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)|2017 events]]: [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#Jan17|January]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#Feb17|February]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#Mar17|March]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#April 2017|April]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#May 2017|May]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#June 2017|June]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#July 2017|July]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#August 2017|August]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#September 2017|September]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#October 2017|October]], [[Timeline of ISIL-related events (2017)#November 2017|November]]
== Territorial control and claims ==
{{anchor|territorialclaim}}
{{Main article|ISIL territorial claims}}
[[File:Territorial control of the ISIS.svg|thumb|{{leftlegend|#c12838|Areas controlled as of early September 2017|outline=black}} {{leftlegend|#fefee9|Remaining territory in countries with ISIL presence|outline=black}}]]
As a self-proclaimed worldwide [[caliphate]], ISIL claims religious, political and military authority over all Muslims worldwide,<ref name=caliphate /> and that "the legality of all emirates, groups, states, and organisations, becomes null by the expansion of the khilāfah's [caliphate's] authority and arrival of its troops to their areas".<ref name=Johnson14>{{cite news |last=Johnson |first=M. Alex |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/deviant-pathological-what-do-isis-extremists-really-want-n194136 |title='Deviant and Pathological': What Do ISIS Extremists Really Want? |date=3 September 2014 |publisher=NBC News |accessdate=5 September 2014}}</ref> Outside Iraq and Syria, it [[List of active rebel groups#Groups which control territory|controls territory]] only in Sinai, Afghanistan, and Libya.<ref name="reuters-turfwar" />
=== Iraq and Syria ===
[[File:Destroyed neighborhood in Raqqa.png|thumb|Much of [[Raqqa]] has suffered extensive damage during the [[Battle of Raqqa (2017)|battle of Raqqa]] in June–October 2017]]
Since December 2013, ongoing clashes have occurred throughout western [[Iraq]] between tribal militias, Iraqi security forces, and ISIL. In early January 2014, ISIL militants successfully captured the cities of [[Fallujah]] and [[Hīt]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Iraq's Fallujah falls to 'Qaeda-linked' militants |url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Jan-04/243100-fallujah-outside-iraq-government-control-security-official.ashx#axzz2oNa3sbT8 |accessdate=10 June 2014 |work=Daily Star |date=4 January 2014}}</ref> bringing much of [[Anbar Province]] under their control. In June 2014 ISIL took over the Iraqi city of [[Mosul]]. By December 2015, the Islamic State covered a vast landlocked territory in western Iraq and eastern Syria, with a population estimate of 2.8 to 8 million people.<ref name="politico2015">{{cite web |title=Why ISIL Will Fail on Its Own |url=http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/11/why-isil-will-fail-on-its-own-213401 |work=Politico |date=29 November 2015 |accessdate=29 November 2015}}</ref><ref name="nyb isis rules">{{cite web |title=How ISIS Rules |url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2015/02/05/how-isis-rules/ |website=The New York Review of Books |accessdate=9 December 2015}}</ref>
In Iraq and Syria, ISIL uses many of those countries' existing [[Administrative divisions of Iraq|governorate boundaries]] to subdivide its claimed territory; it calls these divisions [[wilayah]] or provinces.<ref name="mesr22">{{cite web |url=http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/ISIS_Governance.pdf |title=ISIS Governance in Syria |date=July 2014 |first=Charles C. |last=Caris |first2=Samuel |last2=Reynolds |publisher=Institute for the Study of War}}</ref> By June 2015, it had established official "provinces" in Libya, Egypt (Sinai Peninsula), Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Algeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and the North Caucasus.<ref name=turf /> Since then, ISIL has continued to receive pledges of allegiance and publish media releases from groups in countries like Somalia,<ref>{{cite news |title=Islamic State in Somalia claims capture of port town |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/10/islamic-state-in-somalia-claims-capture-of-port-town.php |accessdate=10 February 2016 |work=The Long War Journal |date=26 October 2016}}</ref> Bangladesh<ref>{{cite news |title=How Bangladesh Became Fertile Ground for al-Qa`ida and the Islamic State |url=https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/how-bangladesh-became-fertile-ground-for-al-qaida-and-the-islamic-state |accessdate=10 February 2016 |work=CTC Sentinel |date=25 May 2016}}</ref> and the Philippines,<ref>{{cite news |title=The Islamic State grows in the Philippines |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/06/islamic-state-officially-creates-province-in-the-philippines.php |accessdate=10 February 2016 |work=The Long War Journal |date=24 June 2016}}</ref> but it has not announced any further official branches, instead identifying new affiliates as simply ''"soldiers of the caliphate"''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://warontherocks.com/2016/07/has-the-islamic-state-abandoned-its-provincial-model-in-the-philippines/ |title=Has the Islamic State Abandoned Its Provincial Model in the Philippines? |date=22 July 2016 |accessdate=10 February 2017}}</ref>
On July 10, 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi formally declared a local Iraqi victory over ISIL in the recent Iraqi army expulsion of ISIL from the city of [[Battle of Mosul (2016–17)|Mosul]].<ref name=":6"/> Since the fall of ISIL in Mosul, the overall extent of ISIL held territory in both Syria and Iraq has significantly diminished.<ref name="territorial-losses"/>
=== Libyan Provinces ===
{{Main article|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Libya}}
ISIL organises its Libyan branch using the country's three historical regions, [[Cyrenaica]] in the east, [[Fezzan]] in the desert south, and [[Tripolitania]] in the west.<ref name=nytimes14feb15>{{cite news |title=Islamic State Sprouting Limbs Beyond Its Base |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/world/middleeast/islamic-state-sprouting-limbs-beyond-mideast.html |work=The New York Times |date=14 February 2015 |accessdate=23 February 2015 |first1=Eric |last1=Schmitt |first2=David D. |last2=Kirkpatrick}}</ref> They have been the most active and successful of all ISIL branches outside Iraq and Syria. It has been active particularly around [[Derna, Libya|Derna]], and [[Gaddafi]]'s hometown [[Sirte]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/21/us-libya-security-insight-idUSKBN0O610M20150521 |title=Gaddafi's home town falls to Islamic State in anarchic Libya |first=Ulf |last=Laessing |date=21 May 2015 |publisher=Reuters |accessdate=17 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/in-libyas-civil-war-the-islamic-state-shows-itself-as-the-main-threat/2015/06/06/65766592-0879-11e5-951e-8e15090d64ae_story.html |title=Libyan gains may offer ISIS a base for new attacks |first=Hassan |last=Morajea |date=6 June 2015 |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=10 June 2015}}</ref> The group grew quickly following the allegiance of militant groups like the [[Shura Council of Islamic Youth]].<ref name="spiegel.de">{{cite news |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/islamic-state-expanding-into-north-africa-a-1003525.html |title=Islamic State Expanding into North Africa |location=Hamburg, Germany |date=18 November 2014 |work=Der Spiegel |accessdate=25 November 2014}}</ref><ref name="ISIS comes to Libya">{{cite news |title=ISIS comes to Libya |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/18/world/isis-libya/index.html |accessdate=20 November 2014 |publisher=CNN |date=18 November 2014}}</ref>
ISIL temporarily [[Derna campaign (2014–15)|controlled part of Derna]] before being driven out in mid-2015 by a rival militant Islamist group, with support from the [[Libyan Air Force]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-36104728 |title=Islamic State 'forced out' of key Libyan city of Derna |publisher=BBC |date=21 April 2016}}</ref><ref name="victory">{{cite news |first=Mohamed |last=Eljarh |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/06/24/a-victory-over-the-islamic-state-in-libya/ |title=A Victory Over the Islamic State in Libya |work=Foreign Policy |date=24 June 2015 |accessdate=4 July 2015}}</ref> Libya’s [[Government of National Accord|Interim Government]] launched a [[Sirte Offensive (2016)|major offensive]] against ISIL territory around Sirte in May 2016,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-idUSKCN0YL1V0 |title=Libyan security forces pushing Islamic State back from vicinity of oil terminals |website=www.reuters.com|access-date=31 May 2016 |date=31 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-idUSKCN0YQ0TA |title=Libyan brigades capture air base from Islamic State south of Sirte: spokesman |date=4 June 2016 |publisher= |accessdate=24 June 2016 |via=Reuters}}</ref> capturing the city by December 2016.<ref name="Lastholdout">{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN13V15R |title=Libyan forces clear last Islamic State hold-out in Sirte |publisher=Reuters |accessdate=6 December 2016}}</ref> The [[Libyan National Army]], led by Commander General [[Khalifa Haftar]], has also clashed with ISIL, making advances against the group in [[Benghazi]] and [[Ajdabiya]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-libya-security-benghazi-idUSKCN0VU0UM |first=Ayman |last=al-Warfalli |title=Army claims advances in Libyan cities of Benghazi and Ajdabiya |date=21 February 2016 |publisher=Reuters |location=Benghazi, Libya}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/libya-isis-ajdabiya-benghazi-1.3457822 |title=Libyan National Army claims ISIS pushed out of Ajdabiya, parts of Benghazi |date=21 February 2016 |publisher=CBC News |agency=Thomson Reuters}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Ayman |last=al-Warfalli |title=Libya army claims advances in Benghazi |publisher=Al Arabiya English |date=21 February 2016 |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/02/21/Army-claims-advances-in-Libyan-cities-of-Benghazi-and-Ajdabiya.html}}</ref>
Since the [[Battle of Sirte (2016)|Battle of Sirte]] (12 May – 6 December 2016) ISIL lost most of its territories in Libya to the forces of the [[Government of National Accord]] (GNA), backed by the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.albawaba.com/news/libyan-forces-announce-“liberation’-sirte-daesh-916192 |title=Libyan forces announce "liberation’ of Sirte from Daesh |publisher=Al Bawaba |accessdate=18 December 2016}}</ref> And as of 11 November 2017 the last pockets of the ISIL-affiliated [[Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries]] were captured by the [[Libyan National Army|LNA]] after three years of [[Battle of Benghazi (2014–present)|fighting]]. <ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.libyaherald.com/2017/11/11/lna-finally-takes-benghazis-sidi-akribesh-after-4-month-siege-report/|title=LNA finally takes Benghazi’s Sidi Akribesh after 4-month siege: report|work=Libyan herald}}</ref>.
=== Sinai Province ===
{{Main article|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Sinai Province}}
On 10 November 2014, many members of the group [[Ansar Bait al-Maqdis]] took an oath of allegiance to al-Baghdadi.<ref name="news.yahoo.com" /> Following this, the group assumed the designation [[Sinai Province (Militant Group)|Sinai Province]] (''Wilayat Sinai'').<ref name="spiegel.de" /><ref name="reuters.com">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/10/us-egypt-ansar-islamicstate-idUSKCN0IU0DD20141110?irpc=932 |title=Egyptian militant group pledges loyalty to Islamic State in audio clip |agency=Reuters |date=10 November 2014 |accessdate=11 November 2014}}</ref><ref name=lwj14nov>{{cite news |first=Thomas |last=Joscelyn |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/11/sinai_jihadists_rebr.php |title=Sinai-based jihadist group rebranded as Islamic State's official arm |work=Long War Journal |date=14 November 2014 |accessdate=15 November 2014}}</ref><ref name=winep14nov>{{cite news |first=Aaron Y. |last=Zelin |url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/the-islamic-states-archipelago-of-provinces |title=The Islamic State's Archipelago of Provinces |work=Washington Institute for Near East Policy |date=14 November 2014 |accessdate=15 November 2014}}</ref> They are estimated to have 1,000–2,000 fighters.<ref name="ISIL gains supporters" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/Templates/Articles/tmpArticleNews.aspx?ArtID=69939 |title=Interior Ministry analyzes Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis statement over assassination attempt |publisher=State Information Services |location=Cairo, Egypt |date=10 September 2013 |accessdate=26 December 2013}}</ref> A faction of the Sinai group also operates in the [[Gaza Strip]], calling itself the ''Islamic State in Gaza''.<ref name=middleeasteye-2014-10-08>{{cite news |title=IS claims responsibility for Gaza's French Cultural Centre blast, reports |url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/claims-responsibility-gaza-s-french-cultural-centre-blast-1790519098 |accessdate=9 October 2014 |work=Middle East Eye |date=8 October 2014}}</ref> It claimed responsibility for the downing of Russian [[Metrojet Flight 9268]], which killed all 224 people on board, although Egyptian officials disputed the claim.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35091734 |title=Egypt Sinai crash probe finds 'no evidence of terrorism' |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=17 December 2015}}</ref>
=== Algerian Province ===
{{Main article|Jund al-Khilafah}}
Members of [[Jund al-Khilafah]] swore allegiance to ISIL in September 2014.<ref name="npr.org">{{cite web |last=Fadel |first=Leila |url=http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/11/18/364942091/with-cash-and-cachet-the-islamic-state-expands-its-empire |title=With Cash And Cachet, The Islamic State Expands Its Empire |date=18 November 2014 |publisher=NPR}}</ref> ISIL in Algeria gained notoriety when it beheaded French tourist Herve Gourdel in September 2014. Since then, the group has largely been silent, with reports that its leader Khalid Abu-Sulayman was killed by Algerian forces in December 2014.<ref name=turf>{{cite news |title=Islamic State moves in on al-Qaeda turf |publisher=BBC News |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-31064300 |date=25 June 2015 |accessdate=7 July 2015}}</ref>
=== Khorasan Province ===
{{Main article|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province}}
On 26 January 2015, [[Khorasan Province (Militant Group)|Khorasan Province]] (Wilayat Khorasan) was established, with [[Hafiz Saeed Khan]] named as [[Wāli]] (Governor) and [[Abdul Rauf Aliza|Abdul Rauf]] as his deputy after both swore an oath of allegiance to al-Baghdadi. The name Khorasan refers to a historical region that includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, and "other nearby lands".<ref name=Khorasan>{{cite news |first=Rezaul H. |last=Laskar |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/is-announces-expansion-into-afpak-parts-of-india/article1-1311533.aspx |title=IS announces expansion into AfPak, parts of India |work=Hindustan Times |date=29 January 2015 |accessdate=22 February 2015}}</ref><ref name=BBC31290147 /><ref name=Khorasan2>{{cite magazine |first=Animesh |last=Roul |url=http://www.jamestown.org/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=43744&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=7&cHash=a10cd1f7a96b29d5b0d0bd12f571ebd0 |title=‘Wilayat Khurasan’: Islamic State Consolidates Position in AfPak Region |work=Terrorism Monitor |volume=13 |issue=7 |accessdate=13 April 2015 |publisher=Jamestown Foundation |date=3 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Roggio |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/02/pakistani_taliban_em.php |title=Pakistani Taliban emir for Bajaur joins Islamic State |work=Long War Journal |date=2 February 2015}}</ref>
On 9 February 2015, Mullah Abdul Rauf was killed by a NATO airstrike,<ref name=BBC31290147 /> and his replacement, Hafiz Wahidi, was killed by the Afghan Armed Forces on 18 March 2015.<ref name="ISIL Afghan replacement deputy killed">{{cite news |url=http://www.almasdarnews.com/article/afghan-army-kills-commander-of-isil-affiliate/ |title=Afghan Army Kills Commander of ISIL Affiliate |work=Al-Masdar News |date=18 March 2015}}</ref> Hafiz Saeed Khan, the Emir of ISIL's Khorasan Province, was reportedly killed in a US drone strike in eastern Afghanistan on 25 July 2016.<ref>{{cite news |title=IS leader in Afghanistan killed, US believes |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37063654 |work=BBC News |date=12 August 2016}}</ref>
=== Yemen Provinces ===
{{Main article|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Yemen Province}}
[[File:Yemeni Civil War.svg|thumb|Current military situation in Yemen:<br />
{{legend|#b4b2ae|Under the control of ISIL}}]]
On 13 November 2014, unidentified militants in Yemen pledged allegiance to ISIL.<ref name="npr.org" /> By December of that year, ISIL had built an active presence inside Yemen, with its recruitment drive bringing it into direct competition with [[al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula]] (AQAP).<ref name="ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al Qaeda" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/08/13/Yemeni-Al-Qaeda-leader-hails-ISIS-gains-in-Iraq.html |title=Yemeni Al-Qaeda leader hails ISIS gains in Iraq |publisher=Al Arabiya English |date=13 August 2014 |location=Sana'a, Yemen |agency=Reuters}}</ref> In February 2015, it was reported that some members of [[Ansar al-Sharia (Yemen)|Ansar al-Sharia in Yemen]] had split from AQAP and pledged allegiance to ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newsweek.com/al-qaeda-supporters-yemen-pledge-allegiance-islamic-state-306058 |title=Al-Qaeda Supporters in Yemen ‘Pledge Allegiance to Islamic State’ |work=Newsweek |agency=Reuters |date=11 February 2015 |subscription=yes}}</ref> As the [[Yemeni Civil War (2015)|Yemeni Civil War]] escalated in March 2015, at least seven ISIL Wilayat, named after existing provincial boundaries in Yemen, claimed responsibility for attacks against the [[Houthis]], including the ''[[Hadhramaut Governorate|Hadhramaut]] Province'', the ''[[Shabwah Governorate|Shabwah]] Province'', and the ''[[Sana'a]] Province''.<ref name="ISIL establishes Sanaa Province in Yemen">{{cite news |title=ISIL affiliate claims deadly Eid blasts at Yemen mosque |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/isil-affiliate-claims-deadly-eid-blasts-yemen-mosque-150924134946551.html |newspaper=Al Jazeera |date=24 September 2015}}</ref><ref name="iswMay15">{{cite report |first=Harleen |last=Gambhir |title=ISIS Global Intelligence Summary, March 1 – May 7, 2015 |url=http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/ISIS%20INTSUM_Final.pdf |publisher=Institute for the Study of War |date=10 May 2015 |accessdate=12 May 2015}}</ref>
[[Zaidiyyah]] [[Houthis]] (organised in the [[Supreme Revolutionary Committee]]) are the principal enemies of Yemen's ISIL branch.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/30/islamic-state-bomb-attack-on-huthi-rebel-leaders-in-yemen-leaves-28-dead |title=Islamic State bomb attack on Houthi rebel leaders in Yemen leaves 28 dead |date=30 June 2015 |work=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11707328/Islamic-State-targets-Houthi-mourners-in-Yemen-with-car-bomb.html |title=Islamic State targets Houthi mourners in Yemen with car bomb |first=Louisa |last=Loveluck |date=30 June 2015 |work=The Telegraph |location=London}}</ref> While the US government supports the [[Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen|Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen]] against the Houthis,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/04/expediting-arms-supplies-saudi-led-coalition-150407152205321.html |title=US steps up arms for Saudi campaign in Yemen |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=8 April 2015}}</ref> many in [[United States Special Operations Command]] favour the Houthis, as they have been an effective force in rolling back al-Qaeda and recently ISIL in Yemen, "something that hundreds of U.S. drone strikes and large numbers of advisers to Yemen's military had failed to accomplish".<ref>{{cite news |first=Mark |last=Perry |url=http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/4/17/us-generals-think-saudi-strikes-in-yemen-a-bad-idea.html |title=US generals: Saudi intervention in Yemen ‘a bad idea’ |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=17 April 2015}}</ref> ''The Guardian'' reported: "As another 50 civilians die in the forgotten war, only Isis and al-Qaida are gaining from a conflict tearing Yemen apart and leaving 20 million people in need of aid."<ref>{{cite news |first=Kareem |last=Shaheen |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/07/jihadis-likely-winners-of-saudi-arabias-futile-war-on-yemens-houthi-rebels |title=Jihadis likely winners of Saudi Arabia's futile war on Yemen's Houthi rebels |date=7 July 2015 |work=The Guardian}}</ref>
=== West African Province ===
{{Main article|Boko Haram}}
On 7 March 2015, Boko Haram's leader [[Abubakar Shekau]] pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant via an audio message posted on the organisation's [[Twitter]] account.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-31784538 |title=Nigeria's Boko Haram pledges allegiance to Islamic State |date=7 March 2015 |accessdate=7 March 2015 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/03/boko-haram-pledges-allegiance-islamic-state/387235/ |title=The Islamic State of Boko Haram? :The terrorist group has pledged its allegiance to ISIS. But what does that really mean? |first=Adam |last=Chandler |date=9 March 2015 |work=The Atlantic}}</ref> On 12 March 2015, ISIL's spokesman [[Abu Mohammad al-Adnani]] released an audio tape in which he welcomed the pledge of allegiance, and described it as an expansion of the group's caliphate into [[West Africa]].<ref name="BokoHaramIS">{{cite news |url=https://news.yahoo.com/accepts-allegiance-nigeria-jihadists-boko-haram-201513146.html |title=IS welcomes Boko Haram allegiance: tape |via=Yahoo! News |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=12 March 2015 |accessdate=12 March 2015}}</ref> ISIL publications from late March 2015 began referring to members of Boko Haram as part of ''Wilayat Gharb Afriqiya'' (West Africa Province).<ref name="iswMay15" /> The group suffered a split in 2016, with ISIL appointing 'Abu Musab al-Barnawi' as the group's new leader, due to disagreements with Abubakar Shekau's leadership.<ref name="Barnawi">{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-36963711 |title=Boko Haram in Nigeria: Abu Musab al-Barnawi named as new leader |date=3 August 2016 |work=BBC News |accessdate=3 August 2016}}</ref> This was rejected by Shekau and his supporters, who continued to operate independently.<ref>{{cite news |title=Behind Boko Haram's Split: A Leader Too Radical for Islamic State |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/behind-boko-haram-s-split-a-leader-too-radical-for-islamic-state-1473931827 |accessdate=2 October 2016 |publisher=Wall Street Journal |date=15 September 2016}}{{subscription required}}</ref>
=== North Caucasus Province ===
{{Main article|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Caucasus Province}}
Some commanders of the [[Caucasus Emirate]] in [[Chechnya]] and [[Dagestan]] switched their allegiance to ISIL in late 2014 and early 2015.<ref name="edm13Feb2015">{{cite magazine |last=Vatchagaev |first=Mairbek |date=13 February 2015 |title=Caucasus Emirate and Islamic State Split Slows Militant Activities in North Caucasus |magazine=Eurasia Daily Monitor |publisher=The Jamestown Foundation |volume=12 |issue=29 |url=https://jamestown.org/program/caucasus-emirate-and-islamic-state-split-slows-militant-activities-in-north-caucasus-2/}}</ref> On 23 June 2015, ISIL spokesman Abu Mohammad al-Adnani accepted the pledges of allegiance and announced a new [[Caucasus Province (Militant Group)|Caucasus Province]] (''Wilayat al-Qawqaz'') under the leadership of [[Rustam Asildarov]].<ref name=caucasus>{{cite web |first=Harleen |last=Gambhir |url=http://understandingwar.org/backgrounder/isis-declares-governorate-russia%E2%80%99s-north-caucasus-region |title=ISIS Declares Governorate in Russia's North Caucasus Region |date=23 June 2015 |publisher=Institute for the Study of War}}</ref><ref name=turf />
=== Southeast Asia ===
{{Main article|Abu Sayyaf|Battle of Marawi (2017)}}
On 23 July 2014, [[Abu Sayyaf]] leader [[Isnilon Totoni Hapilon]] in the Philippines swore an [[Bay'ah|oath of loyalty]] to [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]], the leader of ISIL.<ref name="sayyaf-swears-loyalty" /> In September 2014, the group began kidnapping people so they could be held for ransom, in the name of ISIL.<ref name="Abu Sayyaf kidnaps 2 Germans in the name of ISIL" /> In early 2015, members of [[Khalifa Islamiyah Mindanao]] pledged allegiance to ISIL. At the same time, [[Ansar Khalifa Philippines]] was born from a merger of Ansar Khalifah Sarangani with other umbrella groups that are pro-ISIL in nature.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}} In May 2017, a pro-ISIL group called the [[Maute group]] attacked and seized parts of a southern Philippine city of [[Marawi]] on [[Mindanao]] island.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/embassy-us-forces-help-fight-militants-in-marawi/3894841.html |title=US Special Forces Helping Philippines Fight Militants in Marawi |first= |last=Reuters |publisher= |date=June 10, 2017}}</ref>
On 17 October 2017, Philippine [[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Rodrigo Duterte|Duterte]] declared Marawi was "liberated from terrorist influence".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/duterte-marawi-liberated-isil-linked-fighters-171017071213300.html|title=Duterte: Marawi 'liberated' from ISIL-linked fighters|website=www.aljazeera.com|accessdate=25 October 2017}}</ref> Then on 23 October 2017, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced that the five-month battle against the terrorists in Marawi had finally ended.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-23/philippines-troops-find-dozens-dead-as-warawi-siege-ends/9077096|title=Marawi: Philippines declares end of siege as troops find 40 suspected gunmen dead|website=www.abc.net.au|accessdate=28 October 2017}}</ref> The recapture of Marawi by the government led to the failure of militants to establish a provincial ISIL territory ''(wilayat)'' in the Philippines.
=== Islamic State in Gaza ===
{{Main article|Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade}}
In February 2014, the [[Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem]] declared its support for ISIL.<ref name="am27Feb2014">{{cite news |first=Asmaa |last=al-Ghoul |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/tr/originals/2014/02/isis-gaza-salafist-jihadist-qaeda-hamas.html |title=Gaza Salafists pledge allegiance to ISIS |work=Al-Monitor |location=Gaza City, Gaza Strip |date=27 February 2014 |accessdate=25 September 2014}}</ref> On 2 April 2015, elements of this group, along with members of the [[Army of Islam (Gaza Strip)|Army of Islam]] and the Gaza faction of [[Ansar Bait al-Maqdis]],<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.vocativ.com/world/israel-world/egyptian-group-claims-killed-3-israeli-teens/ |title=Egyptian group claims it killed the Three Israeli Teens |last=Levy |first=Rachael |date=1 July 2014 |work=Vocative |access-date =2 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |publisher=BBC Monitoring |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25882504 |title=Egypt attack: Profile of Sinai Province militant group |date=30 January 2015 |work=BBC News |access-date =2 June 2015}}</ref> formed the [[Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade]], also known as Islamic State in Gaza,<ref name="Levy 9 June 2014">{{Cite news |url=http://www.vocativ.com/world/israel-world/isis-operating-gaza/ |title=ISIS: We Are Operating in Gaza |last=Levy |first=Rachael |date=9 June 2014 |work=Vocative |access-date=2 June 2015}}</ref> as it predominantly operates in the [[Gaza Strip]].
=== Other areas of operation ===
* Unidentified militants in Saudi Arabia pledged allegiance to ISIL – designated as a province of ISIL.<ref name="npr.org" />
* The ''[[Free Sunnis of Baalbek Brigade]]'' (Lebanon) pledged allegiance to ISIL.<ref name="ISIL gains supporters" />
* ''Sons of the Call for Tawhid and Jihad'' (Jordan) pledged allegiance to ISIL.<ref name="Jordinian jihadist group joins ISIL">{{cite news |url=http://jordantimes.com/local-jihadist-group-pledges-allegiance-to-islamic-state |title=Local jihadist group pledges allegiance to Islamic State |work=The Jordan Times |date=23 July 2014 |publisher=Jordan Press Foundation |accessdate=6 June 2015 |first=Taylor |last=Luck |location=Amman, Jordan |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140724154338/http://jordantimes.com/local-jihadist-group-pledges-allegiance-to-islamic-state |archivedate=24 July 2014 |deadurl=yes}}</ref>
* ''Janood-ul-Khalifa-e-Hind'' (India) pledged allegiance to ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |title=Two more of IS-linked group detained, to be handed over to NIA |work=Hindustan Times |date=27 January 2016 |location=New Delhi |agency=Press Trust of India |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/two-more-of-isis-linked-terror-group-detained/story-laL8zX2AuHAdsc6aL615wK.html}}</ref>
* ''Ansar al-Khilafah'' (Brazil) pledged allegiance to ISIL.<ref name="brazil">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/07/19/brazilian-extremist-group-pledges-allegiance-to-isis-ahead-of-rio-olympics/ |title=Brazilian extremist group uses Telegram to pledge allegiance to ISIS ahead of Olympics |work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=19 July 2016 |last=Bearak |first=Max |location=Washington, DC}}</ref>
* ''[[Profetens Ummah]]'' (Norway) pledged allegiance to ISIL.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Dette er Profetens Ummah i Norge |url=http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/Dette-er-Profetens-Ummah-i-Norge-7634517.html |work=Aftenposten |date=13 July 2014 |language=Norwegian}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Skjærli |first1=Brynjar |title=Støtter IS' halshugging |url=http://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/islam-debatten/stoetter-is-halshugging/a/23275610/ |date=16 August 2014 |accessdate=31 August 2014 |language=Norwegian}}</ref>
* ''[[Mujahidin Indonesia Timur]]'' (Indonesia) pledged allegiance to ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kwok |first=Yenni |date=28 December 2015 |title=Is There a Uighur Terrorist Buildup Taking Place in Southeast Asia? |url=http://time.com/4161906/uighur-terrorism-indonesia-thailand-islam-isis/ |newspaper=TIME |location= |accessdate=10 September 2017}}</ref>
== International reaction ==
=== Classification as a terrorist organisation ===
Many countries and international bodies have officially designated ISIL as a ''terrorist organisation''.
{{anchor|Criticism}}
{{anchor|IslamicCriticism}}
=== International criticism ===
The group has attracted widespread criticism internationally for its extremism, from governments and international bodies such as the [[United Nations]] and [[Amnesty International]]. On 24 September 2014, [[Secretary-General of the United Nations|United Nations Secretary-General]] [[Ban Ki-Moon]] stated: "As Muslim leaders around the world have said, groups like ISIL – or Da’ish – have nothing to do with [[Islam]], and they certainly do not represent a state. They should more fittingly be called the 'Un-Islamic Non-State'."<ref name=BanKiMoonUnIslamic>{{cite web |author=Ban Ki-Moon |title=Secretary-General's remarks to Security Council High-Level Summit on Foreign Terrorist Fighters |url=https://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=8040 |publisher=United Nations |accessdate=18 November 2014 |date=24 September 2014}}</ref> ISIL has been classified a [[List of designated terrorist organizations|terrorist organisation]] by the United Nations, the European Union and its member states, the United States, Russia, India, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and many other countries (see {{see section||Classification}}). Over 60 countries are directly or indirectly waging war against ISIL (see {{see section||Countries and groups at war with ISIL}}). The group was described as a [[cult]] in a [[Huffington Post]] column by notable cult authority [[Steven Hassan]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hassan |first1=Steven |title=ISIS Is a Cult That Uses Terrorism: A Fresh New Strategy |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-hassan/isis-is-a-cult-that-uses-_b_6023890.html |work=The World Post |accessdate=10 November 2014 |date=21 October 2014}}</ref>
=== Islamic criticism ===
{{See also|Khawarij}}
Around the world, [[Islamic religious leaders]] have overwhelmingly condemned ISIL's ideology and actions, arguing that the group has strayed from the path of true Islam and that its actions do not reflect the religion's real teachings or virtues.<ref name="ns10Mar2015">{{cite magazine |last=Hasan |first=Mehdi |authorlink=Medhi Hasan |date=10 March 2015 |title=Mehdi Hasan: How Islamic is Islamic State? |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/world-affairs/2015/03/mehdi-hasan-how-islamic-islamic-state |work=[[New Statesman]] |accessdate=7 July 2015 |quote=Consider the various statements of Muslim groups such as the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, representing 57 countries (Isis has "nothing to do with Islam"); the Islamic Society of North America (Isis's actions are "in no way representative of what Islam actually teaches"); al-Azhar University in Cairo, the most prestigious seat of learning in the Sunni Muslim world (Isis is acting "under the guise of this holy religion . . . in an attempt to export their false Islam"); and even Saudi Arabia's Salafist Grand Mufti, Abdul Aziz al ash-Sheikh (Isis is "the number-one enemy of Islam").}}</ref>
Extremism within Islam goes back to the 7th century, to the [[Khawarij]]es. From their essentially political position, the Kharijites developed extreme doctrines which set them apart from both mainstream Sunni and Shia Muslims. They were particularly noted for adopting a radical approach to [[takfir]], whereby they declared other Muslims to be unbelievers and therefore deemed worthy of death.<ref name="al-Yaqoubi-[kha]">{{Cite book |last=Al-Yaqoubi |first=Muhammad |authorlink=Muhammad al-Yaqoubi |year=2015 |title=[[Refuting ISIS: A Rebuttal Of Its Religious And Ideological Foundations]] |pages=xvii–xviii |publisher=Sacred Knowledge |isbn=978-1-908224-12-5}}</ref><ref name=SheemaKhan>{{cite news |first=Sheema |last=Khan |date=29 September 2014 |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/another-battle-with-islams-true-believers/article20802390/ |title=Another battle with Islam's ‘true believers’ |work=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto, Canada}}</ref><ref>{{cite report |first=Usama |last=Hasan |title=The Balance of Islam in Challenging Extremism |url=http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/publications/free/the-balance-of-islam-in-challenging-extremism.pdf |publisher=Quilliam Foundation |date=July 2012 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802045255/http://www.quilliamfoundation.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/publications/free/the-balance-of-islam-in-challenging-extremism.pdf |archivedate=2 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/fruits-of-the-tree-of-extremism |title=Imam Mohamad Jebara: Fruits of the tree of extremism |first=Mohamad |last=Jebara |work=Ottawa Citizen |date=6 February 2015}}</ref> Other scholars have also described the group not as Sunnis, but as Khawarij.<ref name=SheemaKhan /><ref name="al-Yaqoubi2|xvii-xviii+p.8">{{Cite book |last=Al-Yaqoubi |first=Muhammad |authorlink=Muhammad al-Yaqoubi |year=2015 |title=[[Refuting ISIS: A Rebuttal Of Its Religious And Ideological Foundations]] |pages=xvii–xviii |publisher=Sacred Knowledge |isbn=978-1-908224-12-5}} See also p.8.</ref> Sunni critics, including [[Salafi movement|Salafi]] and jihadist [[muftis]] such as [[Adnan al-Aroor]] and [[Abu Basir al-Tartusi]], say that ISIL and related terrorist groups are not Sunnis, but are instead modern-day Kharijites (Muslims who have stepped outside the mainstream of Islam) serving an imperial anti-Islamic agenda.<ref name="econ140906">{{cite news |url=https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21615634-sunni-religious-authorities-turn-against-islamic-state-slow-backlash |title=The slow backlash – Sunni religious authorities turn against Islamic State |date=6 September 2014 |newspaper=The Economist}}</ref>
ISIL has received severe criticism from Muslim religious scholars and theologians. In late August 2014, the [[Grand Mufti]] of Saudi Arabia, [[Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah Al ash-Sheikh]], condemned ISIL and [[al-Qaeda]] saying, "Extremist and militant ideas and terrorism which spread decay on Earth, destroying human civilization, are not in any way part of Islam, but are enemy number one of Islam, and Muslims are their first victims".<ref name=SaudiGrandMuftiCondemn>{{cite news |title=Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti denounces Islamic State group as un-Islamic |url=http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2014/08/25/saudi-arabias-grand-mufti-denounces-islamic-state-group-as-un-islamic/ |agency=Reuters |accessdate=18 November 2014 |date=25 August 2014}}</ref> In late September 2014, 126 Sunni [[imams]] and Islamic scholars—primarily [[Sufism|Sufi]]<ref name=MM141001>{{cite web |url=http://muslimmatters.org/2014/10/01/muslim-scholars-letter-to-al-baghdadi-of-isis-or-isil-a-missed-opportunity/ |title=Muslim Scholars Letter to al-Baghdadi of ISIS or ISIL – A Missed Opportunity |date=1 October 2014 |first=Amad |last=Shaikh |work=Muslim Matters |accessdate=8 November 2014}}</ref>—from around the Muslim world signed an [[open letter]] to the Islamic State's leader al-Baghdadi, explicitly rejecting and refuting his group's interpretations of Islamic scriptures, the [[Quran]] and [[hadith]], which it used in order to justify its actions.<ref name="huffpost-bagh-openlet">{{cite news |title=Muslim Scholars Release Open Letter to Islamic State Meticulously Blasting Its Ideology |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/24/muslim-scholars-islamic-state_n_5878038.html |work=The Huffington Post |date=24 September 2013 |first=Lauren |last=Markoe |agency=Religious News Service |accessdate=25 September 2014}}</ref><ref name=christianpost-2014-09-25>{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Samuel |title=International Coalition of Muslim Scholars Refute ISIS' Religious Arguments in Open Letter to al-Baghdadi |url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/international-coalition-of-muslim-scholars-refute-isis-religious-arguments-in-open-letter-to-al-baghdadi-127032/ |accessdate=18 October 2014 |work=The Christian Post |date=25 September 2014}}</ref> "[You] have misinterpreted Islam into a religion of harshness, brutality, torture and murder ... this is a great wrong and an offence to Islam, to Muslims and to the entire world", the letter states.<ref name=OpenLetToAlBagh /> It rebukes the Islamic State for its killing of prisoners, describing the killings as "heinous [[war crime]]s" and its persecution of the [[Yazidis]] of Iraq as "abominable". Referring to the "self-described 'Islamic State'", the letter censures the group for carrying out killings and acts of brutality under the guise of [[jihad]]—holy struggle—saying that its "sacrifice" without legitimate cause, goals and intention "is not jihad at all, but rather, warmongering and criminality".<ref name=OpenLetToAlBagh /><ref name=Offence2Islam>{{cite news |title=Isis is 'an offence to Islam', says international coalition of major Islamic scholars |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-is-an-offence-to-islam-says-international-coalition-of-major-islamic-scholars-9756255.html |accessdate=8 October 2014 |work=independent |quote=More than 120 Sunni imams and academics, including some of the Muslim world's most respected scholars, signed the 18-page document which outlines 24 separate grounds on which the terror group violates the tenets of Islam. |location=London |first=Cahal |last=Milmo |date=25 September 2014}}</ref> It also accuses the group of instigating [[fitna (word)|fitna]]—sedition—by instituting slavery under its rule in contravention of the [[Islamic views on slavery#Modern interpretations|anti-slavery consensus]] of the [[ulama|Islamic scholarly community]].<ref name=OpenLetToAlBagh>{{cite web |title=Open Letter to Al-Baghdadi |url=http://lettertobaghdadi.com/index.php |date=September 2014 |accessdate=25 September 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140925193528/http://lettertobaghdadi.com/index.php |archivedate=25 September 2014 |df=}}</ref> [[File:Wien - Kobane-Demo 2014-10-10 - V.jpg|thumb|[[Kurds|Kurdish]] demonstration against ISIL in [[Vienna]], Austria, 10 October 2014]]
{{anchor|NYTquotestheorists}}
According to ''The New York Times'', "All of the most influential jihadist theorists are criticising the Islamic State as deviant, calling its self-proclaimed caliphate null and void" and they have denounced it for its beheadings of journalists and aid workers.<ref name=ISIS-NYT /> ISIL is widely denounced by a broad range of Islamic clerics, including al-Qaeda-oriented clerics and Saudi clerics.<ref name="huffpost-wahhabi" /><ref name=ISIS-NYT /> [[Muhammad al-Yaqoubi]] states, "It is enough of a proof of the extreme ideology of ISIS that the top leaders of Salafi-Jihadism have disclaimed it."<ref name="al-Yaqoubi">{{Cite book |last=Al-Yaqoubi |first=Muhammad |authorlink=Muhammad al-Yaqoubi |year=2015 |title=[[Refuting ISIS: A Rebuttal Of Its Religious And Ideological Foundations]] |page=19 |publisher=Sacred Knowledge |isbn=978-1-908224-12-5}}</ref>
{{anchor|Khawarij}} Other critics of ISIL's brand of Sunni Islam include Salafists who previously publicly supported jihadist groups such as al-Qaeda: for example, the Saudi government official [[Saleh Al-Fawzan]], known for his extremist views, who claims that ISIL is a creation of "Zionists, Crusaders and Safavids", and the Jordanian-Palestinian writer [[Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi]], the former spiritual mentor to [[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]], who was released from prison in Jordan in June 2014 and accused ISIL of driving a wedge between Muslims.<ref name="econ140906" />
The group's declaration of a caliphate has been criticised and its legitimacy has been disputed by Middle Eastern governments, other jihadist groups,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/theyre-delusional-rivals-ridicule-isis-declaration-of-islamic-state |title="They're delusional": Rivals ridicule ISIS declaration of Islamic state |publisher=CBS News |date=30 June 2014 |accessdate=4 July 2014}}</ref> and by [[Sunni Muslim]] theologians and historians. Qatar-based TV broadcaster and theologian [[Yusuf al-Qaradawi]] stated: "[The] declaration issued by the Islamic State is void under [[sharia]] and has dangerous consequences for the Sunnis in Iraq and for the revolt in Syria", adding that the title of caliph can "only be given by the entire Muslim nation", not by a single group.<ref name="Caliph address">{{cite news |last=Strange |first=Hannah |title=Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi addresses Muslims in Mosul |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10948480/Islamic-State-leader-Abu-Bakr-al-Baghdadi-addresses-Muslims-in-Mosul.html |accessdate=6 July 2014 |work=The Telegraph |date=5 July 2014 |location=London}}</ref> The group's execution of Muslims for breach of traditional ''[[sharia]]'' law while violating it itself (encouraging women to emigrate to its territory, travelling without a ''[[Wali]]''—male guardian—and in violation of his wishes) has been criticised;<ref name=haykel-6-8-15>{{cite magazine |last1=Creswell |first1=Robyn |last2=Haykel |first2=Bernard |title=Battle Lines |magazine=The New Yorker |date=8 June 2015 |url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/06/08/battle-lines-jihad-creswell-and-haykel |accessdate=6 June 2015 |quote=In the most recent issue of Dabiq, ISIS's English-language magazine, a female writer encourages women to emigrate to "the lands of the Islamic State" even if it means travelling without a male companion, a shocking breach of traditional Islamic law. This may be a cynical ploy—a lure for runaways. But it is in keeping with the jihadists’ attack on parental authority and its emphasis on individual empowerment, including the power of female believers to renounce families they do not view as authentically Muslim.}}</ref> as has its love of archaic imagery (horsemen and swords) while engaging in ''[[bid‘ah]]'' (religious innovation) in establishing female religious police (known as [[Al-Khansaa Brigade]]).<ref name=haykel2-6-8-15>{{cite magazine |last1=Creswell |first1=Robyn |last2=Haykel |first2=Bernard |title=Battle Lines |magazine=The New Yorker |date=8 June 2015 |url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/06/08/battle-lines-jihad-creswell-and-haykel |accessdate=6 June 2015 |quote=It has also created a female morality police, a shadowy group called the al-Khansa’ Brigades, who insure proper deportment in ISIS-held towns. ... Al-Khansa’ was a female poet of the pre-Islamic era who converted to Islam and became a companion of the Prophet, and her elegies for her male relations are keystones of the genre [of Islamic poetry]. The name therefore suggests an institution with deep roots in the past, and yet there has never been anything like the Brigades in Islamic history, nor do they have an equivalent anywhere else in the Arab world.}}</ref> In a similar vein, the Syrian [[Ulama|Islamic scholar]] [[Muhammad al-Yaqoubi]] says, "[t]he followers of ISIS do not want to adhere to Islamic law but rather they want to twist Islamic law to conform to their fantasies. To this end, they pick and choose the evidences that corroborate their misguidance, despite being weak or abrogated."<ref name="al-Yaqoubi2">{{Cite book |last=Al-Yaqoubi |first=Muhammad |authorlink=Muhammad al-Yaqoubi |year=2015 |title=[[Refuting ISIS: A Rebuttal Of Its Religious And Ideological Foundations]] |page=37 |publisher=Sacred Knowledge |isbn=978-1-908224-12-5}}</ref>
Two days after the beheading of [[Hervé Gourdel]], hundreds of Muslims gathered in the [[Grand Mosque of Paris]] to show solidarity against the beheading. The protest was led by the leader of the [[French Council of the Muslim Faith]], [[Dalil Boubakeur]], and was joined by thousands of other Muslims around the country under the slogan "Not in my name".<ref name=ibt-09-28>{{cite news |last1=Halleck |first1=Thomas |title=Thousands of French Muslims Protest Herve Gourdel Beheading |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/thousands-french-muslims-protest-herve-gourdel-beheading-1695741 |accessdate=28 September 2014 |work=International Business Times |date=26 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://rt.com/news/191060-paris-muslims-protest-gourdel/ |title='Not in my name': French Muslims rally to denounce ISIS beheadings |publisher=RT |date=26 September 2014 |accessdate=13 October 2014}}</ref> French president [[François Hollande]] said Gourdel's beheading was "cowardly" and "cruel", and confirmed that airstrikes would continue against ISIL in Iraq. Hollande also called for three days of national mourning, with flags flown at half-mast throughout the country and said that security would be increased throughout Paris.<ref name=ibt-09-28 />
An [[Islamic Front (Syria)|Islamic Front]] [[sharia]] court judge in Aleppo, Mohamed Najeeb Bannan, stated: "The legal reference is the Islamic Sharia. The cases are different, from robberies to drug use, to moral crimes. It's our duty to look at any crime that comes to us. . . After the regime has fallen, we believe that the Muslim majority in Syria will ask for an Islamic state. Of course, it's very important to point out that some say the Islamic Sharia will cut off people's hands and heads, but it only applies to criminals. And to start off by killing, crucifying etc. That is not correct at all." In response to being asked what the difference between the Islamic Front's and ISIL's version of sharia would be, he said, "One of their mistakes is before the regime has fallen, and before they've established what in Sharia is called Tamkeen [having a stable state], they started applying Sharia, thinking God gave them permission to control the land and establish a Caliphate. This goes against the beliefs of religious scholars around the world. This is what [IS] did wrong. This is going to cause a lot of trouble. Anyone who opposes [IS] will be considered against Sharia and will be severely punished."<ref>{{cite av media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiyyWiO-IKY |title=Ghosts of Aleppo (Full Length) |date=30 September 2014 |publisher=VICE News |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.vice.com/video/ghosts-of-aleppo-full-length |title=Ghosts of Aleppo (Full Length) |work=VICE News}}</ref>
Al-Qaeda and al-Nusra have been trying to take advantage of ISIL's rise, by attempting to present themselves as "moderate" compared to "extremist" ISIL, although it has the same aim of establishing sharia and a caliphate but doing so in a more gradual manner.<ref>{{cite news |last=Joscelyn |first=Thomas |title=Al Qaeda appears ‘moderate’ compared to Islamic State, veteran jihadist says |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/10/al-qaeda-appears-moderate-compared-to-islamic-state-veteran-jihadist-says.php |work=Long War Journal |date=25 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Joscelyn |first=Thomas |date=26 October 2015 |title=A rare interview with an experienced Al Qaeda commander shows how the group is using ISIS to make itself look 'moderate' |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/a-rare-interview-with-an-experienced-al-qaeda-commander-shows-how-the-group-is-using-isis-to-make-itself-look-moderate-2015-10 |newspaper=Business Insider |accessdate=20 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Joscelyn |first=Thomas |title=The Al Nusrah Front's ‘inherited jihad’ |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/06/inheritedjihad.php |work=Long War Journal |date=5 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Joscelyn |first=Thomas |title=Officials from Al Nusrah Front, Ahrar al Sham vow to continue fight against Islamic State |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/07/officials-from-al-nusrah-front-ahrar-al-sham-vow-to-continue-fight-against-islamic-state.php |work=Long War Journal |date=20 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Joscelyn |first=Thomas |date=9 February 2015 |title=Al Qaeda Uses ISIS to Try to Present Itself as Respectable, Even Moderate |url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/al-qaeda-uses-isis-try-present-itself-respectable-even-moderate_845194.html |newspaper=The Weekly Standard}}</ref> Al-Nusra has criticised the way in which ISIL fully and immediately institutes sharia in the areas that fall under its control, since it alienates people too much. It supports the gradual, slower approach favoured by al-Qaeda, preparing society to accept sharia and indoctrinating people through education before implementing the [[hudud]] aspects of sharia, such as throwing gays from the top of buildings, chopping limbs off, and public stoning.<ref name="Joscelyn" /> Al-Nusra and ISIL are both hostile towards the [[Druze]]. However, while al-Nusra has typically destroyed Druze shrines and pressured them to convert to Sunni Islam, ISIL regards the entire Druze community as a valid target for violence, as it does the [[Yazidis]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Waleed |last=Rikab |url=http://www.joshualandis.com/blog/the-plight-of-syrias-druze-minority-and-u-s-options/ |title=The Plight of Syria's Druze Minority and U.S. Options |work=Syria Comment |date=9 September 2015}}</ref>
[[Ayman al-Zawahiri]], the leader of al-Qaeda, has called for consultation ([[shura]]) within the "prophetic method" to be used when establishing the caliphate, criticising al-Baghdadi for not following the required steps. Al-Zawahiri has called upon ISIL members to close ranks and join al-Qaeda in fighting against Assad, the [[Shia]], Russia, Europe, and America and to stop the infighting between jihadist groups. He called upon jihadists to establish Islamic entities in Egypt and the Levant, slowly implementing sharia before establishing a caliphate, and has called for violent assaults against America and the West.<ref>{{cite news |last=Joscelyn |first=Thomas |title=Al Qaeda chief calls for jihadist unity to ‘liberate Jerusalem’ |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/11/al-qaedas-chief-calls-for-unity-to-liberate-jerusalem.php |work=Long War Journal |date=2 November 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Pzpyramid16.jpg|thumb|[[Great Pyramid of Giza|Great Pyramid]] of Giza lit up by images of the flags of Russia, Lebanon and France in solidarity with victims of recent [[List of terrorist incidents, 2015|terrorist attacks]], 16 November 2015]]
The [[Jaysh al-Islam]] group within the [[Islamic Front (Syria)|Islamic Front]] criticised ISIL, saying: "They killed the people of Islam and leave the idol worshippers ... They use the verses talking about the disbelievers and implement it on the Muslims".<ref>{{cite av media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6akQmuYyAT0 |title=Uncover the Mask with Evidence and Confidence كشف القناع بالحجة ولإقناع داعش |date=8 March 2015 |publisher=YouTube |accessdate=4 August 2015}}</ref> The main criticism of defectors from ISIL has been that the group is fighting and killing other Sunni Muslims,<ref>{{cite news |title=Number of ISIS defectors growing, disillusioned with killing fellow Muslims: Study |url=http://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/number-of-isis-defectors-growing-disillusioned-with-killing-fellow-muslims-study |work=The Straits Times |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=21 September 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925084826/http://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/number-of-isis-defectors-growing-disillusioned-with-killing-fellow-muslims-study |archivedate=25 September 2015 |location=London}}</ref> as opposed to just non-Sunnis being brutalised.<ref>{{cite news |last=Neumann |first=Peter R. |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/21/opinions/isis-defectors-neumann-amanpour/index.html?sr=fb092115isisdefectors0942aaStoryGalLink |title=Defectors: ISIS is killing Muslims, not protecting them |publisher=CNN |date=22 September 2015 |accessdate=13 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Robins-Early |first=Nick |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/isis-defectors-report_560006a4e4b08820d919404d?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000017 |title=New Report Reveals Why Fighters Are Quitting ISIS |work=The Huffington Post |date=21 September 2015 |accessdate=13 October 2015}}</ref> In one case, a supposed defector from ISIL executed two activists of a Syrian opposition group in Turkey who had sheltered them.<ref>{{cite web |title=A ‘disgraceful reality’: Islamic State spies posing as defectors |date=5 November 2015 |website=Syria Direct |url=http://syriadirect.org/news/a-%E2%80%98disgraceful-reality%E2%80%99-islamic-state-spies-posing-as-defectors/}}</ref>
The current [[Grand Imam of al-Azhar]] and former president of [[al-Azhar University]], [[Ahmed el-Tayeb]], has strongly condemned the Islamic State, stating that it is acting "under the guise of this holy religion and have given themselves the name 'Islamic State' in an attempt to export their false Islam".<ref>{{cite news |title=Head of Egypt's al-Azhar condemns ISIS ‘barbarity’ |publisher=Al Arabiya English |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=3 December 2014 |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/12/03/Head-of-Egypt-s-al-Azhar-condemns-ISIS-barbarity-.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aawsat.net/2014/12/article55339431/egypts-al-azhar-stops-short-of-declaring-isis-apostates |first=Asharq |last=Al-Awsat |title=Egypt's Al-Azhar stops short of declaring ISIS apostates – Azhar statement rejects practice of takfirism |work=Asharq Al Awsat |date=13 December 2014}}</ref> Citing the Quran, he stated: "The punishment for those who wage war against God and his Prophet and who strive to sow corruption on earth is death, crucifixion, the severing of hands and feet on opposite sides or banishment from the land. This is the disgrace for them in this world and in the hereafter they will receive grievous torment." Although el-Tayeb has been criticised for not expressly stating that the Islamic State is [[heretical]],<ref name=AhramRenewal>{{cite news |url=http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/10157/17/In-search-of-%E2%80%98renewal%E2%80%99.aspx |work=Al Ahram Weekly |title=In search of ‘renewal’ – Al-Azhar is at the centre of an escalating controversy |first=Amany |last=Maged |date=15 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/02/azhar-egypt-radicals-islamic-state-apostates.html |work=Al-Monitor |title=Al-Azhar refuses to consider the Islamic State an apostate |first=Ahmed |last=Fouad |quote=The sheikh of Al-Azhar, Ahmed al-Tayeb, repeated his rejection of declaring IS apostates on 1 Jan, during a meeting with editors-in-chief of Egyptian newspapers. This sparked criticism from a number of religious, political and media parties, especially since Al-Azhar could have renounced the Nigerian mufti's statement on IS without addressing the issue of whether or not Al-Azhar considers the group apostates}}</ref> the [[Ash'ari]] school of [[Islamic theology]], to which el-Tayeb belongs, does not allow calling a person who follows the [[shahada]] an [[apostate]].<ref name=AhramRenewal /> El-Tayeb has strongly come out against the practice of [[takfirism]] (declaring a Muslim an apostate) which is used by the Islamic State to "judge and accuse anyone who doesn’t tow their line with apostasy and outside the realm of the faith" declaring "[[Jihad]] on peaceful Muslims" using "flawed interpretations of some Qur’anic texts, the prophet's Sunna, and the Imams’ views believing incorrectly, that they are leaders of Muslim armies fighting infidel peoples, in unbelieving lands".<ref name=MWL>{{cite web |url=http://en.themwl.org/sheikh-al-azhar-speech-opening-conference |website=Muslim World League |title=Sheikh Al-Azhar Speech in opening of conference |date=22 February 2015}}</ref>
In late December 2015, nearly 70,000 Indian Muslim clerics associated with the Indian [[Barelvi]] movement issued a [[fatwa]] condemning ISIL and similar organisations, saying they are "not Islamic organisations". Approximately 1.5 million Sunni Muslim followers of this movement have formally decried violent extremists.<ref name="70000clerics→1">{{cite news |title=70,000 clerics issue fatwa against terrorism, 15 lakh Muslims support it |first=Priyangi |last=Agarwall |work=The Times of India |agency=TNN |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/70000-clerics-issue-fatwa-against-terrorism-15-lakh-Muslims-support-it/articleshow/50100656.cms |date=9 December 2015}}</ref><ref name="70000clerics→2">{{cite news |title=70,000 Indian clerics issue fatwa against terrorists |first=Molly |last=Jckson |work=The Christian Science Monitor |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2015/1210/70-000-Indian-clerics-issue-fatwa-against-terrorists |date=10 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=70,000 Muslim clerics just issued a fatwa against terrorism |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/70000-indian-muslim-clerics-issue-fatwa-against-isis-the-taliban-al-qaida-and-other-terror-groups-a6768191.html |date=10 December 2015 |work=The Independent |first=Caroline |last=Mortimer}}</ref>
[[Mehdi Hasan]], a political journalist in the UK, said in the ''[[New Statesman]]'',
{{quote|Whether Sunni or Shia, Salafi or Sufi, conservative or liberal, Muslims – and Muslim leaders – have almost unanimously condemned and denounced ISIL not merely as un-Islamic but actively anti-Islamic.<ref name="ns10Mar2015" />}}
Hassan Hassan, an analyst at the Delma Institute, wrote in ''[[The Guardian]]'' that because the Islamic State "bases its teachings on religious texts that mainstream Muslim clerics do not want to deal with head on, new recruits leave the camp feeling that they have stumbled on the true message of Islam".<ref name="guardian-traincamp" /> In mid-February 2015, [[Graeme C.A. Wood|Graeme Wood]], a lecturer in political science at Yale University, said in ''[[The Atlantic]]'', "The religion preached by its most ardent followers derives from coherent and even learned interpretations of Islam."<ref name="what-isis-really-wants">{{cite news |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2015/02/what-isis-really-wants/384980/ |title=What ISIS Really Wants |date=15 February 2015 |accessdate=19 February 2015 |work=The Atlantic |last=Wood |first=Graeme}}</ref>
[[Yusuf al-Qaradawi]], an Egyptian [[Islamic theologian]] based in Qatar, said in his official website that the "United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the leaders of Daesh (ISIS/ISIL) terrorist group are from one species and they are two sides of the same coin".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Staff writers |title=Al-Qaradawi: Rulers Of UAE And Daesh Leaders Are Two Sides Of The Same Coin {{!}} English – Middle East Press News Agency|url=http://middleeastpress.com/english/al-qaradawi-rulers-of-uae-and-daesh-leaders-are-two-sides-of-the-same-coin/|accessdate=4 August 2016|work=Middle East News Agency|date=2 August 2016}}</ref>
==== Designation as a terrorist organisation ====
{{See also|List of designated terrorist organisations|Terrorism}}
<center>
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Organisation !! Date !! Body !! References
|-
| colspan="4" style="background: silver; font-weight:bold; text-align:center;" | Multinational organisations
|-
|{{flagu|United Nations}}||18 October 2004 <small>(as [[al-Qaeda in Iraq]])</small><br />30 May 2013 <small>(after separation from [[Al-Qaeda|al‑Qaeda]])</small>|||[[United Nations Security Council]]||<ref name=UNSC>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/AQList.htm#alqaedaent |title=Al-Qaida Sanctions List |publisher=United Nations |accessdate=2 October 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140925062013/http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/AQList.htm |archivedate=25 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/resolutions.shtml |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150405001543/http://www.un.org/sc/committees/1267/resolutions.shtml |archivedate=5 April 2015 |title=The Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee – 1267 |website=United Nations Web Services Section |publisher=United Nations}}<!-- removed duplicate archive url --></ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.un.org/press/en/2013/sc11019.doc.htm |title=Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Amends Entry |accessdate=8 June 2015}}</ref><!--first listed under section b organisations as al-Qaida in Iraq, with ISIL added as an "also known as" and now known in SC Resolutions as ISIL-->
|-
|{{flagu|European Union}}||2004||[[Council of the European Union|EU Council]] <small>(via adoption of UN al-Qaeda Sanctions List)</small>||<ref name="berghof-foundation.org">{{cite news |last1=Wahlisch |first1=Martin |title=EU Terrorist Listing – An Overview about Listing and Delisting Procedures |url=http://www.berghof-foundation.org/fileadmin/redaktion/Publications/Other_Resources/RLM_EU_Terrorist_Listing.pdf |accessdate=3 November 2014 |publisher=Berghof Foundation |year=2010}}</ref>
|-
| colspan="4" style="background: silver; font-weight:bold; text-align:center;" | Nations{{anchor|nations}}
|-
|{{flagu|United Kingdom}}||March 2001 <small>(as part of al-Qaeda)</small><br />20 June 2014 <small>(after separation from al‑Qaeda)</small> ||[[Home Secretary]] of the [[Home Office]]||<ref name="UK proscribed">{{cite web |title=Proscribed Terrorist Organisations, pp.13–15 |url=http://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/324603/20140627-List_of_Proscribed_organisations_WEBSITE_final.pdf |date=20 June 2014 |publisher=Home Office |accessdate=7 November 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140815183741/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/324603/20140627-List_of_Proscribed_organisations_WEBSITE_final.pdf |archivedate=15 August 2014 |df=dmy}}</ref>
|-
|{{flagu|United States}}||17 December 2004 <small>(as al-Qaeda in Iraq)</small>|||[[United States Department of State]]||<ref name="US proscribed">{{cite web |url=https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm |title=Foreign Terrorist Organizations |publisher=Bureau of Counterterrorism. United States Department of State |accessdate=28 July 2014}}</ref>
|-
|{{flagu|Australia}}||2 March 2005 <small>(as al-Qaeda in Iraq)</small><br />14 December 2013 <small>(after separation from al‑Qaeda)</small> ||[[Attorney-General for Australia]]||<ref name="Australia proscribed">{{cite web |url=http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/Listedterroristorganisations/Pages/default.aspx |title=Listed terrorist organisations |publisher=Australian National Security |accessdate=31 July 2014}}</ref>
|-
|{{flagu|Canada}}||20 August 2012||[[Parliament of Canada]] ||<ref name="Canada proscribed">{{cite web |url=http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cntr-trrrsm/lstd-ntts/crrnt-lstd-ntts-eng.aspx |title=Currently listed entities |publisher=Public Safety Canada |accessdate=31 July 2014}}</ref>
|-
|{{flagu|Turkey}}||30 October 2013||[[Grand National Assembly of Turkey]]||<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kaplan |first1=Hilal |title=Charging Turkey for ISIS |url=http://www.dailysabah.com/columns/hilal_kaplan/2014/09/03/charging-turkey-for-isis |accessdate=28 September 2014 |work=Daily Sabah |location=Istanbul, Turkey |date=3 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mahcupyan |first1=Etyen |title=ISIS, Turkey and the US |url=http://www.dailysabah.com/columns/etyen-mahcupyan/2014/09/20/isis-turkey-and-the-us |accessdate=28 September 2014 |work=Daily Sabah |location=Istanbul, Turkey |date=20 September 2014}}</ref>
|-
|{{flagu|Saudi Arabia}}||7 March 2014||Royal decree of the [[King of Saudi Arabia]]||<ref name="Saudi Arabia proscribed">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/07/us-saudi-security-idUSBREA260SM20140307 |title=Saudi Arabia designates Muslim Brotherhood terrorist group |agency=Reuters |date=7 March 2014 |accessdate=31 July 2014}}</ref>
|-
|{{flagu|Indonesia}}||1 August 2014||National Counter-terrorism Agency BNPT||<ref name="Indonesia">{{cite news |title=BNPT Declares ISIS a Terrorist Organization |url=http://en.tempo.co/read/news/2014/08/02/055596766/BNPT-Declares-ISIS-a-Terrorist-Organization |accessdate=4 August 2014 |work=Tempo |date=2 August 2014}}</ref>
|-
|{{flagu|United Arab Emirates}}||20 August 2014||United Arab Emirates Cabinet||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/government/list-of-terror-groups-published-by-uae-1.1413219 |title=List of terror groups published by United Arab Emirates |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128055511/http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/government/list-of-terror-groups-published-by-uae-1.1413219 |archivedate=28 January 2015}}</ref>
|-
|{{flagu|Malaysia}}||24 September 2014||[[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Malaysia)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs]]||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/malaysia-designates-isis-terrorist-group-vows-tough-action-report-20 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140925112708/http://www.straitstimes.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/story/malaysia-designates-isis-terrorist-group-vows-tough-action-report-20 |archivedate=25 September 2014 |title=Malaysia designates ISIS as terrorist group, vows tough action: Report |work=The Straits Times |location=Singapore |date=25 September 2014 |accessdate=25 September 2014}}<!-- Removed dead archive link. Kept live link --></ref>
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|{{flagu|Egypt}}||30 November 2014||The Cairo Court for Urgent Matters<!--searching this court shows that it is the authoritative body in the country that designates all terrorist groups and bans organisations--> ||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/11/30/court-affirms-isis-terrorist-group-designation/ |title=Court affirms ISIS' 'terrorist group' designation |work=Daily News Egypt |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208210043/http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2014/11/30/court-affirms-isis-terrorist-group-designation/ |archivedate=8 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Egypt brands jihadist ISIL a 'terrorist group' |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/egypt-brands-jihadist-isil-a-terrorist-group.aspx?pageID=238&nID=75033&NewsCatID=352 |work=Hürriyet Daily News |location=Istanbul, Turkey |date=30 November 2014}}</ref>
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|{{flagu|India}}||16 December 2014||[[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]]||<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mha.nic.in/BO |title=Banned Organisations |accessdate=16 December 2014}}</ref><!--ISIL will be listed here as a banned terrorist group when page updated--><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/indian-government-bans-islamic-state-terror-organisation/article6698369.ece |title=India bans IS |agency=Press Trust of India |work=The Hindu |accessdate=16 December 2014 |location=Chennai, India |date=16 December 2014}}</ref><!--public announcement says "we have banned"-->
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|{{flagu|Russian Federation}}||29 December 2014||[[Supreme Court of Russia]]||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://tass.ru/en/world/769912 |title=Russia calls on all states to put Islamic State, Jabhat al-Nusra on terrorist lists |publisher=Russian News Agency TASS |date=29 December 2015 |accessdate=29 December 2014}}</ref>
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|{{flagu|Kyrgyzstan}}||25 March 2015||Kyrgyz State Committee of National Security||<ref name="Kyrgyzstan Designation">{{cite news |last1=Paraszczuk |first1=Joanna |title=Kyrgyzstan Bans IS, Designates It As Terror Group |url=http://www.rferl.org/content/kyrgyzstan-bans-islamic-state/26920328.html |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |accessdate=26 March 2015}}</ref>
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|{{flagu|Syria}}||||||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sana.sy/en/?p=2988 |title=Syria condemns terrorist acts in Iraq, expresses solidarity with Iraqi government, army and people |author=Manal |agency=Syrian Arab News Agency}}</ref>
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|{{flagu|Jordan}}||||||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/world/middle-east/jordan-continues-their-revenge-on-isis-carrying-out-airstrikes-against-the-terror-group/story-fnh81ifq-1227209129504 |title=Jordan launches airstrikes against ISIS |publisher=News Corp Australia |accessdate=7 August 2015 |date=6 February 2015}}</ref>
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|{{flagu|Iran}}||||||<ref>{{cite news |last1= |first1= |url=http://www.iran-daily.com/News/115766.html |title=Report says ISIL terrorist group has a base near US |accessdate=21 April 2015 |work=[[Iran newspaper|Iran Daily]] |date=16 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1= |first1= |url=http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2015/03/15/402012/ISIL-terrorists-in-custody-in-Baghdad |title=Iraq arrests dozens of ISIL members in Baghdad |accessdate=21 April 2015 |work=[[Press TV]] |date=15 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1= |first1= |url=http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13931221000783 |title=Larijani Reminds Regional States of Iran's Sacrifices against ISIL Terrorists |accessdate=21 April 2015 |work=[[Fars News Agency]] |date=12 March 2015}}</ref><ref name=Tasnim>{{cite news |last1= |first1= |url=http://www.tasnimnews.com/english/Home/Single/492030 |title=Iran Says Arrests ISIL Suspects at Border |accessdate=21 April 2015 |work=[[Tasnim News Agency]] |date=8 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1= |first1= |url=http://en.alalam.ir/news/1654400 |title=Iranian Official: US Not Serious about Countering ISIL Terrorists |accessdate=21 April 2015 |work=[[Al-Alam]] |date=26 September 2014}}</ref>
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|{{Flagu|Iraq}}
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|<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.charityandsecurity.org/country/iraq |title=Iraq: Listed Terrorist Groups and Humanitarian Crises |website=Charity and Security Network|access-date=2017-07-31}}</ref>
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|{{Flagu|Trinidad and Tobago}}
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|<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.tt/life-lead/2017-08-05/%E2%80%98no-room-terrorists%E2%80%99 |title=No Room for terrorist |website=T&T Guardian|access-date=2017-08-05}}</ref>
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|{{flagu|Pakistan}}||29 August 2015||[[Pakistan Ministry of Interior|Ministry of Interior]]||<ref name="ET">{{cite news |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/946859/banned-organisations-is-listed-among-proscribed-outfits/ |title=Islamic State listed among proscribed outfits |first=Zahid |last=Gishkori |work=The Express Tribune |location=Pakistan}}</ref>
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|{{flagu|Republic of China (Taiwan)}}||26 November 2015||[[National Security Bureau (Taiwan)|National Security Bureau]]||<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.appledaily.com.tw/appledaily/article/headline/20151126/36920202/ |title=IS叫戰 點名台灣 – 蘋果日報 |publisher=}}</ref>
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|{{flagu|People's Republic of China}}||||[[Ministry of Public Security (China)|Ministry of Public Security]]||<ref>{{cite web |title=Xi Jinping's speech on the event of a Chinese citizen being killed by terrorist organization |url=http://www.mfa.gov.cn/web/zyxw/t1316327.shtml |publisher=www.mfa.gov.cn |accessdate=14 December 2016 |language=Chinese}}</ref>
|}
</center>
The [[United Nations Security Council]] in its [[United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267|Resolution 1267]] (1999) described [[Osama bin Laden]] and his al-Qaeda associates as operators of a network of [[terrorist training camp]]s.<ref name=UNbinLaden>{{cite web |title=Resolution 1267 (1999) Adopted by the Security Council at its 4051st meeting on 15 October 1999 |url=http://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/rwmain?docid=3b00f2298 |publisher=UNHCR}}</ref> The UN's [[Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee|Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee]] first listed ISIL in its Sanctions List under the name "Al-Qaida in Iraq" on 18 October 2004, as an entity/group associated with al-Qaeda. On 2 June 2014, the group was added to its listing under the name "Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant". The [[European Union]] adopted the UN Sanctions List in 2002.<ref name="berghof-foundation.org" />
[[File:Memorial to November 2015 Paris attacks at French embassy in Moscow 13.jpg|thumb|People lay flowers outside the [[List of diplomatic missions of France|French embassy]] in [[Moscow]] in memory of the victims of the [[November 2015 Paris attacks]].]]
Many world leaders and government spokespeople have called ISIL a terrorist group or banned it, without their countries having formally designated it as such. The following are examples:
The Government of Germany banned ISIL in September 2014. Activities banned include donations to the group, recruiting fighters, holding ISIL meetings and distributing its propaganda, [[Strafgesetzbuch section 86a|flying ISIL flags]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Eddy |first1=Melissa |title=Germany Bans Support for ISIS |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/13/world/europe/germany-bans-support-of-isis.html |accessdate=19 November 2014 |work=The New York Times |date=12 September 2014}}</ref> wearing ISIL symbols and all ISIL activities. "The terror organisation Islamic State is a threat to public safety in Germany as well", said German politician [[Thomas de Maizière]]. He added, "Today's ban is directed solely against terrorists who abuse religion for their criminal goals."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sixth-sense-newspaper.de/german-news/1943-isil-banned-in-germany |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103205324/http://www.sixth-sense-newspaper.de/german-news/1943-isil-banned-in-germany |dead-url=yes |archive-date=3 January 2015 |title=ISIL banned in Germany |first=Janette |last=Roberts |work=Sixth Sense |date=17 September 2014}}</ref> Being a member of ISIL is also illegal in accordance with § 129a and § 129b of the [[Strafgesetzbuch|German criminal code]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dipbt.bundestag.de/doc/btd/18/007/1800759.pdf |title=Drucksache 18/759 |website= |publisher=Deutscher Bundestag |language=de|access-date=}}</ref>
In October 2014, Switzerland banned ISIL's activities in the country, including propaganda and financial support of the fighters, with prison sentences as potential penalties.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aa.com.tr/en/news/401536--switzerland-bans-isil |title=Switzerland bans ISIL |publisher=Anadolu Agency |date=8 October 2014}}</ref>
In mid-December 2014, India banned ISIL after the arrest of an operator of a pro-ISIL Twitter account.<ref>{{cite news |first=Avaneesh |last=Pandey |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/india-bans-isis-after-government-raises-concerns-over-groups-online-presence-1759516 |title=India Bans ISIS After Government Raises Concerns Over Group's Online Presence |date=16 December 2014 |work=International Business Times}}</ref>
Pakistan designated ISIL as a banned organisation in late August 2015, under which all elements expressing sympathy for the group would be blacklisted and sanctioned.<ref name="ET" />
Media sources worldwide have described ISIL as a terrorist organisation.<ref name="ISIS or ISIL? The debate" /><ref name="nytimes27Aug14" /><ref name="ft-20140617" /><ref name="McCoyTop" /><ref name="Indonesia" /><ref name="ListerTop">{{cite news |last=Lister |first=Tim |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/12/world/meast/who-is-the-isis/ |title=ISIS: The first terror group to build an Islamic state? |publisher=CNN |date=13 June 2014 |accessdate=14 June 2014}}</ref>
==== Militia, territorial authority and other classifications ====
By 2014, ISIL was increasingly being viewed as a [[militia]] rather than just a terrorist group.<ref name="Time" /> As major Iraqi cities fell to ISIL in June 2014, Jessica Lewis, a former US Army intelligence officer at the [[Institute for the Study of War]], described ISIL at that time as
{{quote|text=not a terrorism problem anymore, [but rather] an army on the move in Iraq and Syria, and they are taking terrain. They have shadow governments in and around [[Baghdad]], and they have an aspirational goal to govern. I don't know whether they want to control Baghdad, or if they want to destroy the functions of the Iraqi state, but either way the outcome will be disastrous for Iraq.<ref name="Time">{{cite news |last1=Vick |first1=Karl |last2=Baker |first2=Aryn |url=http://time.com/2859454/iraq-tikrit-isis-baghdad-mosul/ |title=Extremists in Iraq Continue March Toward Baghdad |work=Time |date=11 June 2014 |accessdate=23 June 2014}}</ref>}}
[[File:London protest 2015 Ankara bombings (2).jpg|thumb|Supporters of the Turkish Labour Party protesting in London following the [[2015 Ankara bombings]]]]
Lewis has called ISIL
{{quote|text=an advanced military leadership. They have incredible command and control and they have a sophisticated reporting mechanism from the field that can relay tactics and directives up and down the line. They are well-financed, and they have big sources of manpower, not just the foreign fighters, but also prisoner escapees.<ref name="Time" />}}
Former US Defense Secretary [[Chuck Hagel]] saw an "imminent threat to every interest we have", but former top counter-terrorism adviser [[Daniel Benjamin]] derided such talk as a "farce" that panics the public.<ref name="threat">{{cite news |last1=Mazzetti |first1=Mark |first2=Eric |last2=Schmitt |first3=Mark |last3=Landler |date=10 September 2014 |title=Struggling to Gauge ISIS Threat, Even as U.S. Prepares to Act |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/11/world/middleeast/struggling-to-gauge-isis-threat-even-as-us-prepares-to-act.html |newspaper=The New York Times |accessdate=11 September 2014}}</ref>
Former British Foreign Secretary [[David Miliband]] concluded that the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]] caused the creation of ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Porter |first1=Tom |date=10 August 2015 |title=Iraq War Created Isis, Concedes David Miliband |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/iraq-war-created-isis-concedes-david-miliband-1460557 |work=International Business Times |accessdate=12 March 2015}}</ref>
Writing for ''[[The Guardian]]'', [[Pankaj Mishra]] rejects the idea that the group is a resurgence of medieval Islam, saying instead:
{{quote|text=In actuality, Isis is the canniest of all traders in the flourishing international economy of disaffection: the most resourceful among all those who offer the security of collective identity to isolated and fearful individuals. It promises, along with others who retail racial, national and religious supremacy, to release the anxiety and frustrations of the private life into the violence of the global.<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/jul/24/how-to-think-about-islamic-state |title=How to think about Islamic State |first=Pankaj |last=Mishra |work=The Guardian |date=24 July 2015}}</ref>}}
A certain change of attitude occurred following the inauguration of US President Trump. On January 28, 2017, he issued a National Security Presidential Memorandum which called for a comprehensive plan to destroy ISIS to be formulated by the Defense Department within 30 days.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2017-02-02/pdf/2017-02386.pdf |title=National Security Presidential Memorandum no. 3 |publisher=}}</ref>
== Supporters ==
According to a [[Reuters]] report that cited "jihadist ideologues" as a source, 90% of ISIL's fighters in Iraq are Iraqi, and 70% of its fighters in Syria are Syrian. The article stated that the group has 40,000 fighters and 60,000 supporters across its two primary strongholds in Iraq and Syria.<ref name="saddam">{{cite news |title=Saddam's former army is secret of Baghdadi's success |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/16/us-mideast-crisis-baghdadi-insight-idUSKBN0OW1VN20150616 |agency=Reuters |date=16 June 2015 |accessdate=1 July 2015}}</ref> According to scholar [[Fawaz Gerges]] writing in ''ISIS: A History'', some "30 percent of the senior figures" in ISIL's military command are former army and police officers from the disbanded Iraqi security forces, drawn to ISIL by the US [[De-Ba'athification]] policy and turned towards Sunni Islamism, following the US invasion of Iraq.<ref name="NYRoB-7-9-2015" />
According to a poll by [[Pew Research Center]], Muslim populations of various countries have overwhelmingly negative views of ISIS with [[Lebanon]] having the most unfavorable views.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/17/in-nations-with-significant-muslim-populations-much-disdain-for-isis/ft_15-11-17_isis_views/ |title=» Views of ISIS Overwhelmingly Negative |date=17 November 2015 |work=Pew Research Center}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Jacob Poushter191 comments |url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/17/in-nations-with-significant-muslim-populations-much-disdain-for-isis/ |title=Most dislike ISIS in Muslim countries | Pew Research Center |publisher=Web.archive.org |date= |accessdate=21 May 2016 |deadurl=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505125029/http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/17/in-nations-with-significant-muslim-populations-much-disdain-for-isis/ |archivedate=5 May 2016}}</ref> In most of these countries, concerns about Islamic extremism have been growing.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pewglobal.org/2014/07/01/concerns-about-islamic-extremism-on-the-rise-in-middle-east/ |title=Concerns about Islamic Extremism on the Rise in Middle East | Pew Research Center |publisher=Pewglobal.org |date= |accessdate=21 May 2016}}</ref>
=== Allegations of state support ===
==== Saudi Arabia ====
{{See also|Response of Saudi Arabia to ISIL}}
Although Saudi Arabia's government rejected the claims,<ref name="saudi-reject-accusation">{{cite news |last=Black |first=Ian |authorlink=Ian Black (journalist) |date=19 June 2014 |title=Saudi Arabia rejects Iraqi accusations of Isis support |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/19/saudi-arabia-rejects-iraqi-accusations-isis-support |work=The Guardian |accessdate=19 June 2014}}</ref> former Iraqi Prime Minister [[Nouri al-Maliki]] accused Saudi Arabia of funding ISIL.<ref name="maliki-saudi-openly">{{cite news |first1=Ned |last1=Parker |first2=Louise |last2=Ireland |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/09/us-iraq-saudi-qatar-idUSBREA2806S20140309 |title=Iraqi PM Maliki says Saudi, Qatar openly funding violence in Anbar |agency=Reuters |date=9 March 2014}}</ref> Some media outlets, such as [[NBC News|NBC]], the [[BBC News|BBC]] and ''[[The New York Times]]'', and the US-based think tank [[Washington Institute for Near East Policy]] have written about individual Saudi donations to the group and the Saudi state's decade-long sponsorship of [[Wahhabism]] around the world, but have concluded that there is no evidence of direct Saudi state support for ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/23/opinion/isis-atrocities-started-with-saudi-support-for-salafi-hate.html |title=ISIS Atrocities Started With Saudi Support For Salafi Hate |last=Husain |first=Ed |date=22 August 2014 |work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/saudi-funding-of-isis |title=Saudi Funding of ISIS |last=Boghardt |first=Lori Plotkin |date=23 June 2014 |publisher=Washington Institute}}</ref>
[[Richard Dearlove]], former head of Britain's [[Secret Intelligence Service]] (MI6), said that the Saudis were "deeply attracted to any militancy that can effectively challenge [[Shia Islam|Shia-dom]] [Shia version of Islam]."<ref name="Saudi" /> Dearlove stated that, "For ISIS to be able to surge into the Sunni areas of Iraq in the way that it has done recently has to be the consequence of substantial and sustained funding."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/saudis-deny-supporting-isis-after-former-mi6-head-speaks-substantial |title=Saudis Deny Supporting ISIS After Former MI6 Head Speaks of ‘Substantial and Sustained Funding’ |last=Goodenough |first=Patrick |date=9 July 2014 |publisher=CNSNews.com}}</ref>
In an August 2014 email, leaked by [[WikiLeaks]], former US Secretary of State [[Hillary Clinton]] sent then counselor to Barack Obama [[John Podesta]] a memo that states that both Saudi Arabia and Qatar "are providing clandestine financial and logistic support to ISIL and other radical Sunni groups in the region".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cockburn |first1=Patrick |title=We finally know what Hillary Clinton knew all along – US allies Saudi Arabia and Qatar are funding Isis |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/hillary-clinton-wikileaks-email-isis-saudi-arabia-qatar-us-allies-funding-barack-obama-knew-all-a7362071.html |work=[[The Independent]] |date=14 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Schwartz |first1=Mattathias |title=Hillary Clinton acknowledges Saudi terror financing in hacked email, hinting at tougher approach |url=https://theintercept.com/2016/10/12/hillary-clinton-acknowledges-saudi-terror-financing-in-hacked-email-hinting-at-tougher-approach/ |work=[[The Intercept]] |date=13 October 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Podesta leaks show Clinton email linking Saudi Arabia, Qatar to ISIS |url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/10/11/podesta-leaks-show-clinton-email-linking-saudi-arabia-qatar-to-isis.html |agency=[[Fox News]] |date=11 October 2016}}</ref>
==== Syria ====
{{Further information|Bashar al-Assad#Al-Qaeda and ISIL}}
{{Pie chart
|value1 = 43
|color1 = red
|label1 = Syrian Army
|value2 = 40
|color2 = green
|label2 = Sunni rebels
|value3 = 17
|color3 = yellow
|label3 = SDF
|caption = Proportion of attacks by ISIL on other groups in Syria, during the period from March 2016 – April 2017 according to IHS Markit.<ref name="IHSMarkit"/>
}}
During the ongoing [[Syrian Civil War]], President [[Bashar al-Assad]], the Syrian Government, and the Syrian Alawite community<ref name="village">{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-kills-40-mabuja-village-central-syria-including-women-children/ |title=ISIS reportedly massacres dozens in Syrian village |date=31 March 2015 |publisher=CBS News |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> have been accused by many [[Syrian opposition|opposition]] and anti-Assad parties of collusion with ISIL, despite massacres of [[Alawites|Alawite]] civilians and executions of captured [[Syrian Army]] Alawite soldiers.<ref name="The National" /><ref name="The Latakia" /><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/syrias-assad-thinks-he-is-winning-he-could-be-wrong/2014/09/08/09c5044e-a6ca-45d0-91a8-c9eacd4c92f8_story.html |title=Syria's Assad thinks he is winning. He could be wrong. |last=Sly |first=Liz |date=9 September 2014 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref name="cfr">{{cite web |url=http://www.cfr.org/iraq/islamic-state/p14811 |title=CFR Backgrounders – The Islamic State |last2=Masters |first2=Jonathan |date=16 November 2015 |publisher=Council on Foreign Relations |quote=Some analysts have even described a tacit nonaggression pact between Islamic State militants and Bashar al-Assad regime, with each focused on fighting the main antigovernment opposition forces for territorial control. |first1=Zachary |last1=Laub}}</ref><ref name="TIMEAssad">{{cite news |url=http://world.time.com/2014/01/27/syria-assad-geneva-al-qaeda/ |title=Is the Assad Regime in League with al-Qaeda? |date=27 January 2014 |work=Time |last1=Baker |first1=Aryn |accessdate=6 July 2015}}</ref> Several sources have claimed Islamist prisoners were strategically released from Syrian prisons at the beginning of the Syrian Civil War in 2011.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newsweek.com/how-syrias-assad-helped-forge-isis-255631 |title=How Syria's Assad Helped Forge ISIS |last=Cordall |first=Simon Speakwell |date=21 June 2014 |work=Newsweek |accessdate=9 March 2015}}</ref>
The Syrian Government has bought oil directly from ISIL,<ref name="ISIS_Nusra_oil">{{cite news |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/assad-helped-build-al-qaeda-in-syria-2014-1 |title=It's Becoming Clear That Assad Fueled The Al-Qaeda Surge That Has Kept Him in Power |date=21 January 2014 |work=Business Insider |last1=Kelley |first1=Michael B. |accessdate=9 March 2015}}</ref> and the Syrian government and ISIL jointly run a HESCO gas plant in [[Al-Thawrah|Tabqah]]. The facility supplies electricity to government-held areas, and government-run power plants supply ISIL-held areas.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11455602/Oil-middleman-between-Syria-and-Isil-is-new-target-for-EU-sanctions.html |title=Oil middleman between Syria and Isil is new target for EU sanctions |last=Blair |first=David |date=7 March 2015 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |accessdate=9 March 2015}}</ref> The Syrian government has tactically avoided ISIL forces in order to weaken opposition such as the [[Free Syrian Army]] (FSA),<ref name="TIMEAssad" /> and according to United States Secretary of State [[John Kerry]] the Syrian government has purposely ceded territory to ISIL.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2014/09/18/kerry_there_is_evidence_that_assad_has_played_footsie_with_isil.html |title=Kerry: There Is Evidence That Assad Has Played "Footsie" With ISIL |date=18 September 2014 |publisher=RealClearPolitics |quote=JOHN KERRY: Regrettably Congressman, no we're not going to be undercut, because. If Assad's forces indeed do decide to focus on ISIL significantly, which they haven't been doing throughout this period, one of our judgements is there is evidence that Assad has played footsie with them, and he has used them as a tool of weakening the opposition. He never took on their headquarters, which were there and obvious, and other assets that they have. So we have no confidence that Assad is either capable of or willing to take on ISIL." |accessdate=9 March 2015}}</ref> An [[Jane's Defence Weekly|IHS Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Center]] database analysis confirmed that only 6% of Syrian government forces attacks were targeted at ISIL from January to November 2014, while in the same period only 13% of all ISIL attacks targeted government forces.<ref name="Assad_ISIL_Stats">{{cite news |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/syria-isis-have-been-ignoring-each-other-battlefield-data-suggests-n264551 |title=Syria, ISIS Have Been 'Ignoring' Each Other on Battlefield, Data Suggests |date=11 December 2014 |publisher=NBC |last2=Omar |first2=Ammar Cheikh |last1=Vinograd |first1=Cassandra |accessdate=9 March 2015}}{{undue weight inline|date=October 2015}}</ref> The [[National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces]] has stated that the Syrian government has operatives inside ISIL,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.channel4.com/news/is-assad-isis-rebel-forces-iraq-syria |title=Has Assad infiltrated rebel forces inside Syria? |date=24 April 2014 |publisher=Channel Four News |accessdate=9 March 2015}}</ref> as has the leadership of [[Ahrar ash-Sham]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/resources/interviews/14279-exclusive-shaikh-hassan-abbouds-final-interview |title=EXCLUSIVE: Shaikh Hassan Abboud's final interview |last=Ridley |first=Yyonne |date=22 September 2014 |publisher=Middle East Monitor |accessdate=9 March 2015}}</ref> A report on 25 June 2015 said that ISIL kept gas flowing to Assad regime-controlled power stations. Furthermore, ISIL allowed grain to pass from the [[Kurds|Kurdish]]-held north-east to regime controlled areas at the cost of a 25% levy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/rebels-are-close-to-raqqa--but-what-happens-next |title=Rebels are close to Raqqa – but what happens next? |date=25 June 2015 |location=Abu Dhabi, UAE |work=The National |last1=Philps |first1=Alan |accessdate=20 August 2015}}</ref>
On 1 June 2015, the United States embassy in Syria stated that the Syrian government was "making air-strikes in support" of an ISIL advance on Syrian opposition positions north of Aleppo.<ref>{{Cite tweet |number=605471087422488579 |user=USEmbassySyria |title=Reports indicate that the regime is making air-strikes in support of #ISIL's advance on #Aleppo, aiding extremists against Syrian population |author=U.S. Embassy Syria |date=1 June 2015|access-date=2 June 2015}}</ref> The president of the [[National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces|Syrian National Coalition]], Khaled Koja, accused Assad of acting "as an air force for [ISIL]",<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/03/world/middleeast/new-battles-aleppo-syria-insurgents-isis.html |title=Assad's Forces May Be Aiding New ISIS Surge |date=2 June 2015 |work=The New York Times |last1=Barnard |first1=Anne |accessdate=5 June 2015}}</ref> with the Defence Minister of the SNC [[Salim Idris]] stating that approximately 180 Syrian government officers were serving in ISIL and coordinating the group's attacks with the [[Syrian Arab Army]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/1.659340 |title=Assad's cooperation with ISIS could push U.S. into Syria conflict |last=Bar'el |first=Zvi |date=3 June 2015 |location=Tel Aviv, Israel |quote=Salim Idris, defense minister in the rebels’ provisional government, said approximately 180 Syrian Army officers are currently serving with ISIS and coordinating the group's military operations with the army. |work=Haaretz |accessdate=4 June 2015}}</ref>
However, in an April 2017 report, IHS Markit, the leading UK security and defense information provider, stated that the Islamic State fought Syrian government forces more than any other opponent between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017. According to the report "43 percent of all Islamic State fighting in Syria was directed against President Assad’s forces, 17 against the U.S.-backed [[Syrian Democratic Forces]] (SDF) and the remaining 40 percent involved fighting rival Sunni opposition groups".<ref name="IHSMarkit">{{cite web |title=Dispatch From the Middle East: U.S. Buildup All About Iran |first=Sharmine |last=Narwani |work=The American Conservative |date=28 June 2017 |url=http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/dispatch-from-the-middle-east-u-s-buildup-all-about-iran/}}</ref>
==== Turkey ====
{{Further information|Turkish involvement in the Syrian Civil War#Related criticism of Turkey}}
Turkey has been accused by experts, Syrian Kurds, and United States Vice-President [[Joe Biden]] of supporting or colluding with ISIL.<ref name="yahoonews">{{cite news |last1=Bertrand |first1=Natasha |title=Senior Western official: Links between Turkey and ISIS are now 'undeniable' |via=Yahoo! New |agency=Business Insider |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/links-between-turkey-isis-now-195700510.html |date=28 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Zaman |first1=Amberin |title=Syrian Kurds continue to blame Turkey for backing ISIS militants |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/ru/originals/2014/06/zaman-syria-kurds-rojava-ypg-muslim-pyd-pkk-turkey-isis.html# |work=Al-Monitor |date=10 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Wilgenburg |first1=Wladimir van |title=Kurdish security chief: Turkey must end support for jihadists |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/08/syria-kurd-pyd-asayish-isis-turkey-islamic-state.html# |work=Al-Monitor |date=6 August 2014}}</ref> A raid by US special forces on a compound housing the Islamic State's "chief financial officer", [[Abu Sayyaf (ISIL)|Abu Sayyaf]], in July 2015, produced evidence that Turkish officials dealt directly with ranking ISIL members. According to a senior Western official, documents and [[flash drives]] seized during the Sayyaf raid revealed links "so clear" and "undeniable" between Turkey and ISIL "that they could end up having profound policy implications for the relationship between us and Ankara".<ref name="yahoonews" />
Journalist [[Patrick Cockburn]] wrote in November 2014 of "strong evidence for a degree of collaboration" between the [[National Intelligence Organization (Turkey)|Turkish intelligence services]] and ISIL, although the "exact nature of the relationship ... remains cloudy".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Cockburn |first1=Patrick |authorlink1=Patrick Cockburn |title=Whose side is Turkey on? |magazine=[[London Review of Books]] |date=6 November 2014 |volume=36 |issue=21 |pages=8–10 |url=http://www.lrb.co.uk/v36/n21/patrick-cockburn/whose-side-is-turkey-on}}</ref> In July 2014, Cockburn stated that "Saudi Arabia has created a [[Frankenstein's monster]] over which it is rapidly losing control. The same is true of its allies such as Turkey which has been a vital back-base for Isis and Jabhat al-Nusra by keeping the {{convert|510|mi|km|order=flip|adj=mid|-long|sp=us}} Turkish-Syrian border open."<ref name="Saudi">"[https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/iraq-crisis-how-saudi-arabia-helped-isis-take-over-the-north-of-the-country-9602312.html Iraq crisis: How Saudi Arabia helped Isis take over the north of the country]," ''[[The Independent]],'' 13 July 2014.</ref> David L. Phillips of [[Columbia University]]'s Institute for the Study of Human Rights, who compiled a list of allegations and claims accusing Turkey of assisting ISIL, wrote that these allegations "range from military cooperation and weapons transfers to logistical support, financial assistance, and the provision of medical services".<ref name="huffpost-turkeylist">{{cite news |last1=Phillips |first1=David L. |title=Research Paper: ISIS-Turkey List |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-l-phillips/research-paper-isis-turke_b_6128950.html |work=The Huffington Post |date=9 November 2014}}</ref> Several ISIL fighters and commanders have claimed that Turkey supports ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Guiton |first1=Barney |title='ISIS Sees Turkey as Its Ally': Former Islamic State Member Reveals Turkish Army Cooperation |url=http://www.newsweek.com/isis-and-turkey-cooperate-destroy-kurds-former-isis-member-reveals-turkish-282920 |work=Newsweek |date=7 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ben-Solomon |first1=Ariel |title=Islamic State fighter: 'Turkey paved the way for us' |url=http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Islamic-State-fighter-Turkey-paved-the-way-for-us-369443 |work=The Jerusalem Post |date=30 July 2014}}</ref><ref name=Faiola /> Within Turkey itself, ISIL is believed to have caused increasing political polarisation between secularists and Islamists.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aina.org/news/20150104175714.htm |title=ISIS Has Polarized Turkey Domestically |first=Lauren |last=Williams |work=[[The Daily Star (Lebanon)|The Daily Star]] |agency=[[Assyrian International News Agency]] |date=4 January 2015}}</ref>
Turkey has been further criticised for allowing individuals from outside the region to enter its territory and join ISIL in Syria.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tattersall |first1=Nick |last2=Karouny |first2=Mariam |title=Turkey's 'Open Border' Policy With Syria Has Backfired As ISIS Recruitment Continues |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/r-turkey-struggles-as-lone-gatekeeper-against-islamic-state-recruitment-2014-8 |work=Business Insider |date=26 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Schanzer |first1=Jonathan |authorlink1=Jonathan Schanzer |title=Boosting Turkey as it backs terror |url=http://nypost.com/2014/09/25/boosting-turkey-as-it-backs-terror/ |work=New York Post |date=25 September 2014}}</ref> With many Islamist fighters passing through Turkey to fight in Syria, Turkey has been accused of becoming a transit country for such fighters and has been labelled the "Gateway to Jihad".<ref name=dailymail>{{cite news |last1=Greenhill |first1=Sam |title=How seven radicalised young Britons a week are taking the Gateway to Jihad |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2734239/How-seven-radicalised-young-Britons-week-taking-Gateway-Jihad.html |work=Daily Mail |date=25 August 2014 |location=London}}</ref> Turkish border patrol officers are reported to have deliberately overlooked those entering Syria, upon payment of a small bribe.<ref name=dailymail /> A report by [[Sky News]] exposed documents showing that passports of foreign Islamists wanting to join ISIL by crossing into Syria had been stamped by the Turkish government.<ref>{{cite news |title=New report further exposes Turkey links to ISIL militants |url=http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/10/21/383033/new-report-shows-turkeyisil-links/ |publisher=Press TV |location=Tehran, Iran |date=21 October 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228061729/http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/10/21/383033/new-report-shows-turkeyisil-links/ |archivedate=28 December 2014}}</ref> An ISIL commander stated that "most of the fighters who joined us in the beginning of the war came via Turkey, and so did our equipment and supplies",<ref name="huffpost-turkeylist" /><ref name=Faiola>{{cite news |last1=Faiola |first1=Anthony |last2=Mekhennet |first2=Souad |title=In Turkey, a late crackdown on Islamist fighters |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/how-turkey-became-the-shopping-mall-for-the-islamic-state/2014/08/12/5eff70bf-a38a-4334-9aa9-ae3fc1714c4b_story.html |work=The Washington Post |date=12 August 2014}}</ref> adding that ISIL fighters received treatment in Turkish hospitals.<ref name=Faiola />
==== Qatar ====
[[Qatar]] has long been accused of acting as a conduit for the flow of funds to ISIL. While there is no proof that the Qatari government is behind the movement of funds from the gas-rich nation to ISIL, it has been criticised for not doing enough to stem the flow of financing. Private donors within Qatar, sympathetic to the aims of radical groups such as [[al-Nusra Front]] and ISIL, are believed to be channeling their resources to support these organisations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Qatar and ISIS Funding: The U.S. Approach |url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/qatar-and-isis-funding-the-u.s.-approach |publisher=The Washington Institute |date=August 2014 |accessdate=8 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Islamic State: Where does jihadist group get its support? |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29004253 |publisher=BBC |date=1 September 2014 |accessdate=8 May 2015}}</ref> According to the [[United States Department of the Treasury|US Treasury Department]], a number of terrorist financiers have been operating in Qatar. Qatari citizen [[Abd Al-Rahman al-Nuaimi]] has served as an interlocutor between Qatari donors and leaders of [[al-Qaeda in Iraq]] (AQI). Nuaimi reportedly oversaw the transfer of US$2 million per month to AQI over a period of time. He is also one of several of Qatar-based al-Qaeda financiers sanctioned by the US Treasury in recent years. According to some reports, US officials believe that the largest portion of private donations supporting ISIS and al Qaeda-linked groups now comes from Qatar rather than Saudi Arabia.<ref>{{cite web |title=Qatar Is a U.S. Ally. They Also Knowingly Abet Terrorism. What's Going On? |url=https://newrepublic.com/article/119705/why-does-qatar-support-known-terrorists |website=New Republic |date=6 October 2014 |accessdate=8 May 2015}}</ref>
In August 2014, a German minister [[Gerd Müller (politician)|Gerd Müller]] accused Qatar of having links to ISIL, stating: "You have to ask who is arming, who is financing ISIS troops. The keyword there is Qatar." Qatari Foreign Minister [[Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah]] rejected this statement, saying: "Qatar does not support extremist groups, including [ISIL], in any way. We are repelled by their views, their violent methods and their ambitions."<ref>{{cite news |title=German minister accuses Qatar of funding Islamic State fighters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/20/us-iraq-security-germany-qatar-idUSKBN0GK1I720140820 |agency=Reuters |date=20 August 2014 |accessdate=8 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Qatar allows money to flow to Islamic State, other terrorists: report |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/10/qatar-allows-money-flow-isis-other-terrorists-repo/?page=all |website=The Washington Times |date=10 December 2014 |accessdate=8 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Who funds ISIS? Qatar and state-sponsoring allegations |url=http://securityobserver.org/who-funds-isis-qatar-and-state-sponsoring-allegations/ |website=Security Observer |date=23 December 2014 |accessdate=8 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Qatar denies backing Islamic State group |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/08/qatar-denies-backing-islamic-state-group-201482323351451942.html |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=24 August 2014 |accessdate=8 May 2015}}</ref>
==== United States ====
[[Rand Paul]], junior U.S. Senator from Kentucky, has accused the U.S. government of indirectly supporting ISIL in the [[Syrian Civil War]], by arming their allies and fighting their enemies in that country. The US has assisted the moderate Syrian opposition (see [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]-led [[Timber Sycamore]] operation), but whether that assistance has been commandeered by ISIS allies remains unclear.<ref name="Hill">{{cite news |last1=Shabad |first1=Rebeca |title=Paul: ISIS emboldened after US armed its allies in Syria |url=http://thehill.com/policy/international/210168-us-has-been-arming-isis-in-syria-sen-paul-claims |publisher=The Hill |date=22 June 2014}}</ref>
On 12 September 2014, several media outlets began reporting that the Free Syrian Army had signed a "non-aggression pact" with ISIS in order to focus their attentions elsewhere.<ref>{{cite news |last=Masi |first=Alessandria |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/us-backed-moderate-group-syria-signs-truce-isis-reports-1687662 |title=US-Backed Moderate Group in Syria Signs Truce With ISIS: Reports |work=International Business Times |date=12 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-and-al-qaeda-truce-2014-11 |title=ISIS And Al Qaeda Truce – Business Insider |date=13 November 2014 |work=Business Insider}}</ref> These reports later proved to be false, as opposition soldiers and activists on the ground reported continued fighting between the two groups. According to Mohammed Alaa Ghanem, director of government relations for the Syrian American Council, "The only report we have received on anything resembling a ceasefire was that ISIS and Sons of Golan, an FSA brigade outside Damascus, halted fighting for 24 hours to collect bodies before hostilities resumed."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/16/syrian-opposition-blasts-reports-it-signed-a-truce-with-isis.html |title=Syrian Opposition Blasts Reports It Signed a Truce With ISIS |work=The Daily Beast}}</ref> "FSA commanders declared that they will continue that fight until ISIS is completely eradicated in Damascus suburbs. No truce or cease fire with ISIS," said Syrian National Coalition spokesman Monzer Abkik.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thehill.com/policy/defense/217652-syrian-opposition-no-isis-cease-fire |title=Syrian opposition: No ISIS cease-fire |work=TheHill}}</ref>
==== Foreign nationals ====
A United Nations report {{as of|2015|5|alt=from May 2015}} showed that 25,000 "foreign terrorist fighters" from 100 countries had joined "Islamist" groups, many of them working for ISIL or al-Qaeda.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Burke |first1=Jason |title=Islamist fighters drawn from half the world's countries, says UN |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/26/islamist-fighters-drawn-from-half-the-worlds-countries-says-un |accessdate=26 May 2015 |work=The Guardian |date=26 May 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526202608/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/26/islamist-fighters-drawn-from-half-the-worlds-countries-says-un |archivedate=26 May 2015 |deadurl=no}}</ref> The US-trained commander of [[Tajikistan]]'s [[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Tajikistan)|Interior Ministry]] [[OMON]] police special forces, [[Gulmurod Khalimov]], has been raised to the rank of "Minister of War" within the Islamic State.<ref name="Khalimov">{{cite web |url=https://uk.news.yahoo.com/isis-us-trained-tajik-special-150308829.html |title=Isis: US-trained Tajik special forces chief Gulmurod Khalimov becomes Isis 'war minister' |date=6 September 2016 |publisher=Yahoo News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-tajikistan-idUSKBN0OD1AP20150528 |title=Commander of elite Tajik police force defects to Islamic State |date=28 May 2015 |publisher=Reuters}}</ref>
The commander for the Islamic State in Syria, [[Abu Omar al-Shishani]], served previously as a sergeant in the [[Georgian Land Forces|Georgian Army]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mroue |first1=Bassem |title=Chechen in Syria a rising star in extremist group |agency=Associated Press |date=2 July 2014 |url=http://washingtonexaminer.com/chechen-in-syria-a-rising-star-in-extremist-group/article/feed/2146182 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714130320/http://washingtonexaminer.com/chechen-in-syria-a-rising-star-in-extremist-group/article/feed/2146182 |archivedate=14 July 2014 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
A 2015 report by the Program on Extremism at George Washington University found 71 individuals charged in the United States with supporting ISIL, 250 travelling or attempting to travel to Syria or Iraq from the United States to join ISIL, and about 900 active domestic ISIL-related investigations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cchs.gwu.edu/isis-in-america |title=ISIS in America – Center for Cyber & Homeland Security – The George Washington University |work=gwu.edu}}</ref>
An October 2016 World Bank study found that "ISIL’s foreign fighters are surprisingly well-educated."<ref name="Quartz6Oct2016Educated">{{cite web |url=http://qz.com/802276/the-foreign-fighters-of-isisislamic-state-are-surprisingly-well-educated-according-to-the-world-bank/ |title=ISIL’s foreign fighters are surprisingly well-educated, according to the World Bank |work=Quartz |author=Aamna Mohdin |date=6 October 2016 |accessdate=18 October 2016}}</ref> Using the fighters' self-reported educational levels, the study concluded that "69% of recruits reported at least a secondary-level education"<ref name="Quartz6Oct2016Educated"/> of which "a large fraction have gone on to study at university"<ref name="WorldBankOct2016Educated">{{cite web |url=http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/409591474983005625/pdf/108525-REVISED-PUBLIC.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007104956/http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/409591474983005625/pdf/108525-REVISED-PUBLIC.pdf|dead-url=yes|archive-date=2016-10-07 |title=Economic and Social Inclusion to Prevent Violent Extremism |work=World Bank |date=October 2016 |accessdate=18 October 2016}}</ref> and also that "only 15% of recruits left school before high school; less than 2% are illiterate."<ref name="Quartz6Oct2016Educated"/><ref name="WorldBankOct2016Educated"/> The study also found that foreign fighters are often more educated than their countrymen where those "from Europe and in Central Asia have similar levels of education to their countrymen" while those "from the Middle East, North Africa, and South and East Asia are significantly more educated than what is typical in their home nations."<ref name="Quartz6Oct2016Educated"/> The report notes that its conclusions that terrorism is not driven by poverty and low levels of education does not conform with previous research.<ref name="Quartz6Oct2016Educated"/> However, the report did find a strong correlation "between a country’s male unemployment rate and the propensity of the country to supply foreign fighters" leading the report to recommend that governments pursue a policy of lowering the unemployment rate among the educated as a counter-terrorism strategy.<ref name="Quartz6Oct2016Educated"/>
==== Groups expressing support for ISIL ====
The Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium (TRAC) has identified 60 jihadist groups in 30 countries that have pledged allegiance to or support for ISIL as of mid-November 2014. That many of these groups were previously affiliated with [[al-Qaeda]] suggests a shift in global jihadist leadership towards ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |first=Riyadh |last=Mohammed |url=http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2014/11/16/ISIS-Doubles-Down-Infidels-Boosted-60-New-Terror-Groups#sthash.eYktEthB.dpuf |title=ISIS Beheads Another American As 60 New Terror Groups Join |work=The Fiscal Times |date=16 November 2014 |accessdate=28 November 2014}}</ref>
Members of the following groups have declared support for ISIL, either fully or in part:
{{colbegin}}
* [[Boko Haram]]<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/isis-accepts-boko-haram-pledge-says-would-be-recruits-can-go-to-nigeria-1.2993474 |title=ISIS accepts Boko Haram pledge, says would-be recruits can go to Nigeria |date=13 March 2015 |publisher=CBC News |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>
* <!-- Commented out: [[File:Ansar al-Sharia Tunisia Logo.jpg|20px]] --> [[Ansar al-Sharia (Tunisia)]]<ref>{{cite news |first=Jamel |last=Arfaoui |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201407090299.html |title=Tunisia: Ansar Al-Sharia Tunisia Spokesman Backs Isis |publisher=AllAfrica |location=Tunis, Tunisia |date=8 July 2014 |accessdate=25 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Abdallah Suleiman Ali |title=Global jihadists recognize Islamic State |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2014/07/syria-iraq-isis-islamic-caliphate-global-recognition.html |accessdate=25 September 2014 |publisher=Al-Monitor |date=3 July 2014}}</ref>
* [[Jund al-Khilafah]]<ref name=rt-09-14>{{cite news |last1=Chikhi |first1=Lamine |title=Splinter group breaks from al Qaeda in North Africa |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/14/us-algeria-security-idUSKBN0H90G820140914 |accessdate=24 September 2014 |agency=Reuters |date=14 September 2014}}</ref>
* [[Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem]]<ref name="am27Feb2014" />
* [[Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid]]<ref name="indonesiagroup-split">{{cite web |last=Witular |first=Rendi A. |title=Sons, top aides abandon Ba'asyir over ISIL, form new jihadist group |url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/08/13/sons-top-aides-abandon-ba-asyir-over-isil-form-new-jihadist-group.html |work=The Jakarta Post |date=13 August 2014}}</ref> – (pledged support to ISIL; the majority of the group split off after its leader pledged allegiance to ISIL)<ref name="indonesiagroup-split" /><ref name="Indonesian jihadist group joins ISIL">{{cite web |title=Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid, The Perpetual threat |first=Chris |last=Rottenberg |work=Osgood Center for International Studies |year=2012 |url=http://www.osgoodcenter.org/PDF/JAT.pdf |format=PDF}}</ref>
* [[Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan]]<ref name=support>{{cite news |title=Uzbek militants declare support for Islamic State |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1136578/uzbek-militants-declare-support-for-islamic-state/print |agency=Agence France-Presse |work=Dawn |date=7 October 2014 |quote='Hereby, on behalf of all members of our movement, in line with our sacred duties, I declare that we are in the same ranks with the Islamic State in this continued war between Islam and [non-Muslims],' Usman Gazi wrote in an online statement on Sept 26. |accessdate=25 May 2015}}</ref><ref name=imubayat>{{cite news |url=http://www.rferl.org/content/imu-islamic-state/27174567.html |title=IMU Declares It Is Now Part Of The Islamic State |date=6 August 2015 |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |accessdate=6 August 2015}}</ref>
* [[Jundallah (Pakistan)]]<ref name="Pakistani Taliban pledges allegiance to ISIL" />
* [[Caucasus Emirate]] (multiple Caucasus Emirate commanders switched allegiance to ISIL)<ref name="edm13Feb2015" /><ref name="rferl02Jan15">{{cite web |url=http://www.rferl.mobi/a/islamic-state-north-caucasus-insurgency-commanders-allegiance/26773615.html |title=Six North Caucasus Insurgency Commanders Transfer Allegiance To Islamic State |first=Liz |last=Fuller |date=2 January 2015 |publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |accessdate=17 February 2015}}</ref><ref name=demise>{{cite web |url=http://www.jamestown.org/programs/edm/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=44051&cHash=973198e3db1a533a0115a648cad28b2a |title=What Caused the Demise of the Caucasus Emirate? |date=18 June 2015 |publisher=Jamestown Foundation}}</ref>
* [[Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade]]<ref name="Levy 9 June 2014" />
* [[Khalifa Islamiyah Mindanao]]
** [[Jemaah Islamiyah]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Dean |first=Sarah |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2730480/PM-Tony-Abbott-warns-Australians-new-threats-Indonesian-terror-group-Jemaah-Islamiyah-calls-James-Foleys-beheading-truly-sickening.html |title=PM Tony Abbott warns Australians of threats from Indonesian Jemaah Islamiyah group |work=Daily Mail |date=21 August 2014 |accessdate=23 August 2014 |location=London}}</ref>
** [[Abu Sayyaf]]<ref name="ISIL gains supporters" /><ref name="PHL">{{cite news |title=Philippines condemns, vows to 'thwart' ISIS |url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/69380-philippines-condemns-islamic-state-isis |first=Paterno |last=Emasquel II |publisher=Rappler |date=17 September 2014 |accessdate=19 September 2014}}</ref>
** [[Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters]]<ref>{{cite news |title=BIFF, Abu Sayyaf pledge allegiance to Islamic State jihadists |work=GMA News Online |agency=Agence France-Presse |publisher=GMA Network |location=Quezon City, Philippines |date=16 August 2014 |url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/375074/news/nation/biff-abu-sayyaf-pledge-allegiance-to-islamic-state-jihadists |accessdate=22 August 2014}}</ref>
** [[Ansar Khalifa Philippines]]
{{Colend}}
=== Countries and groups at war with ISIL ===
[[File:CountriesAgainstIS.svg|600px|thumb|center|A map of all state-based opponents of ISIL
<br />{{Color box|#00AAD4|border=darkgray}} [[Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve]]
<br />{{Color box|#AAD400|border=darkgray}} Other state based opponents
<br />{{Color box|red|border=darkgray}} Territories held by ISIL at its late 2015 peak]]
ISIL's claims to territory have brought it into armed conflict with many governments, militias and other armed groups. International rejection of ISIL as a terrorist entity and rejection of its claim to even exist have placed it in conflict with countries around the world.
=== The Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ===
{{See also|Military intervention against ISIL#International coalitions against ISIL|Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve}}
[[File:Strikes in Syria and Iraq 2014-09-23.jpg|thumb|Airstrikes in Syria by 24 September 2014]]
The Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also referred to as the Counter-ISIL Coalition or Counter-DAESH Coalition,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://gulfnews.com/news/region/iraq/coalition-commanders-seek-plan-to-counter-daesh-advance-1.1398681 |title=Coalition commanders seek plan to counter Daesh advance |date=14 October 2014 |agency=Agence France-Presse |work=Gulf News}}</ref> is a US-led group of nations and [[non-state actor]]s that have committed to "work together under a common, multifaceted, and long-term strategy to degrade and defeat ISIL/Daesh". According to a joint statement issued by 59 national governments and the European Union on 3 December 2014, participants in the Counter-ISIL Coalition are focused on multiple lines of effort:<ref name=Anti-ISIL>{{cite web |title=Joint Statement Issued by Partners at the Counter-ISIL Coalition Ministerial Meeting |url=https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/12/234627.htm |date=3 December 2014 |publisher=State.gov |accessdate=14 December 2014}}</ref>
# Supporting military operations, capacity building, and training;
# Stopping the flow of foreign terrorist fighters;
# Cutting off ISIL/Daesh's access to financing and funding;
# Addressing associated humanitarian relief and crises; and
# Exposing ISIL/Daesh's true nature (ideological delegitimisation).
[[Operation Inherent Resolve]] is the operational name given by the US to military operations against ISIL and Syrian al-Qaeda affiliates.
[[Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve]] (CJTF–OIR) is co-ordinating the military portion of the response.
The [[Arab League]], [[European Union]], [[NATO]], and [[Gulf Cooperation Council|GCC]] are part of the Counter-ISIL Coalition:<ref name=Anti-ISIL />
====Other state opponents not part of the Counter-ISIL Coalition====
<!--NOT part of the Global Coalition above-->
{{see also|Russia–Syria–Iran–Iraq coalition}}
Iran<ref>{{cite news |first=Babak |last=Dehghanpisheh |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/iraq-security-iran-idINL6N0Q73ZU20140803 |title=Iran's elite Guards fighting in Iraq to push back Islamic State |agency=Reuters |date=3 August 2014}}</ref> – military advisors, training, ground troops, and air power in Iraq and Syria, beside Iranian borders (''see [[Iranian intervention in Iraq (2014–present)|Iranian intervention in Iraq]]'')
[[File:Russian Sukhoi Su-34 at Latakia (1).jpg|thumb|Russian [[Sukhoi Su-34]] in Syria]]
Russia<ref>{{cite news |first=Alexander |last=Smith |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/russia-tells-iraq-its-ready-support-fight-against-isis-n212136 |title=Russia Tells Iraq It's 'Ready' to Support Fight Against ISIS |publisher=NBC News |date=26 September 2014 |accessdate=27 September 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Nordland |first=Rod |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/30/world/middleeast/iraq.html |title=Russian Jets and Experts Sent to Iraq to Aid Army |date=29 June 2014 |work=The New York Times |accessdate=28 September 2014}}</ref> – arms supplier to Iraqi and Syrian governments. In June 2014, the Iraqi army received Russian [[Sukhoi Su-25]] and [[Sukhoi Su-30]] fighter aircraft to combat the ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://rt.com/news/169144-iraq-russian-jets-arrive/ |title=Target ISIS: First batch of Russian fighter jets arrives in Iraq |publisher=RT |date=30 June 2014 |accessdate=8 June 2015}}</ref> Security operations within state borders in 2015.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2015/Aug-02/309357-russia-kills-8-isis-militants-in-caucasus-raid.ashx |title=Russia 'kills 8 ISIS militants' in Caucasus raid |work=The Daily Star |agency=Agence France-Presse |location=Beirut, Lebanon}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/30/l-todd-wood-russia-declares-counter-terror-ops-reg/ |first=L. Todd |last=Wood |title=Russia declares counter-terror ops regime in North Caucasus |work=The Washington Times |date=30 June 2015}}</ref> Airstrikes in Syria (see [[Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War]]).<ref>{{cite news |first=Christopher |last=Harress |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/russian-islamic-state-airstrikes-iraq-isis-ok-russia-target-baghdad-says-2155152 |work=International Business Times |title=Russian Islamic State Airstrikes In Iraq: ISIS OK For Russia To Target, Baghdad Says |date=24 October 2015 |accessdate=1 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.rt.com/news/317101-russia-isis-strikes-intelligence/ |publisher=RT |title=8 ISIS targets hit during 20 combat flights in Syria – Russian military |date=30 September 2015 |accessdate=1 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Ed |last1=Payne |first2=Barbara |last2=Starr |first3=Susannah |last3=Cullinane |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/30/politics/russia-syria-airstrikes-isis/ |publisher=CNN |title=Russia launches first airstrikes in Syria |date=30 September 2015 |accessdate=30 September 2015}}</ref>
Azerbaijan<ref>{{cite news |first=Giorgi |last=Lomsadze |url=http://www.eurasianet.org/node/70141 |publisher=EurasiaNet.org |title=Azerbaijan Arrests Alleged ISIS and Other Islamic Fighters |date=24 September 2014 |accessdate=18 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.panorama.am/en/politics/2015/01/26/isis-azerbayjan/ |work=Panorama |title=Azerbaijani media: Embassy increases security in Baku because of ISIS threatening |date=26 January 2015 |accessdate=18 January 2015}}</ref> – security operations within state borders
Pakistan – Military deployment over [[Saudi–Iraq barrier|Saudi Arabia-Iraq border]]. Arresting ISIL figures in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite news |first=C. Raja |last=Mohan |title=Nawaz Sharif in Saudi Arabia: Pakistan's Leverage in the Gulf |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/nawaz-sharif-in-saudi-arabia-pakistans-leverage-in-the-gulf/ |accessdate=7 March 2015 |work=The Indian Express |date=5 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Now Pakistan cares about ISIS |url=http://nypost.com/2014/10/31/now-pakistan-cares-about-isis/ |accessdate=7 March 2015 |work=New York Post |date=31 October 2014 |first=Jamie |last=Schram}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Security forces arrest local Islamic State commander in Lahore: sources |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/825178/secuirty-forces-arrest-local-islamic-state-commander-in-lahore-sources/ |accessdate=7 March 2015 |work=The Express Tribune |location=Lahore, Pakistan |agency=Reuters |date=21 January 2015}}</ref>
==== Other non-state opponents ====
[[File:Flag of al-Qaeda.svg|25px]] [[al-Qaeda]]<ref name="winepJune14" />
* [[File:Flag of Jabhat Fatah al-Sham.svg|25px]] [[al-Nusra Front]]<ref name="auto2">{{cite news |title=ISIL, Nusra Clash Fiercely on Qalmoun Barrens: 25 Killed, Injured |url=http://www.almanar.com.lb/english/adetails.php?fromval=1&cid=23&frid=23&eid=186129 |accessdate=18 December 2014 |work=[[Al-Manar]] News |date=17 December 2014}}</ref>—with localised truces and co-operation at times
* [[al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula]]<ref name="ISIS gaining ground in Yemen, competing with al Qaeda" /> [[Syriac Military Council]]
* [[al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb]]<ref>{{cite news |first=Thomas |last=Joscelyn |title=Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb backs jihadists fighting Islamic State in Derna, Libya |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/07/al-qaeda-in-the-islamic-maghreb-backs-jihadists-fighting-islamic-state-in-derna-libya.php |date=9 July 2015 |accessdate=9 July 2015 |work=Long War Journal}}</ref>
* [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|Al-Shabaab]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Suspected Leader of Pro-IS Al-Shabab Faction Reported Killed |url=http://www.voanews.com/content/somalia-suspected-leader-of-pro-islamic-state-al-shabab-faction-reported-killed/3069114.html |date=22 November 2015 |accessdate=23 November 2015 |work=Voice of America News}}</ref>
[[File:Flag of Taliban.svg|25px]] [[Taliban]]<ref name="seattletimes-into-afghan">{{cite web |title=ISIS reportedly moves into Afghanistan, is even fighting Taliban |url=http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2025445123_apxafghanistanislamicstate.html |date=12 January 2015 |accessdate=27 March 2015 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213191753/http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2025445123_apxafghanistanislamicstate.html |archivedate=13 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=ISIL and the Taliban |date=1 November 2015 |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/specialseries/2015/11/islamic-state-isil-taliban-afghanistan-151101074041755.html |accessdate=13 December 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Flag of Hamas.svg|22 px]] [[Hamas]]<ref>{{cite news |title=ISIL warns Hamas in video message |publisher=Al Jazeera |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/07/isil-warns-hamas-video-message-150701042302630.html |date=1 July 2015 |accessdate=1 July 2015}}</ref><br />[[File:Kurdish YPG Fighters (15318975992).jpg|thumb|[[Kurds|Kurdish]] [[People's Protection Units|YPG]] fighters]]
[[File:Flag of Kurdistan Workers' Party.svg|22 px]] [[Kurdistan Workers' Party]]—ground troops in Iraqi Kurdistan and in Syrian Kurdistan<ref name="Mohammed">{{cite web |last=Mohammed |first=A. Salih |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/09/pkk-kurdish-fight-islamic-state.html |title=PKK forces impress in fight against Islamic State |date=1 September 2014 |publisher=Al-Monitor |accessdate=15 October 2014}}</ref><br />
{{flagicon image|InfoboxHez.PNG}} [[Hezbollah]]<ref name="Mortada">{{cite web |last=Mortada |first=Radwan |title=Hezbollah fighters and the "jihadis": Mad, drugged, homicidal, and hungry |url=http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/hezbollah-fighters-and-jihadis-mad-drugged-homicidal-and-hungry |work=Al Akhbar |date=19 May 2014 |accessdate=9 June 2014}}</ref><br />
{{flagicon image|Houthis Logo.png}} [[Houthis]]—Shia faction in Yemen, [[Yemeni Civil War (2015)|fighting for control of the country]]<ref name="Houthis opposed to ISIL">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/13/us-mideast-crisis-baghdadi-idUSKCN0IX1Y120141113 |title=Islamic State leader urges attacks in Saudi Arabia: speech |agency=Reuters |date=13 November 2014}}</ref>
==== Al-Qaeda ====
[[Al-Nusra Front]] is a branch of [[al-Qaeda]] operating in Syria. Al-Nusra has launched many attacks and [[List of bombings during the Syrian Civil War|bombings]], mostly against targets affiliated with or supportive of the Syrian government.<ref>{{cite news |first=Bill |last=Roggio |url=http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/06/suicide_bombers_kill_14_in_dam.php |title=Suicide bombers kill 14 in Damascus |work=Long War Journal |date=11 June 2013 |accessdate=3 June 2015}}</ref> There have been media reports that many of al-Nusra's foreign fighters have left to join al-Baghdadi's ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10067318/Syria-Jabhat-al-Nusra-split-after-leaders-pledge-of-support-for-al-Qaeda.html |title=Syria: Jabhat al-Nusra split after leader's pledge of support for al-Qaeda |work=The Telegraph |date=19 May 2013 |location=London |first=Richard |last=Spencer}}</ref>
In February 2014, after continued tensions, al-Qaeda publicly disavowed any relations with ISIL.<ref name="AlQaedaTiesEnd" /> However, ISIL and al-Nusra Front still cooperate with each other occasionally when they fight against the Syrian government.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/jabhat-al-nusra-isis-alliance-could-spread-beyond-damascus-1877819 |title=Jabhat Al-Nusra And ISIS Alliance Could Spread Beyond Damascus |first=Erin |last=Banco |newspaper=International Business Times |date=11 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Eugenio |last=Lilli |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11230622/How-would-a-deal-between-al-Qaeda-and-Isil-change-Syrias-civil-war.html |title=How would a deal between al-Qaeda and Isil change Syria's civil war? |work=The Telegraph |location=London |date=14 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Mitchell |last=Prothero |url=http://www.sacbee.com/2014/03/04/6207631/isis-joins-other-rebels-to-thwart.html |title=ISIS joins other rebels to thwart Syria regime push near Lebanon |newspaper=The Sacramento Bee |date=4 March 2014}}</ref>
{{quote|text=The two groups [ISIL and al-Nusra] share a nihilistic worldview, a loathing for modernity, and for the West. They subscribe to the same perverted interpretations of Islam. Other common traits include a penchant for suicide attacks, and sophisticated exploitation of the internet and social media. Like ISIL, several Al Qaeda franchises are interested in taking and holding territory; AQAP has been much less successful at it. The main differences between Al Qaeda and ISIL are largely political—and personal. Over the past decade, Al Qaeda has twice embraced ISIL (and its previous manifestations) as brothers-in-arms. |first=Bobby|last=Ghosh |source="ISIL and Al Qaeda: Terror's frenemies", ''[[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]''<ref>{{cite news |first=Bobby |last=Ghosh |url=http://qz.com/324909/isil-and-al-qaeda-terrors-frenemies/ |title=ISIL and Al Qaeda: Terror's frenemies |work=Quartz |date=12 January 2015}}</ref>}}
On 10 September 2015, an audio message was released by al-Qaeda's leader [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]] criticising ISIL's self-proclaimed caliphate and accusing it of "sedition". This was described by some media outlets as a "declaration of war".<ref>{{cite news |first=James Gordon |last=Meek |title=Al Qaeda Leader Al-Zawahiri Declares War on ISIS 'Caliph' Al-Baghdadi |url=https://news.yahoo.com/al-qaeda-leader-al-zawahiri-declares-war-isis-151231254--abc-news-topstories.html |via=Yahoo! News |publisher=ABC News |accessdate=11 September 2015}}</ref> However, although al-Zawahiri denied ISIL's legitimacy, he suggested that there was still room for cooperation against common enemies, and said that if he were in Iraq, he would fight alongside ISIL.<ref>{{cite news |first=Omar |last=Fahmy |date=9 September 2015 |title=Al Qaeda calls Islamic State illegitimate but suggests cooperation |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/09/us-mideast-zawahri-idUSKCN0R91LY20150909 |agency=Reuters |accessdate=11 September 2015}}</ref>
== Human rights abuse and war crime findings ==
{{Main page|Human rights in ISIL-controlled territory}}{{anchor|war crimes}}
In July 2014, the [[BBC]] reported the United Nations' chief investigator as stating: "Fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) may be added to a list of war crimes suspects in Syria."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28498661 |title=UN 'may include' Isis on Syrian war crimes list |publisher=BBC News |date=26 July 2014}}</ref> By June 2014, according to United Nations reports, ISIL had killed hundreds of prisoners of war<ref name=reuters-scores>"[https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/28/us-syria-crisis-idUSKBN0GS10O20140828 Video shows Islamic State executes scores of Syrian soldiers]". Reuters. 28 August 2014.</ref> and over 1,000 civilians.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}
In November 2014, the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said that ISIL was committing [[crimes against humanity]].<ref>{{cite news |last=<!-- Staff writer --> |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/11/14/ISIS-commits-crimes-against-humanity-in-Syria.html |title=ISIS accused of crimes against humanity |publisher=Al Arabiya |location=Dubai, United Arab Emirates |date=14 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Nina |last=Larson |url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Nov-14/277641-un-probe-isis-committing-crimes-against-humanity-in-syria.ashx |title=UN probe: ISIS committing 'crimes against humanity' in Syria |work=The Daily Star |location=Beirut, Lebanon |date=14 November 2014}}</ref> A report by [[Human Rights Watch]] in November 2014 accused ISIL groups in [[2014 ISIL takeover of Derna|control of Derna]], Libya of [[war crimes]] and [[human rights abuses]] and of terrorising residents. Human Rights Watch documented three apparent summary executions and at least ten public floggings by the Islamic Youth Shura Council, which joined ISIL in November. It also documented the beheading of three Derna residents and dozens of seemingly politically motivated assassinations of judges, public officials, members of the security forces and others. Sarah Leah Watson, Director of HRW Middle East and North Africa, said: "Commanders should understand that they may face domestic or international prosecution for the grave rights abuses their forces are committing."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/11/27/libya-extremists-terrorizing-derna-residents |title=Libya: Extremists Terrorizing Derna Residents |publisher=Human Rights Watch |accessdate=28 November 2014}}</ref>
Speaking of ISIL's methods, the [[United Nations Commission on Human Rights]] has stated that the group "seeks to subjugate civilians under its control and dominate every aspect of their lives through terror, indoctrination, and the provision of services to those who obey".<ref name=UNRuleOfTerror/>
=== Religious and minority group persecution ===
{{anchor|persecutions}}
{{See also|Arabization|Genocide of Christians by ISIL|Genocide of Shias by ISIL|Genocide of Yazidis by ISIL}}
[[File:Yazidi refugees.jpg|thumb|[[Yazidi]] refugees on [[Mount Sinjar]] in August 2014]]
ISIL compels people in the areas that it controls to live according to its interpretation of sharia law.<ref name="McCoyTop">{{cite news |last=McCoy |first=Terrence |date=13 June 2013 |title=ISIL, beheadings and the success of horrifying violence |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/06/13/isis-beheadings-and-the-success-of-horrifying-violence/ |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=23 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="Bulos">{{cite news |last=Bulos |first=Nabih |date=20 June 2014 |title=Islamic State of Iraq and Syria aims to recruit Westerners with video |url=http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-isis-video-20140620-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |accessdate=17 August 2014}}</ref> There have been many reports of the group's use of death threats, torture and mutilation to compel conversion to Islam,<ref name="McCoyTop" /><ref name="Bulos" /> and of clerics being killed for refusal to pledge allegiance to the so-called "Islamic State".<ref name=Zarocostas-clerics /> ISIL directs violence against [[Shia Islam|Shia]] Muslims, [[Alawites]], [[Assyrian Christianity|Assyrian]], [[Chaldean Christians|Chaldean]], [[Syriac Christianity|Syriac]] and [[Armenians|Armenian]] Christians, [[Yazidi]]s, [[Druze]], [[Shabaks]] and [[Mandeans]] in particular.<ref name="Christian">{{cite news |last1=Abi-Habib |first1=Maria |title=Iraq's Christian Minority Feels Militant Threat |url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/iraqs-christian-minority-feels-militant-threat-1403826576 |accessdate=6 July 2014 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=26 June 2014 |subscription=yes |via=Google}}</ref>
ISIL fighters are targeting Syria's minority Alawite sect.<ref name="village" /><ref name="The National">{{cite news |title=Turkey's Arab Alawites stand at a crossroads |url=http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/comment/turkeys-arab-alawites-stand-at-a-crossroads |work=The National |date=6 December 2014}}</ref> The Islamic State and affiliated jihadist groups reportedly took the lead in an [[2013 Latakia offensive|offensive]] on Alawite villages in [[Latakia Governorate]] of Syria in August 2013.<ref name="The Latakia">{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10236362/Syrian-rebels-accused-of-sectarian-murders.html |title=Syrian rebels accused of sectarian murders |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=11 August 2013 |quote=Hundreds of Alawite civilians have been killed, kidnapped or have disappeared during a rebel offensive on President Bashar al-Assad's heartland province of Latakia, local residents have reported. |location=London |first=Ruth |last=Sherlock}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/10/10/syria-executions-hostage-taking-rebels |title=Syria: Executions, Hostage Taking by Rebels |publisher=Human Rights Watch |date=10 October 2013}}</ref>
[[Amnesty International]] has held ISIL responsible for the [[ethnic cleansing]] of ethnic and religious minority groups in northern Iraq on a "historic scale", putting entire communities "at risk of being wiped off the map of Iraq". In a special report released on 2 September 2014, the organization described how ISIL had "systematically targeted non-Arab and non-Sunni Muslim communities, killing or abducting hundreds, possibly thousands, of individuals and forcing more than 830,000 others to flee the areas it has captured since 10 June 2014". Among these people were Assyrian Christians, Turkmen Shia, Shabak Shia, [[Kaka'i]], Yazidis and Sabean Mandeans, who have lived together for centuries in [[Nineveh Province|Nineveh]] province, large parts of which have come under ISIL's control.<ref name=amnestyethnic /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29026491 |date=2 September 2014 |title=Iraq crisis: Islamic State accused of ethnic cleansing |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=25 September 2014}}</ref>
Among the known killings of religious and minority group civilians carried out by ISIL are those in the villages and towns of Quiniyeh (70–90 Yazidis killed), Hardan (60 Yazidis killed), [[Sinjar massacre|Sinjar]] (500–2,000 Yazidis killed), Ramadi Jabal (60–70 Yazidis killed), Dhola (50 Yazidis killed), Khana Sor (100 Yazidis killed), [[Hardan]] (250–300 Yazidis killed), al-Shimal (dozens of Yazidis killed), Khocho (400 Yazidis killed and 1,000 abducted), Jadala (14 Yazidis killed)<ref name="OHRCHR/UNAMI">{{cite report |url=http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/IQ/UNAMI_OHCHR_POC_Report_FINAL_6July_10September2014.pdf |publisher=ohchr.org |title=Report on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in Iraq: 6 July – 10 September 2014}}</ref> and Beshir (700 Shia Turkmen killed),<ref name="cnsnews.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/lauretta-brown/un-isis-massacred-700-turkmen-including-women-children-elderly |title=UN: ISIS Massacred 700 Turkmen – Including Women, Children, Elderly |publisher=CNS News |accessdate=20 October 2014}}</ref> and others committed near Mosul (670 Shia inmates of the Badush prison killed),<ref name="cnsnews.com" /> and in [[Tal Afar]] prison, Iraq (200 Yazidis killed for refusing conversion).<ref name="OHRCHR/UNAMI" /> The UN estimated that 5,000 Yazidis were killed by ISIL during the takeover of parts of northern Iraq in August 2014.<ref name="dailymail-yazidi-slavery">{{cite news |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2792552/full-horror-yazidis-didn-t-escape-mount-sinjar-confirms-5-000-men-executed-7-000-women-kept-sex-slaves.html |title=UN confirms 5,000 Yazidis men were executed and 7,000 women are now sex slaves |work=Daily Mail |accessdate=20 October 2014 |location=London |date=14 October 2014}}</ref> In late May 2014, 150 Kurdish boys from [[Kobani]] aged 14–16 were abducted and subjected to torture and abuse, according to Human Rights Watch.<ref name=AP-Kurds>{{cite news |last1=Lucas |first1=Ryan |title=ISIS Tortured Kurdish Children Captured in Kobani: Group |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/04/isis-kobani-children-torture_n_6099500.html |accessdate=4 November 2014 |agency=Associated Press |work=The Huffington Post |date=4 November 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141105035214/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/04/isis-kobani-children-torture_n_6099500.html |archivedate=5 November 2014}}</ref> In the Syrian towns of Ghraneij, Abu Haman and Kashkiyeh 700 members of the Sunni [[Al-Shaitat]] tribe were killed for attempting an uprising against ISIL control.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/08/islamic-state-group-executes-700-syria-2014816123945662121.html |title=Islamic State group 'executes 700' in Syria |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=17 August 2014 |accessdate=20 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Liz |last=Sly |title=Syria tribal revolt against Islamic State ignored, fueling resentment |date=20 October 2014 |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=7 November 2014 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/syria-tribal-revolt-against-islamic-state-ignored-fueling-resentment/2014/10/20/25401beb-8de8-49f2-8e64-c1cfbee45232_story.html}}</ref> The UN reported that in June 2014 ISIL had killed a number of Sunni Islamic clerics who refused to pledge allegiance to it.<ref name=Zarocostas-clerics>{{cite web |last1=Zarocostas |first1=John |title=U.N.: Islamic State executed imam of mosque where Baghdadi preached |url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/07/08/232563/un-islamic-state-executed-imam.html |website=McClatchyDC |accessdate=10 October 2014 |date=8 July 2014}}</ref>
Christians living in areas under ISIL control face four options: converting to Islam, paying a religious levy called the [[jizya]], leaving the "Caliphate", or death.<ref>{{cite news |last=van Tets |first=Fernande |title=Isis takes Iraq's largest Christian town as residents told – 'leave, convert or die' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-takes-iraqs-largest-christian-town-of-qaraqosh-9653789.html |work=The Independent |date=7 August 2014 |accessdate=5 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Jadallah |first=Ahmed |title=Convert, pay tax, or die, Islamic State warns Christians |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/07/18/uk-iraq-security-christians-idUKKBN0FN29N20140718 |publisher=Reuters |date=18 July 2014 |accessdate=5 January 2015}}</ref> "We offer them three choices: Islam; the [[Dhimmi|dhimma]] contract – involving payment of jizya; if they refuse this they will have nothing but the sword", ISIL said.<ref name="erb">{{cite news |last=Erb |first=Kelly Phillips |title=Islamic State Warns Christians: Convert, Pay Tax, Leave Or Die |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2014/07/19/islamic-state-warns-christians-convert-pay-tax-leave-or-die/#705dd6923718 |work=Forbes |date=19 July 2014 |accessdate=4 July 2016}}</ref><ref name="christian">{{cite news |title=Convert, pay tax, or die, Islamic State warns Christians |date=18 July 2014 |publisher=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security-christians-idUSKBN0FN29J20140718 |quote=It said that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, which the group has now named Caliph Ibrahim, had set a Saturday deadline for Christians who did not want to stay and live under those terms to "leave the borders of the Islamic Caliphate". "After this date, there is nothing between us and them but the sword," it said.}}</ref> ISIL leader [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]] further noted that Christians who do not agree with those terms must "leave the borders of the Islamic Caliphate" within a specified deadline.<ref name="erb" /><ref name="christian" /> ISIL had already set similar rules for Christians in Raqqa, once one of Syria's more liberal cities.<ref name="CNN">{{cite news |last1=Abedine |first1=Saad |last2=Mullen |first2=Jethro |title=Islamists in Syrian city offer Christians safety – at a heavy price |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/28/world/meast/syria-raqqa-isis-christians/ |date=28 February 2014 |publisher=CNN |accessdate=27 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hubbard |first=Ben |title=Life in a Jihadist Capital: Order With a Darker Side |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/24/world/middleeast/islamic-state-controls-raqqa-syria.html?_r=0&module=ArrowsNav&contentCollection=Middle%20East&action=keypress®ion=FixedLeft&pgtype=article |website=The New York Times |accessdate=27 July 2014 |date=23 July 2014}}</ref> However, on 29 March 2016, ISIL issued a decree preventing Christians and Armenians from leaving Raqqa.<ref>{{cite news |last=Robinson |first=Julian |title=Is ISIS planning to kill all remaining Christians in Raqqa? Terror group's decision to ban all members of the faith from leaving the city prompt fears for their safety |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3516932/Is-ISIS-planning-kill-remaining-Christians-Raqqa-Terror-group-s-decision-ban-members-faith-leaving-city-prompt-fears-safety.html |date=31 March 2016 |agency=DailyMail |accessdate=4 July 2016}}</ref>
On 23 February 2015, in response to a major Kurdish offensive in the [[Al-Hasakah Governorate]], ISIL abducted 150 [[Assyrian people|Assyrian]] Christians from villages near Tal Tamr ([[Tell Tamer]]) in northeastern Syria, after launching a large offensive in the region.<ref name="Reuters-abducts">{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2015rs./02/24/us-mideast-crisis-christians-idUSKBN0LS0MH20150224 |title=Islamic State in Syria abducts at least 150 Christians |first=Suleiman |last=Al-Khalidi |date=23 February 2015 |publisher=Reuters}}</ref><ref name="BBC-abducts">{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31601451 |title=Islamic State 'abducts dozens of Christians in Syria' |date=23 February 2015 |accessdate=23 February 2015 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>
Kurdish officials have claimed that [[Northern Iraq offensive (August 2014)|ISIL's campaign]] against Kurdish and Yezidi enclaves, such as Sinjar, are part of an organised Arabization plan.<ref>{{cite web |first=Judit |last=Neurink |url=http://rudaw.net/mobile/english/interview/29122014 |title=Kurdish official: ISIS Capture of Shingal ‘was part of Arabization campaign’ |work=Rudaw |date=29 December 2014}}</ref>
=== Treatment of civilians ===
{{See also|Killing of captives by ISIL}}
During the Iraqi conflict in 2014, ISIL released dozens of videos showing its ill treatment of civilians, many of whom had apparently been targeted on the basis of their religion or ethnicity. Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned of war crimes being committed in the Iraqi war zone, and disclosed a UN report of ISIL militants murdering Iraqi Army soldiers and 17 civilians in a single street in Mosul. The UN reported that in the 17 days from 5 to 22 June, ISIL killed more than 1,000 Iraqi civilians and injured more than 1,000.<ref name=UN-1000>{{cite news |title=ISIL Militants Killed More Than 1000 Civilians in Recent Onslaught in recent Onslaught in Iraq: UN |url=http://www.rttnews.com/2340932/isil-militants-killed-more-than-1000-civilians-in-recent-onslaught-in-iraq-un.aspx |publisher=RT News |accessdate=4 July 2014}}</ref><ref name=un-2000>{{cite news |url=https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48117 |title=Iraq violence: UN confirms more than 2000 killed, injured since early June |date=24 June 2014 |publisher=UN News Centre |accessdate=4 July 2014}}</ref><ref name="UN-executes">{{cite news |url=http://www.todayszaman.com/news-350389-un-warns-of-war-crimes-as-isil-allegedly-executes-1700.html |title=UN warns of war crimes as ISIL allegedly executes 1,700 |date=15 June 2014 |website=Today's Zaman |accessdate=4 July 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704015301/http://www.todayszaman.com/news-350389-un-warns-of-war-crimes-as-isil-allegedly-executes-1700.html |archivedate=4 July 2014}}</ref> After ISIL released photographs of its fighters shooting scores of young men, the UN declared that cold-blooded "executions" by militants in northern Iraq almost certainly amounted to war crimes.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Spencer |first=Richard |title=Iraq crisis: UN condemns 'war crimes' as another town falls to Isis |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10904414/Iraq-crisis-UN-condemns-war-crimes-as-another-town-falls-to-Isis.html |website=The Telegraph |date=16 June 2014 |accessdate=6 July 2014 |location=London}}</ref>
ISIL's advance in Iraq in mid-2014 was accompanied by continuing violence in Syria. On 29 May, ISIL raided a village in Syria and at least 15 civilians were killed, including, according to Human Rights Watch, at least six children.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/06/14/syria-isis-summarily-killed-civilians |title=Syria: ISIS Summarily Killed Civilians |date=14 June 2014 |publisher=Human Rights Watch |accessdate=5 July 2014}}</ref> A hospital in the area confirmed that it had received 15 bodies on the same day.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27726035?print=true |title=Syria conflict: Amnesty says ISIS killed seven children in north |date=6 June 2014 |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=5 July 2014}}</ref> The [[Syrian Observatory for Human Rights]] reported that on 1 June, a 102-year-old man was killed along with his whole family in a village in [[Hama Governorate|Hama]] province.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/06/01/NGO-ISIS-kills-102-year-old-man-family-in-Syria-.html |title=NGO: ISIS kills 102-year-old man, family in Syria |publisher=Al Arabiya English |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=1 June 2014}}</ref> According to [[Reuters]], 1,878 people were killed in Syria by ISIL during the last six months of 2014, most of them civilians.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/28/us-mideast-crisis-casualties-idUSKBN0K60EK20141228 |title=Islamic State executed nearly 2,000 people in six months: monitor |agency=Reuters |first=Oliver |last=Holmes |date=28 December 2014}}</ref>
In Mosul, ISIL has implemented a [[sharia]] school curriculum which bans the teaching of art, music, national history, literature and [[Christianity]]. Although [[Charles Darwin's theory of evolution]] has never been taught in Iraqi schools, the subject has been banned from the school curriculum. Patriotic songs have been declared blasphemous, and orders have been given to remove certain pictures from school textbooks.<ref name=MedievalCurriculum>{{cite news |last1=Bacchi |first1=Umberto |title=ISIS Medieval School Curriculum: No Music, Art and Literature for Mosul Kids |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/isis-medieval-school-curriculum-no-music-art-literature-mosul-kids-1465590 |work=International Business Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Spencer |first=Richard |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/11099882/Islamic-State-issues-new-school-curriculum-in-Iraq.html |title=Islamic State issues new school curriculum in Iraq |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=16 September 2014 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-eradicates-art-history-and-music-from-curriculum-in-iraq/ |title=ISIS eradicates art, history and music from curriculum in Iraq |date=15 September 2014 |publisher=CBS News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-16/mosul-schools-go-back-in-time-as-militants-impose-new-curriculum.html |title=Mosul Schools Go Back in Time With Islamic State Curriculum |date=17 September 2014 |first=Zaid |last=Sabah |first2=Khalid |last2=Al-Ansary |newspaper=Bloomberg News}}</ref> Iraqi parents have largely boycotted schools in which the new curriculum has been introduced.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/middleeast/article4208724.ece |title=Parents boycott militants' curriculum |date=17 September 2014 |first=Catherine |last=Philp |newspaper=The Times |location=London}}</ref>
After capturing cities in Iraq, ISIL issued guidelines on how to wear clothes and veils. ISIL warned women in the city of Mosul to wear full-face veils or face severe punishment.<ref name="Irish">{{cite web |title=Islamic State says women in Mosul must wear full veil or be punished |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/middle-east/islamic-state-says-women-in-mosul-must-wear-full-veil-or-be-punished-1.1878642 |date=26 July 2014 |work=The Irish Times |accessdate=23 August 2014}}</ref> A cleric told Reuters in Mosul that ISIL gunmen had ordered him to read out the warning in his mosque when worshippers gathered. ISIL ordered the faces of both male and female mannequins to be covered, in an order which also banned the use of naked mannequins.<ref>{{cite news |title=Islamic State tells Mosul shopkeepers to cover up naked mannequins |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10985288/Islamic-State-tells-Mosul-shopkeepers-to-cover-up-naked-mannequins.html |work=The Telegraph |location=London |first=Damien |last=McElroy |date=23 July 2014}}</ref> In Raqqa the group uses its two battalions of female fighters in the city to enforce compliance by women with its strict laws on individual conduct.<ref name=recruitingfemailfighters>{{cite news |title=ISIS Is Actively Recruiting Female Fighters To Brutalize Other Women |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-has-female-battalions-too-2014-10 |work=Business Insider}}</ref>
ISIL released 16 notes labelled "Contract of the City", a set of rules aimed at civilians in [[Nineveh]]. One rule stipulated that women should stay at home and not go outside unless necessary. Another rule said that stealing would be punished by amputation.<ref name="Atlantic consumer">{{cite web |last=Zelin |first=Aaron Y. |date=13 June 2014 |title=The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Has a Consumer Protection Office |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/06/the-isis-guide-to-building-an-islamic-state/372769/ |work=The Atlantic |accessdate=17 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Adam |title=The rules in ISIS' new state: Amputations for stealing and women to stay indoors. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/06/12/the-rules-in-isis-new-state-amputations-for-stealing-and-women-to-stay-indoors/ |date=12 June 2014 |website=The Washington Post |accessdate=2 August 2014}}</ref> In addition to the Muslim custom of banning the sale and use of alcohol, ISIL has banned the sale and use of cigarettes and [[hookah]] pipes. It has also banned "music and songs in cars, at parties, in shops and in public, as well as photographs of people in shop windows".<ref name=al-monitor-banned>{{cite news |title=ISIS bans music, imposes veil in Raqqa |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/2014/01/isis-raqq-ban-music-smoking-impose-veil.html##ixzz3DAwTxPf5 |accessdate=13 September 2014 |work=Al-Monitor |date=20 January 2014}}</ref>
According to ''[[The Economist]]'', Saudi practices also followed by the group include the establishment of [[Islamic religious police|religious police]] to root out "vice" and enforce attendance at [[salat]] prayers, the widespread use of [[capital punishment]], and the destruction of Christian churches and non-Sunni mosques or their conversion to other uses.<ref name="economist-behead" />
ISIL carried out executions on both men and women who were accused of various acts and found guilty of crimes against Islam such as [[sodomy law|sodomy]],<ref name=independent-execution>{{Cite news |title=Isis executes more than 4,000 people in less than two years |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-has-executed-more-than-4000-people-in-under-two-years-of-the-islamic-state-in-syria-a7007876.html |accessdate=11 November 2016 |work=The Independent |date=30 April 2016}}</ref> [[adultery]], usage and possession of [[contraband]], [[rape]], [[Islam and blasphemy|blasphemy]], [[witchcraft]],<ref>"[https://news.yahoo.com/first-beheads-two-women-syria-monitor-073538672.html IS beheads two civilian women in Syria: monitor] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704173057/https://news.yahoo.com/first-beheads-two-women-syria-monitor-073538672.html |date=4 July 2015 }}". Yahoo News. 30 June 2015.</ref> [[Apostasy in Islam|renouncing Islam]] and [[murder]]. Before the accused are executed their charges are read to them and the spectators. Executions take various forms, including [[stoning]] to death, [[crucifixion]]s, beheadings, burning people alive, and throwing people from tall buildings.<ref>{{cite news |last=Saul |first=Heather |date=22 January 2015 |title=Isis publishes penal code listing amputation, crucifixion and stoning as punishments – and vows to vigilantly enforce it |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-publishes-penal-code-listing-amputation-crucifixion-and-stoning-as-punishments--and-vows-to-vigilantly-enforce-it-9994878.html |website=The Independent |accessdate=3 February 2015 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Withnall |first=Adam |date=18 January 2015 |title=Isis throws 'gay' men off tower, stones woman accused of adultery and crucifies 17 young men in 'retaliatory' wave of executions |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-throws-gay-men-off-tower-stones-woman-accused-of-adultery-and-crucifies-17-young-men-in-retaliatory-wave-of-executions-9986410.html |website=The Independent |accessdate=3 February 2015 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Rush |first=James |date=3 February 2015 |title=Images emerge of 'gay' man 'thrown from building by Isis militants before he is stoned to death after surviving fall' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/images-emerge-of-gay-man-thrown-from-building-by-isis-militants-before-he-is-stoned-to-death-after-surviving-fall-10019743.html |website=The Independent |accessdate=3 February 2015 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Daragahi |first=Borzou |date=25 February 2015 |title=Isis brutality in Iraq reawakens Sunni resistance |url=https://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/43594cf2-bce5-11e4-9902-00144feab7de.html |website=Financial Times |accessdate=25 February 2014}}</ref> The Islamic State in Iraq frequently carries out mass executions [[Mass Executions in ISIS Occupied Mosul|in Mosul]] and [[Hawija]].
The Islamic State militants were accused of using civilian residents of towns as [[human shields]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Islamic State digging in <!-- not a mistake-->in Raqqa, hiding in civilian shadows, amassing human shields |url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/11/18/world/islamic-state-digging-raqqa-hiding-civilian-shadows-amassing-human-shields/ |publisher=[[The Japan Times]] |date=18 November 2015}}</ref> The ''Telegraph'' reported that "Extremist fighters are deliberately hiding among civilian buildings and residents to try to prevent strikes."<ref>{{cite news |title=Islamic State jihadists using human shields to avoid air strikes |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/12004264/Islamic-State-jihadists-using-human-shields-to-avoid-air-strikes.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=20 November 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=ISIS using children human shields in Iraq and Syria as US and others increase airstrikes |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/isis-children-human-shields-iraq-syria-us-airstrikes-civilian-casualties/ |publisher=CBS News |date=4 December 2015}}</ref> Civil rights activist told ARA News that "ISIS militants prevent the people of Manbij and Jarablus from leaving their hometowns despite the fierce airstrikes by Russian warplanes".<ref>"[http://aranews.net/2016/01/isis-use-syrian-civilians-as-human-shields-against-russian-strikes/ ISIS extremists use Syrian civilians as human shields against Russian strikes]". ARA News. 24 January 2016.</ref> The use of human shields and executions of civilians who tried to flee continued in Iraq right through until the group lost is final major urban territory there after its defeat in the [[Battle of Mosul (2016–17)|Battle for Mosul]] in July 2017.<ref>{{Cite document |title=At Any Cost: The Civilian Catastrophe in West Mosul |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde14/6610/2017/en/ |date=11 July 2017 |location=London |publisher=Amnesty International |access-date= 21 July 2017}}</ref>
=== Child soldiers ===
{{See also|Military use of children}}
According to a report by the magazine ''[[Foreign Policy]]'', children as young as six are recruited or kidnapped and sent to military and religious training camps, where they practice beheading with dolls and are indoctrinated with the religious views of ISIL.<ref name =DerSpiegel201607>{{Cite web |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/islamic-state-how-the-is-trains-child-soldiers-a-1103941.html |title=Islamic State's Child Soldiers: First Come the Sweets, Then the Beheadings |last=Kuntz |first=Katrine |date=29 July 2016 |website=SPIEGEL ONLINE |publisher=Der Spiegel|access-date=1 August 2016}}</ref> Children are used as human shields on front lines and to provide blood transfusions for Islamic State soldiers,<ref name =DerSpiegel201607 /> according to Shelly Whitman of the Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative. The second instalment of a [[Vice News]] documentary about ISIL focused on how the group is specifically grooming children for the future. A spokesman told VICE News that those under the age of 15 go to [[sharia]] camp to learn about religion, while those older than 16 can go to military training camp.<ref name =DerSpiegel201607 /> Children are also used for propaganda. According to a UN report, "In mid-August, ISIL entered a cancer hospital in Mosul, forced at least two sick children to hold the ISIL flag and posted the pictures on the internet." Misty Buswell, a [[Save the Children]] representative working with refugees in Jordan, said, "It's not an exaggeration to say we could lose a whole generation of children to trauma."<ref name="Foreign Policy child">{{cite web |last1=Brannan |first1=Kate |title=Children of the Caliphate |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/10/24/children_of_the_caliphate_iraq_syria_child_soldiers |website=foreignpolicy.com/ |publisher=Foreign Policy Magazine |accessdate=30 November 2014}}</ref> A UN report indicated that at least 89 children, mostly from the ages of 12 to 16 had been killed fighting for the Islamic State in 2015, 39% of which died in suicide bombing attacks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35608878 |title=IS increases use of child soldiers, says US report |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> Der Spiegel estimated in 2016 that 1,500 boys were serving as child soldiers for ISIL.<ref name =DerSpiegel201607 /> It was reported that on 12 March 2017, ISIS used 6 child suicide bombers against the Syrian Army soldiers besieged in Deir Ez-zor.<ref>{{cite web |title=In pictures: ISIS launches fresh attacks against the Syrian Army in Deir Ezzor |url=https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/pictures-isis-launches-fresh-attacks-syrian-army-deir-ezzor/ |work=Al Masdar News |author=Chris Tomson |date=14 March 2017|access-date=14 March 2017}}</ref>
=== Sexual violence and slavery ===
{{further information|Sexual violence in the Iraqi insurgency|Slavery in 21st-century Islamism}}
{{See also|Islamic views on slavery|Ma malakat aymanukum|Raptio|Wartime sexual violence}}
Sexual violence perpetrated by ISIL includes using [[rape]] as a weapon of war;<ref name="FP rape weapon">{{cite web |last1=Peritz |first1=Aki |last2=Maller |first2=Tara |date=16 September 2014 |title=The Islamic State of Sexual Violence |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/09/16/the-islamic-state-of-sexual-violence/ |publisher=foreignpolicy.com |accessdate=14 August 2015}}</ref> instituting [[forced marriage]]s to its fighters;<ref name="Indie Feb 2015">{{Cite news |last=Saul |first=Heather |date=18 February 2015 |title=Isis Raqqa wives subjected to 'brutal' sexual assaults after marrying militants |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-in-raqqa-women-subjected-to-brutal-sexual-assaults-after-marrying-militants-10053020.html |work=The Independent |accessdate=14 August 2015 |location=London}}</ref> and trading women and girls as [[sex slave]]s.<ref name="NYT rape theology">{{Cite news |last=Callimachi |first=Rukmini |date=13 August 2015 |title=ISIS Enshrines a Theology of Rape |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/14/world/middleeast/isis-enshrines-a-theology-of-rape.html |website=The New York Times |accessdate=14 August 2015}}</ref>
There are many reports of sexual abuse and enslavement in ISIL-controlled areas of women and girls, predominantly from the minority Christian and Yazidi communities.<ref name="BBC, womentell">{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-30573385 |title=Islamic State: Yazidi women tell of sex-slavery trauma |publisher=BBC News |date=22 December 2014 |accessdate=4 January 2015 |first1=Paul |last1=Wood}}</ref><ref name=Nebehay-10-2 /> Fighters are told that they are free to have sex with or rape non-Muslim captive women.<ref name="dn_20140923">{{cite news |first=Katarina |last=Lagerwall |language=Swedish |title=Det jag har bevittnat i al-Raqqa kommer alltid förfölja mig |trans-title=What I have witnessed in al-Raqqa will always haunt me |url=http://www.dn.se/nyheter/varlden/det-jag-har-bevittnat-i-al-raqqa-kommer-alltid-forfolja-mig/ |accessdate=25 September 2014 |work=Dagens Nyheter |location=Stockholm, Sweden |date=23 September 2014}}</ref> Haleh Esfandiari from the [[Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars]] has highlighted the abuse of local women by ISIL militants after they have captured an area. "They usually take the older women to a makeshift slave market and try to sell them. The younger girls ... are raped or married off to fighters", she said, adding, "It's based on temporary marriages, and once these fighters have had sex with these young girls, they just pass them on to other fighters."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brekke |first1=Kira |title=ISIS Is Attacking Women, And Nobody Is Talking About It |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/08/isis-attacks-on-women_n_5775106.html?cps=gravity |accessdate=11 September 2014 |work=The Huffington Post |date=8 September 2014}}</ref>
The capture of Iraqi cities by the group in June 2014 was accompanied by an upsurge in [[Violence against women|crimes against women]], including kidnap and rape.<ref name="IPS women">{{cite news |url=http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/06/op-ed-surging-violence-against-women-in-iraq/ |title=Surging Violence Against Women in Iraq |work=Inter Press Service |date=27 June 2014 |accessdate=5 July 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/clare-winterton/why-we-must-act_b_5528162.html |title=Why We Must Act When Women in Iraq Document Rape |work=The Huffington Post |date=25 June 2014 |accessdate=10 July 2014 |first1=Clare |last1=Winterton}}</ref><ref name="giglio">{{cite news |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/mikegiglio/fear-of-sexual-violence-simmers-in-iraq-as-isis-advances |title=Fear of Sexual Violence Simmers in Iraq As ISIL Advances |work=BuzzFeed |date=27 June 2014 |accessdate=9 July 2014 |last=Giglio |first=Mike}}</ref> According to Martin Williams in ''[[The Citizen (South Africa)|The Citizen]]'', some hard-line [[Salafist]]s apparently regard extramarital sex with multiple partners as a legitimate form of [[holy war]] and it is "difficult to reconcile this with a religion where some adherents insist that women must be covered from head to toe, with only a narrow slit for the eyes".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://citizen.co.za/52696/sexual-jihad-is-a-bit-much/ |title=Sexual jihad is a bit much |work=The Citizen |date=25 September 2013 |accessdate=7 July 2014 |last=Williams |first=Martin |location=Gauteng, South Africa}}</ref>
As of August 2015, the trade in sex slaves appeared to remain restricted to Yazidi women and girls.<ref name="NYT rape theology" /> It has reportedly become a recruiting technique to attract men from conservative Muslim societies, where dating and casual sex are not allowed.<ref name="NYT rape theology" /> [[Nazand Begikhani]] said of the Yazidi victims, "These women have been treated like cattle ... They have been subjected to physical and sexual violence, including systematic rape and sex slavery. They've been exposed in markets in Mosul and in Raqqa, Syria, carrying price tags."<ref name="CNN Watson cattle">{{Cite news |last=Watson |first=Ivan |date=30 October 2014 |title='Treated like cattle': Yazidi women sold, raped, enslaved by ISIS |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/30/world/meast/isis-female-slaves/ |publisher=CNN |accessdate=14 August 2015}}</ref> According to UN Reports the price list for IS sex slaves range from 40 to 160 US dollars. The younger the slave the more expensive. Girls and boys between the age 1–9 are referred to as the most expensive, with the cheapest being women between 40 and 50 years old.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yoon |first1=Sangwoon |title=Islamic State Circulates Sex Slave Price List |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-03/sex-slaves-sold-by-islamic-state-the-younger-the-better |work=Bloomberg Business |date=4 August 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150807011203/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-03/sex-slaves-sold-by-islamic-state-the-younger-the-better |archivedate=7 August 2015}}</ref> According to another source the price of a slave equals the price of an AK-47.<ref>{{cite book |first=Jürgen |last=Todenhöfer |date=2015 |title=Inside IS- 10 Tage im <Islamischen Staat> |trans-title=Inside IS: 10 days in 'Islamic State' |language=German |location=Munich, Germany |publisher=C. Bertelsmann Verlag |isbn=978-3-570-10276-3}}</ref>
A United Nations report issued on 2 October 2014, based on 500 interviews with witnesses, said that ISIL took 450–500 women and girls to Iraq's [[Ninawa Governorate|Nineveh]] region in August, where "150 unmarried girls and women, predominantly from the Yazidi and Christian communities, were reportedly transported to Syria, either to be given to ISIL fighters as a reward or to be sold as sex slaves".<ref name=Nebehay-10-2>{{cite news |last=Nebehay |first=Stephanie |title=Islamic State committing 'staggering' crimes in Iraq: U.N. report |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/02/us-mideast-crisis-un-idUSKCN0HR0R120141002 |date=2 October 2014 |accessdate=2 October 2014 |agency=Reuters}}</ref> In mid-October, the UN confirmed that 5,000–7,000 Yazidi women and children had been abducted by ISIL and sold into slavery.<ref name="dailymail-yazidi-slavery" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Spencer |first=Richard |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11160906/Isil-carried-out-massacres-and-mass-sexual-enslavement-of-Yazidis-UN-confirms.html |title=Isil carried out massacres and mass sexual enslavement of Yazidis, UN confirms |date=14 October 2014 |work=The Telegraph |accessdate=3 November 2014 |location=London}}</ref> In November 2014 ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported on the accounts given by five who escaped ISIL of their captivity and abuse.<ref>{{cite news |first=Kirk |last=Semple |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/15/world/middleeast/yazidi-girls-seized-by-isis-speak-out-after-escape.html |title=Yazidi Girls Seized by ISIS Speak Out After Escape |work=The New York Times |date=14 November 2014}}</ref> In December 2014, the [[Ministry of Human Rights (Iraq)|Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights]] announced that ISIL had killed over 150 women and girls in [[Fallujah]] who refused to participate in [[sexual jihad]].<ref>{{cite news |title=ISIS Just Executed More Than 150 Women in Fallujah |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-just-executed-more-than-150-women-in-fallujah-2014-12 |agency=NOW News |publisher=Business Insider |date=17 December 2014}}</ref> Non-Muslim women have reportedly been married off to fighters against their will. ISIL claims the women provide the new converts and children necessary to spread ISIL's control.<ref name="Siddiqui – Contrived Ideology" />
Shortly after the death of US hostage [[Kayla Mueller]] was confirmed on 10 February 2015,<ref>{{cite news |first=Rukmini |last=Callimachi |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/11/world/middleeast/parents-of-kayla-mueller-isis-hostage-confirm-she-is-dead.html |title=Death of Kayla Mueller, ISIS Hostage, Confirmed by Family and White House |work=The New York Times |date=10 February 2015}}</ref> several media outlets reported that the US intelligence community believed she may have been given as a wife to an ISIL fighter.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kayla-mueller-was-given-to-isis-fighter-as-a-bride-u-s-believes/ |title=U.S. believes hostage was given to ISIS fighter as bride |publisher=CBS News |date=11 February 2015 |access-date=17 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=James Gordon |last=Meek |first2=Rhonda |last2=Schwartz |url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/officials-kayla-mueller-isis-commander/story?id=28870880 |title=Officials: Kayla Mueller May Have Been Given to ISIS Commander |publisher=ABC News |date=10 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Meg |last1=Wagner |first2=Corky |last2=Siemaszko |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/isis-hostage-kayla-mueller-confirmed-dead-article-1.2109508 |title=Kayla Jean Mueller, American aid worker held hostage, may have been forced to marry ISIS leader: report |work=Daily News |location=New York |date=10 February 2015}}</ref> In August 2015 it was confirmed that she had been forced into marriage<ref name="ap14Aug2015">{{cite news |first=Ken |last=Dilanian |date=14 August 2015 |title=Islamic State Leader Raped American Hostage, US Finds |url=https://news.yahoo.com/family-islamic-state-leader-raped-american-hostage-190501666--politics.html |dead-url=yes |work=Yahoo! News |agency=Associated Press |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814203110/http://news.yahoo.com/family-islamic-state-leader-raped-american-hostage-190501666--politics.html |archive-date=14 August 2015}}</ref> to [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]], who [[rape]]d her repeatedly.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33941913 |publisher=BBC News |title=Islamic State leader Baghdadi 'raped' Kayla Mueller |date=14 August 2015}}</ref><ref name="ap14Aug2015" /><ref name="Goldman and Miller 2015-08-14">{{cite news |last1=Goldman |first1=Adam |last2=Miller |first2=Greg |title=Leader of Islamic State took American hostage as sexual slave |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/leader-of-islamic-state-raped-american-hostage/2015/08/14/266b6bf4-42c1-11e5-846d-02792f854297_story.html |work=The Washington Post |date=14 August 2015}}</ref> The Mueller family was informed by the US [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) that [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]] had [[Sexual abuse|sexually abused]] Ms. Mueller, and that Ms. Mueller had also been [[torture]]d.<ref name="Goldman and Miller 2015-08-14" /> [[Abu Sayyaf (ISIL)|Abu Sayyaf]]'s widow, [[Umm Sayyaf]], confirmed that it was her husband who had been Mueller's primary abuser.<ref name=AbcNews2015-08-14>{{cite news |url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/isis-leader-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-sexually-abused/story?id=33085923 |title=ISIS Leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi Sexually Abused American Hostage Kayla Mueller, Officials Say |publisher=ABC News |first=James Gordon |last=Meek |date=14 August 2015 |location=Washington DC |accessdate=14 August 2015 |quote=The information about al-Baghdadi's extraordinary direct role in the captivity and physical abuse of Kayla Mueller was drawn from, among many sources, the U.S. debriefings of at least least two Yezedi teenage girls, ages 16 and 18, held as sex slaves in the Sayyaf compound as well as from the interrogation of Abu Sayyaf's wife Umm Sayyaf, who was captured in the U.S. raid, the officials told ABC News.}}</ref>
In its digital magazine ''[[Dabiq (magazine)|Dabiq]]'', ISIL explicitly claimed religious justification for enslaving Yazidi women.<ref name="Abdelaziz – ISIS States Justification" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Spencer |first=Richard |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11158797/Thousands-of-Yazidi-women-sold-as-sex-slaves-for-theological-reasons-says-Isil.html |title=Thousands of Yazidi women sold as sex slaves 'for theological reasons', says Isil |date=13 October 2014 |work=The Telegraph |accessdate=3 November 2014 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21625870-jihadists-boast-selling-captive-women-concubines-have-and-hold |title=Slavery in Islam: To have and to hold |work=The Economist |date=18 October 2014}}</ref> According to ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', ISIL appeals to [[Islamic eschatology|apocalyptic beliefs]] and claims "justification by a Hadith that they interpret as portraying the revival of slavery as a precursor to the end of the world".<ref>{{cite news |first=Nour |last=Malas |url=https://online.wsj.com/articles/ancient-prophecies-motivate-islamic-state-militants-1416357441 |title=Ancient Prophecies Motivate Islamic State Militants: Battlefield Strategies Driven by 1,400-year-old Apocalyptic Ideas |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=18 November 2014 |access-date=22 November 2014}}</ref> ISIL appeals to the [[hadith]] and [[Quran]] when claiming the right to enslave and rape captive non-Muslim women.<ref name="Abdelaziz – ISIS States Justification">{{cite news |last=Abdelaziz |first=Salma |title=ISIS states its justification for the enslavement of women |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/12/world/meast/isis-justification-slavery |publisher=CNN |date=13 October 2014 |accessdate=1 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="Sypher – Rape">{{cite news |last=Sypher |first=Ford |title=Rape and Sexual Slavery Inside an ISIS Prison |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/28/rape-and-sexual-slavery-inside-an-isis-prison.html |agency=Horror |work=The Daily Beast |date=28 August 2014 |accessdate=5 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="Kumar">{{cite news |last=Kumar |first=Anugrah |title=ISIS Claims Islam Justifies Making 'Infidel' Women Sex Slaves |url=http://www.christianpost.com/news/isis-claims-islam-justifies-making-infidel-women-sex-slaves-128004 |work=The Christian Post |date=13 October 2014 |accessdate=1 January 2015}}</ref> According to ''Dabiq,'' "enslaving the families of the [[kuffar]] and taking their women as concubines is a firmly established aspect of the Sharia's that if one were to deny or mock, he would be denying or mocking the verses of the Quran and the narration of the Prophet ... and thereby apostatizing from Islam." Captured Yazidi women and children are divided among the fighters who captured them, with one fifth taken as a tax.<ref name="Kumar" /><ref name="TZ – 10-14-2014">{{cite news |title=ISIL seeks to justify enslaving Yazidi women and girls in Iraq |url=http://www.todayszaman.com/national_isil-seeks-to-justify-enslaving-yazidi-women-and-girls-in-iraq_361547.html |agency=abril |work=Today's Zaman |date=14 October 2014 |accessdate=2 January 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115054011/http://www.todayszaman.com/national_isil-seeks-to-justify-enslaving-yazidi-women-and-girls-in-iraq_361547.html |archivedate=15 November 2014}}</ref> ISIL has received widespread criticism from Muslim scholars and others in the Muslim world for using part of the Quran to derive a ruling in isolation, rather than considering the entire Quran and hadith.<ref name="Abdelaziz – ISIS States Justification" /><ref name="Sypher – Rape" /><ref name="Kumar" /> According to [[Mona Siddiqui]], ISIL's "narrative may well be wrapped up in the familiar language of jihad and 'fighting in the cause of Allah', but it amounts to little more than destruction of anything and anyone who doesn't agree with them"; she describes ISIL as reflecting a "lethal mix of violence and sexual power" and a "deeply flawed view of manhood".<ref name="Siddiqui – Contrived Ideology">{{cite news |last=Siddiqui |first=Mona |title=Isis: a contrived ideology justifying barbarism and sexual control |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/aug/24/isis-ideology-islamic-militants-british-appeal-iraq-syria |work=The Observer |date=24 August 2014 |accessdate=1 January 2015}}</ref> ''Dabiq'' describes "this large-scale enslavement" of non-Muslims as "probably the first since the abandonment of Shariah law".<ref name="Kumar" /><ref name="TZ – 10-14-2014" />
[[File:Female Yezidi resistance fighters - YJÊ.jpg|thumb|[[Êzîdxan Women's Units|YJÊ]] are women fighters trained by the [[Kurdistan Workers' Party|Kurdish Workers Party]] guerillas to defend themselves against Islamist extremists.]]
In late 2014, ISIL released a pamphlet that focused on the treatment of female slaves.<ref name="Smith – ISIS Publish Pamphlet">{{cite news |first=Amelia |last=Smith |url=http://www.newsweek.com/isis-release-questions-and-answers-pamphlet-how-treat-female-slaves-290511 |title=ISIS Publish Pamphlet On How to Treat Female Slaves |work=Newsweek |date=12 September 2014}}</ref><ref name="Our faith condones" /> It claims that the [[Quran]] allows fighters to have sex with captives, including adolescent girls, and to beat slaves as discipline. The pamphlet's guidelines also allow fighters to trade slaves, including for sex, as long as they have not been impregnated by their owners.<ref name="Smith – ISIS Publish Pamphlet" /><ref name="Our faith condones">{{cite news |title=Our faith condones raping underage slaves: ISIS publishes shocking guidebook telling fighters how to buy, sell and abuse captured women |url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2872884/Our-faith-condones-raping-underage-slaves-ISIS-publishes-shocking-guidebook-telling-fighters-buy-sell-abuse-captured-women.html |first=Abul |last=Taher |work=Daily Mail |date=13 December 2014 |location=London}}</ref><ref name="Withnall – Abhorrent" /> Charlie Winter, a researcher at the counter-extremist [[think tank]] [[Quilliam (think tank)|Quilliam]], described the pamphlet as "abhorrent".<ref name="Withnall – Abhorrent">{{cite news |first=Adam |last=Withnall |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-releases-abhorrent-sex-slaves-pamphlet-with-27-tips-for-militants-on-taking-punishing-and-raping-female-captives-9915913.html |title=Isis releases 'abhorrent' sex slaves pamphlet with 27 tips for militants on taking, punishing and raping female captives |work=The Independent |date=10 December 2014}}</ref><ref name="Lodge – IS Issues Abhorrent">{{cite news |first=Carey |last=Lodge |url=http://www.christiantoday.com/article/islamic.state.issues.abhorrent.sex.slavery.guidelines.about.how.to.treat.women/44435.htm |title=Islamic State issues abhorrent sex slavery guidelines about how to treat women |work=Christianity Today |date=15 December 2014}}</ref> In response to this document Abbas Barzegar, a religion professor at [[Georgia State University]], said Muslims around the world find ISIL's "alien interpretation of Islam grotesque and abhorrent".<ref name="Botelho – 12/12/2014">{{cite news |first=Greg |last=Botelho |url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/12/world/meast/isis-justification-female-slaves/ |title=ISIS: Enslaving, having sex with 'unbelieving' women, girls is OK |publisher=CNN |date=13 December 2014}}</ref> Muslim leaders and scholars from around the world have rejected the validity of ISIL's claims, claiming that the reintroduction of slavery is un-Islamic, that they are required to protect "People of the Scripture" including Christians, Jews, Muslims and Yazidis, and that ISIL's fatwas are invalid due to their lack of religious authority and the fatwas' inconsistency with Islam.<ref name=OpenLetToAlBagh /><ref name="huffpost-bagh-openlet" />
''[[The Independent]]'' reported in 2015 that the usage of Yazidi sex slaves had created ongoing friction among fighters within ISIL. Sajad Jiyad, a Research Fellow and Associate Member at the [[Iraqi Institute for Economic Reform]], told the newspaper that many ISIL supporters and fighters had been in denial about the trafficking of kidnapped Yazidi women until a ''[[Dabiq (magazine)|Dabiq]]'' article justifying the practice was published.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/yazidi-sex-slaves-gangraped-in-public-by-isis-fighters-harrowing-accounts-reveal-10166875.html |title=Yazidi sex slaves 'gang-raped in public' by Isis fighters, harrowing accounts reveal |work=The Independent |date=10 April 2015 |accessdate=11 April 2015 |last=Saul |first=Heather |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-infighting-tensions-rise-over-use-of-yazidi-sex-slaves-loss-of-kobani-and-poor-services-in-areas-controlled-by-group-10061457.html |title=Isis infighting: Tensions rise over use of Yazidi sex slaves, loss of Kobani and poor services in areas controlled by group |work=The Independent |date=21 February 2015 |accessdate=11 April 2015 |last=Saul |first=Heather |location=London}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' said in August 2015 that "[t]he systematic rape of women and girls from the Yazidi religious minority has become deeply enmeshed in the organization and the radical theology of the Islamic State in the year since the group announced it was reviving slavery as an institution."<ref name="NYT rape theology" /> The article claims that ISIL is not merely exonerating but sacralising rape, and illustrated this with the testimony of escapees. One 15-year-old victim said that, while she was being assaulted, her rapist "kept telling me this is [[ibadah]]"; a 12-year-old victim related how her assailant claimed that, "by raping me, he is drawing closer to God";<ref name="NYT rape theology" /> and one adult prisoner told how, when she challenged her captor about repeatedly raping a 12 year old, she was met with the retort, "No, she's not a little girl, she's a slave and she knows exactly how to have sex and having sex with her pleases God."<ref name="NYT rape theology" />
In July 2016 it was reported by an [[Associated Press|AP]] investigation that ISIL was using mobile apps like Telegram to sell their sex slaves and identify the slaves of other ISIL members at checkpoints.<ref>{{cite news |title=Islamic State tightens grip on captives held as sex slaves |first1=Lori |last1=Hinnant |first2=Maya |last2=Alleruzzo |first3=Balint |last3=Szlanko |date=5 July 2016 <!-- – 6:23 PM EDT --> |work=The Big Story |publisher=Associate Press |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/bc71decfae2f4fee8196a20515b4c5fc/islamic-state-tightens-grip-captives-held-sex-slaves}}</ref> In 2016, the Commission for International Justice and Accountability said they had identified 34 senior ISIL members who were instrumental in the systematic sex slave trade and planned to prosecute them after the end of hostilities.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36960657 |title=Iraq's Sinjar Yazidis: Bringing IS slavers to justice |last=Gardner |first=Ffrank |date=3 August 2016 |website=BBC News |publisher= |language=|access-date=3 August 2016}}</ref>
=== Attacks on members of the press ===
The [[Committee to Protect Journalists]] states: "Without a free press, few other human rights are attainable."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cpj.org/zinfo/aboutcpj2.html#how%7ctitle=aboutcpj%7cpublisher= |title=About CPJ |publisher=Committee to Protect Journalists}}</ref> ISIL has tortured and murdered local journalists,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Al Fares |first=Zaid |date=5 September 2014 |title=The Forgotten Isis Beheadings: The World Mourns Steven Sotloff, but who Remembers Bassam al-Rayes? |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/forgotten-isis-beheadings-world-mourns-steven-sotloff-who-remembers-bassam-al-raies-1464138 |newspaper=International Business Times UK |accessdate=17 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Kestler-D'Amours |first=Jillian |date=6 October 2014 |title=Syria journalists 'on the margins of history' |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/10/syria-journalists-margins-history-2014105111030664142.html |publisher=Al Jazeera |accessdate=17 December 2014}}</ref> creating what [[Reporters Without Borders]] calls "news blackholes" in areas controlled by ISIL. ISIL fighters have reportedly been given written directions to kill or capture journalists.<ref name="en.rsf.org">{{cite web |url=http://en.rsf.org/iraq-areas-controlled-by-islamic-state-23-10-2014,47147.html |title=Areas controlled by Islamic State are news 'black holes' |website=Reporters Without Borders |date=23 October 2014}}</ref>
In December 2013, two suicide bombers stormed the headquarters of TV station Salaheddin and killed five journalists, after accusing the station of "distorting the image of Iraq's Sunni community". Reporters Without Borders reported that on 7 September 2014, ISIL seized and on 11 October publicly beheaded Raad al-Azzawi, a TV Salaheddin cameraman from the village of Samra, east of Tikrit.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/10/reports-isil-executes-iraqi-journalist-20141010194149556427.html |title=ISIL 'publicly executes Iraqi journalist' |date=11 October 2014 |publisher=Al Jazeera}}</ref> As of October 2014, according to the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory, ISIL is holding nine journalists and has nine others under close observation in Mosul and Salahuddin province.<ref name="en.rsf.org" />
During 2013 and part of 2014, an ISIL unit nicknamed [[The Beatles (terrorist cell)|the Beatles]] acquired and held 12 Western journalists hostage, along with aid workers and other foreign hostages, totalling 23 or 24 known hostages. A Polish journalist Marcin Suder was captured in July 2013 but escaped four months later.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/world/middleeast/horror-before-the-beheadings-what-isis-hostages-endured-in-syria.html |title=ISIS Hostages Endured Torture and Dashed Hopes, Freed Cellmates Say |work=The New York Times |first=Rukmini |last=Callimachi |date=25 October 2014}}</ref> The unit [[ISIL beheadings|executed American journalists]] [[James Foley (journalist)|James Foley]] and [[Steven Sotloff]] and released beheading videos. Eight of the other journalists were released for ransom: Danish journalist Daniel Rye Ottosen, French journalists Didier François, Edouard Elias, Nicolas Hénin, and Pierre Torres, and Spanish journalists Marc Marginedas, Javier Espinosa, and Ricardo García Vilanova. The unit continues to hold hostage British journalist [[John Cantlie]] and a female aid worker.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/10/24/world/middleeast/the-fate-of-23-hostages-in-syria.html |title=The Fates of 23 ISIS Hostages in Syria |first=Karen |last=Yourish |work=The New York Times |date=25 October 2014}}</ref>
Cyber-security group the [[Citizen Lab]] released a report finding a possible link between ISIL and a digital attack on the Syrian citizen media group [[Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently]] (RSS). Supporters of the media group received an emailed link to an image of supposed airstrikes, but clicking on the link introduced malware to the user's computer that sends details of the user's IP address and system each time it restarts. That information has been enough to allow ISIL to locate RSS supporters. "The group has been targeted for kidnappings, house raids, and at least one alleged targeted killing. At the time of that writing, ISIL was allegedly holding several citizen journalists in Raqqa", according to the Citizen Lab report.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Johnston |first1=Chris |title=Islamic State suspected of cyber-attack on Raqqa opponents |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/19/islamic-state-cyber-attack-raqqa-opponents-isis-syria-malware |work=The Guardian |date=9 December 2014 |accessdate=28 December 2014}}</ref>
On 8 January 2015, ISIL members in Libya claimed to have executed Tunisian journalists Sofiene Chourabi and Nadhir Ktari who disappeared in September 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/libyas-isis-branch-claims-execution-two-tunisian-journalists |title=Libya's ISIS branch claims execution of two Tunisian journalists |work=Al Akhbar English |date=9 January 2015}}</ref> Also in January 2015, Japanese journalist [[Kenji Goto]] was kidnapped and beheaded, after a demand for a $200 million ransom payment was not met.<ref name="guardian20150131">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/31/isis-video-beheading-japanese-hostage-kenji-goto |title=Isis video purports to show beheading of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto |first=Justin |last=McCurry |date=31 January 2015 |work=The Guardian |accessdate=1 July 2015}}</ref>
=== Beheadings and mass executions ===
{{Main article|ISIL beheading incidents}}
{{See also|Beheading video|Beheading in Islamism}}
An unknown number of Syrians and Iraqis, several Lebanese soldiers, male and female [[Kurds|Kurdish]] fighters near [[Kobanî]], two American journalists, one American and two British aid workers, 30 Ethiopian Christians<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/19/africa/libya-isis-executions-ethiopian-christians/ |title=ISIS executes more Christians in Libya, video shows |publisher=CNN |author=Eliott C. McLaughlin |date=20 April 2015}}</ref> and 21 Egyptian [[2015 kidnapping and beheading of Copts in Libya|Coptic Christians]] in Libya<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2015/02/isil-video-execution-egyptian-christian-hostages-libya-150215193050277.html |title=ISIL video shows Christian Egyptians beheaded in Libya |publisher=Al Jazeera |date=16 February 2015}}</ref> have been [[decapitation|beheaded]] by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. ISIL uses beheadings to intimidate local populations and has released a series of propaganda videos aimed at Western countries.<ref name=PropagandaVideos />
ISIL was reported to have beheaded about 100 foreign fighters as deserters who tried to leave Raqqa.<ref name=ft12>{{cite news |url=http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/f1705f00-85e6-11e4-a105-00144feabdc0.html |first=Erika |last=Solomon |title=Isis morale falls as momentum slows and casualties mount |work=Financial Times |date=19 December 2014 |accessdate=20 December 2014}}</ref>
They also engage in public and mass executions of Syrian and Iraqi soldiers and civilians,<ref name="village" /> sometimes forcing prisoners to dig their own graves before shooting lines of prisoners and pushing them in.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2014/october/help-identify-individuals-traveling-overseas-for-combat |title=Seeking Information: Help Identify Individuals Traveling Overseas for Combat |publisher=Federal Bureau of Investigation |date=7 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw_UIRkAyH0 |title=Syrian Soldiers Digging Their Own Graves Before Being Executed by ISIS |publisher=YouTube |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128074838/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw_UIRkAyH0 |archivedate=28 January 2015}}</ref> Among the known mass executions of captured soldiers carried out by ISIL are those in Tikrit ([[Camp Speicher massacre|ISIS executed]] up to 1,700 Shia [[Iraqi Air Force]] cadets from [[Camp Speicher]] near [[Tikrit]] on 12 June 2014),<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/06/middleeast/iraq-mass-graves/index.html |title=New mass graves found in Tikrit |publisher=CNN |last=Ellis |first=Ralph |date=6 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://yle.fi/uutiset/two_detained_in_finland_over_isis_executions_in_tikrit/8518806 |title=Two detained in Finland over ISIS executions in Tikrit |work=Yle |date=10 December 2015}}</ref> [[Al-Thawrah]] (ISIS executed 250 Syrian soldiers captured at the [[Battle of Al-Tabqa air base|Al-Tabqa air base]] between 27 and 28 August 2014),<ref>{{cite news |first1=Sylvia |last1=Westall |first2=Mariam |last2=Karouny |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-crisis-idUSKBN0GS10O20140829 |title=Video shows Islamic State executes scores of Syrian soldiers |agency=Reuters |date=28 August 2014}}</ref> [[Palmyra offensive (May 2015)|Palmyra]] (up to 280 Syrian soldiers and government loyalists were shot in the head or beheaded in a public square on 22 May 2015),<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesofindia.com/world/middle-east/ISIS-purges-Syrias-Palmyra-of-Assad-loyalists/articleshow/47397855.cms |title=ISIS purges Syria's Palmyra of Assad loyalists |work=The Times of India |agency=Associated Press |date=23 May 2015 }}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and [[Deir ez-Zor]] (ISIS killed at least 300 Syrian soldiers, pro-government militiamen and their families on 16 January 2016).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.in/isis-massacre-least-300-killed-several-held-hostages-east-syria-663542 |title=Isis massacre: At least 300 killed, several held hostages in east Syria |work=International Business Times |date=17 January 2016}}</ref>
ISIS executed 600 Shia prisoners in [[Mosul]] in June 2014.<ref>"[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/30/mass-graves-hundreds-iraqi-sunnis-killed-isis-albu-nimr Isis kills hundreds of Iraqi Sunnis from Albu Nimr tribe in Anbar province]". ''The Guardian''. 30 October 2014.</ref> In November 2014, there were reports that ISIS fighters massacred more than 630 members of the [[Albu Nimr]] tribe in Iraq. Albu Nimr was one of the [[Demographics of Iraq|Sunni Arab]] tribes that fiercely opposed the Islamic State.<ref>"[http://www.rferl.org/content/iraq-islamic-state-massacres-sunni-tribesmen/26683534.html IS Massacres 70 More Tribesmen In Iraqi Revenge Attack]". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty/Radio Liberty. 10 November 2014</ref> On 17 December 2014, it was reported by Turkish media, that the ISIS had executed at least 150 women from the Albu Nimr tribe in [[Falluja]] for refusing to marry ISIS militants.<ref>{{cite news |first=Heather |last=Saul |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-execute-150-women-for-refusing-to-marry-militants-and-bury-them-in-mass-graves-9930766.html |work=The Independent |location=London |title=Isis 'executes 150 women for refusing to marry militants' and buries them in mass graves |date=17 December 2014}}</ref>
=== Use of chemical weapons ===
{{Further information|Use of chemical weapons in the Iraqi civil war|Use of chemical weapons in the Syrian civil war}}
Kurds in northern Iraq reported being attacked by ISIS with chemical weapons in August 2015,<ref name="Graun Ks gas">{{cite news |title=Kurdish forces fighting Isis report being attacked with chemical weapons |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/13/kurdish-forces-fighting-isis-attacked-chemical-weapons-reports |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=13 August 2015 |accessdate=14 August 2015 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> which was later confirmed to be [[Sulfur mustard|mustard gas]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Deutsch |first=Anthony |title=Samples confirm Islamic State used mustard gas in Iraq – diplomat |agency=Reuters |date=15 February 2016 |url=http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKCN0VO1IC | access-date =15 February 2016}}</ref> At Kobanî, it is highly likely that ISIS used [[chlorine]] gas. These chemical weapons may be from a chemical weapons storage site at Al-Muthanna, which contained 2,500 chemical rockets. Although the rockets' chemical contents were deteriorated, ISIS may have used them in a concentrated manner.<ref>{{cite web |title=ISIS's Financial and Military Capabilities |url=http://www.crethiplethi.com/isis-s-financial-and-military-capabilities/islamic-countries/syria-islamic-countries/2015/ |website=Crethiplethi |date=Winter 2014 |accessdate=14 November 2015}}</ref>
=== Destruction of cultural and religious heritage ===
{{Main article|Destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL}}
[[File:Temple of Bel, Palmyra 02.jpg|thumb|[[Temple of Bel]] in [[Palmyra]], which was destroyed by ISIL in August 2015]]
[[UNESCO]]'s Director-General [[Irina Bokova]] has warned that ISIL is destroying Iraq's cultural heritage, in what she has called "[[cultural cleansing]]". "We don't have time to lose because extremists are trying to erase the identity, because they know that if there is no identity, there is no memory, there is no history", she said. Referring to the ancient cultures of Christians, Yazidis and other minorities, she said, "This is a way to destroy identity. You deprive them of their culture, you deprive them of their history, their heritage, and that is why it goes hand in hand with genocide. Along with the physical persecution they want to eliminate – to delete – the memory of these different cultures ... we think this is appalling, and this is not acceptable."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/video/2014/11/02/iraqs-heritage-needs-protection-from-isl?videoId=346781460 |title=Iraq's heritage needs protection from Islamic State – UNESCO |date=2 November 2014 |agency=Reuters}}</ref> [[Saad Eskander]], head of Iraq's National Archives said, "For the first time you have cultural cleansing... For the Yazidis, religion is oral, nothing is written. By destroying their places of worship... you are killing cultural memory. It is the same with the Christians – it really is a threat beyond belief."<ref name=CSM>{{cite news |first=Jane |last=Arraf |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2014/1108/Islamic-State-seeking-to-delete-entire-cultures-UNESCO-chief-warns-in-Iraq |title=Islamic State seeking to 'delete' entire cultures, UNESCO chief warns in Iraq |work=The Christian Science Monitor |date=8 November 2014}}</ref>
To finance its activities, ISIL is stealing artefacts from Syria<ref>{{cite web |first=Franklin |last=Lamb |title=SYRIA: "Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently" |website=Intifada Palestine |url=http://www.intifada-palestine.com/2014/05/syria-raqqa-slaughtered-silently/ |date=8 May 2014 |accessdate=28 December 2014 |quote=transcript of an interview conducted by the author at the National Museum of Syria with an employee of the Directorate General of Antiquities and Museums (DGAM). The gentleman had been working in the governorate of Raqqa, in eastern Syria, when armed groups were looting museums and conducting illegal excavations of heritage sites.}}</ref> and Iraq and sending them to Europe to be sold. UNESCO has asked for [[United Nations Security Council]] controls on the sale of antiquities, similar to those imposed after the 2003 [[Iraq War]]. UNESCO is working with [[Interpol]], national customs authorities, museums, and major auction houses in attempts to prevent looted items from being sold.<ref name=CSM /> ISIL occupied [[Mosul Museum]], the second most important museum in Iraq, as it was about to reopen after years of rebuilding following the Iraq War, saying that the statues were against Islam and threatening to destroy the museum's contents.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Melissa |last1=Block |url=http://www.npr.org/2014/07/09/330183802/the-plight-of-mosuls-museum-iraqi-antiquities-at-risk-of-ruin |title=The Plight of Mosul's Museum: Iraqi Antiquities At Risk Of Ruin |date=9 July 2014 |publisher=NPR}}</ref><ref name="Dickey-7.7.14">{{cite news |first=Christopher |last=Dickey |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/07/isis-is-about-to-destroy-biblical-history-in-iraq.html |title=ISIS Is About to Destroy Biblical History in Iraq |work=The Daily Beast |date=7 July 2014 |access-date=1 December 2014}}</ref>
ISIL considers worshipping at graves tantamount to [[idolatry]], and seeks to purify the community of unbelievers. It has used bulldozers to crush buildings and archaeological sites.<ref name="Dickey-7.7.14" /> [[Bernard Haykel]] has described al-Baghdadi's creed as "a kind of untamed [[Wahhabism]]", saying, "For Al Qaeda, violence is a means to an ends; for ISIS, it is an end in itself".<ref name=ISIS-NYT /> The destruction by ISIL in July 2014 of the [[Mosques and shrines of Mosul|tomb and shrine of the prophet Yunus]] – [[Jonah]] in Christianity – the 13th-century mosque of [[Yahya Muhammad Hamid ed-Din|Imam Yahya Abu al-Qassimin]], the 14th-century shrine of prophet Jerjis – [[Saint George|St George]] to Christians – and the attempted destruction of the [[Mosques and shrines of Mosul|Hadba]] minaret at the 12th-century [[Mosques and shrines of Mosul|Great Mosque of Al-Nuri]] have been described as "an unchecked outburst of extreme Wahhabism".<ref name=Al-Alawi>{{cite web |last1=Al-Alawi |first1=Irfan |title=Extreme Wahhabism on Display in Shrine Destruction in Mosul |url=http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4574/jonah-shrine-destruction |publisher=Gatestone Institute |accessdate=4 October 2014}}</ref> "There were explosions that destroyed buildings dating back to the [[Assyria]]n era", said [[National Museum of Iraq]] director Qais Rashid, referring to the destruction of the shrine of Yunus. He cited another case where "Daesh (ISIL) gathered over 1,500 manuscripts from convents and other holy places and burnt all of them in the middle of the city square".<ref name="abc.net.au">{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-30/islamic-state-pillaging-iraqi-artefacts2c-unesco-warns/5777990 |title=Islamic State: Jihadists destroying and looting Iraqi heritage sites for artefacts, UNESCO warns |publisher=ABC News |agency=Agence France-Presse}}</ref> In March 2015, ISIL reportedly bulldozed the 13th-century BC Assyrian city of [[Nimrud]], believing its sculptures to be idolatrous. [[UNESCO]] head, [[Irina Bokova]], deemed this to be a war crime.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nimrud: Outcry as IS bulldozers attack ancient Iraq site |url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31760656 |accessdate=6 March 2015 |publisher=BBC News |date=6 March 2015}}</ref>
ISIL has burned or stolen collections of books and papers from the various locations including the Central Library of Mosul (which they rigged with explosives and burned down),<ref>{{cite web |first=Johnlee |last=Varghese |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.in/isis-burns-down-mosul-library-destroys-8000-rare-books-manuscripts-624375 |title=Isis Burns Down Mosul Library, Destroys 8,000 Rare Books and Manuscripts |publisher=Ibtimes.co.in |date=24 February 2015 |accessdate=21 May 2016}}</ref> the library at the [[University of Mosul]], a Sunni Muslim library, a 265-year-old Latin Church and Monastery of the Dominican Fathers, and the Mosul Museum Library. Some destroyed or stolen works date back to 5000 BCE and include "Iraq newspapers dating to the early 20th century, maps and books from the Ottoman Empire, and book collections contributed by about 100 of Mosul's establishment families." The stated goal is to destroy all non-Islamic books.
==The end of ISIS==
On 21 November, Major general [[Qasem Soleimani]] sent a letter to Iran’s leader and gave information about the end of ISIS by gaining control of [[Abu Kamal]] in [[Syria]]. He stated,” This humble person, as a soldier called upon by your eminence to serve on this battlefield, announces the termination of the rule of this vicious cursed entity, following the completion of the liberation operation of Abu Kamal as ISIS' last fort, bringing down the flag of this US-Zionist made terrorist group, raising the flag of Syria.”<ref>{{cite web|last1=Staff|first1=writer|title=Gen. Soleimani congratulates Ayatollah Khamenei and Muslims on ISIS termination|url=http://english.khamenei.ir/news/5283/Gen-Soleimani-congratulates-Ayatollah-Khamenei-and-Muslims-on|website=english.khamenei|accessdate=21 November 2017}}</ref> Also the end of ISIS is announced by Iranian president , [[Hassan Rouhani]] in live program on state TV.<ref>{{cite web|last1=McKernan|first1=Bethan|title=Iran declares 'the end of Isis' in live state TV broadcast|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-isis-islamic-state-end-hassan-rouhani-president-live-state-tv-broadcast-latest-a8066551.html|accessdate=21 November 2017}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web|last1=MCLAUGHLIN|first1=KELLY|title='ISIS is over': Iranian president declares terror group has been destroyed Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5103045/Iranian-president-declares-end-Islamic-State.html#ixzz4z4WUZ0uM Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5103045/Iranian-president-declares-end-Islamic-State.html|website=dailymail|accessdate=21 november 2017}}</ref>
== See also ==
{{Wikipedia books
|1=Islamic terrorism
|3=Islamic terrorist groups
}}
{{Portal|Arab World|Iraq|Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|Syria|Syrian Civil War|Terrorism}}
* [[Violent extremism]]
* [[List of armed groups in the Iraqi Civil War]]
* [[List of armed groups in the Syrian Civil War]]
* [[List of wars and battles involving ISIL]]
* ''[[Management of Savagery]]''
* [[Operation Inherent Resolve]]
* [[Islamic Military Alliance]]
* [[Rape during the Syrian Civil War]]
{{clear}}
== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=note}}
== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
== Bibliography ==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last=Abass |first=Ademola |year=2014 |title=Complete International Law: Text, Cases and Materials |edition=2nd |location=Oxford |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |ref=harv}}
* {{Cite book |last=Al-Yaqoubi |first=Muhammad |authorlink=Muhammad al-Yaqoubi |year=2015 |title=[[Refuting ISIS: A Rebuttal Of Its Religious And Ideological Foundations]] |publisher=Sacred Knowledge |isbn=978-1-908224-12-5}}
* {{cite news |last1=Boffey |first1=Daniel |title='Islamic State' is a slur on our faith, say leading Muslims |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/13/term-islamic-state-slur-faith-david-cameron |work=The Guardian}}
* {{Cite book |ref={{harvid|Bowering|2013}}
|title = The Princeton Encyclopedia of Islamic Political Thought |editor=Gerhard Böwering |url={{Google books|q1I0pcrFFSUC|plainurl=y}} |publisher=Princeton University Press |date = 2013 |isbn=978-0-691-13484-0}}
* {{cite new |last=Chulov |first=Martin |date=11 December 2014 |title=Isis: the inside story |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/11/-sp-isis-the-inside-story}}
* {{cite journal |last=Fishman |first=Brian |year=2008 |title=Using the Mistakes of al Qaeda's Franchises to Undermine Its Strategies |journal=Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science |volume=618 |pages=46–54 |jstor=40375774 |ref=harv |doi=10.1177/0002716208316650}}
* {{cite news |last=Fraile Ordonez |first=Siobhan |title=The Non-Islamic Non-State |url=http://foreignaffairsreview.co.uk/2015/09/the-non-islamic-non-state/ |work=St Andrews Foreign Affairs Review |date=28 September 2015}}
* {{cite magazine |last=Simon |first=Steven |year=2008 |title=The Price of the Surge: How U.S. Strategy Is Hastening Iraq's Demise |url=http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/63398/steven-simon/the-price-of-the-surge |magazine=[[Foreign Affairs]] |volume=87 |number=3 |pages=57–72, 74–76 |jstor=20032651 |ref=harv}}
* {{cite journal |last=Tausch |first=Arno |title=Estimates on the Global Threat of Islamic State Terrorism in the Face of the 2015 Paris and Copenhagen Attacks |work=Middle East Review of International Affairs |publisher=Rubin Center, Research in International Affairs, Idc Herzliya, Israel |volume=19 |issue=1 |date=Spring 2015 |ssrn=2702356 |url=http://www.rubincenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Tausch-YC1-revised-YC-au1-ADDED-GRAPHS-PDF.pdf}}
* {{cite news |author-link=Graeme C.A. Wood |last=Wood |first=Graeme |date=March 2015 |title=What ISIS Really Wants |work=[[The Atlantic]] |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2015/02/what-isis-really-wants/384980/}}
{{Refend}}
== External links ==
{{Sister project links | wikt=ISIS | commons=Category:Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant | b = no | n = Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant | q = Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant | s=no | v=no | voy=no | species = no| d=no | mw= no}}
* [http://www.cfr.org/iraq/islamic-state/p14811 The Islamic State]. The [[Council on Foreign Relations]]
* [http://www.counterextremism.com/threat/isis ISIS], [[Counter Extremism Project]] profile
* [http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35695648 Islamic State group: The full story]. [[BBC News]]
* ''[[Frontline (U.S. TV series)|Frontline]]'': [http://video.pbs.org/video/2365297690/ ''Losing Iraq''] (July 2014), [https://web.archive.org/web/20150906175013/http://video.pbs.org/video/2365356572/ ''The Rise of ISIS''] (October 2014), [http://video.pbs.org/video/2365496883/ ''Obama at War''] (May 2015), [http://video.pbs.org/video/2365527957/ ''Escaping ISIS''] (July 2015), documentaries by [[PBS]]
* [https://www.vice.com/video/islamic-state-full-length ''The Islamic State – Full Length''], documentary by [[Vice News]] (August 2014)
* [http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/Data/articles/Art_20733/101_14_Ef_1329270214.pdf "ISIS: Portrait of a Jihadi Terrorist Organization"] – Report by the [[Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center]].
* [http://www.chechensinsyria.com/ From Chechnya To Syria] & Analysis of Russian-speaking Foreign Fighters in Syria
* [http://www.defense.gov/News/Special-Reports/0814_Inherent-Resolve Operation Inherent Resolve updates]
* [http://www.agathocledesyracuse.com/ ISIL frontline maps (Iraq and Syria)]
* [http://jihadology.net/category/the-islamic-state/ The Islamic State – Jihadology] Research project by Aaron Zelin
* [[Gabi Siboni]], [http://www.inss.org.il/uploadImages/systemFiles/The%20Military%20Power%20of%20the%20Islamic%20State%20%20Gabi%20Siboni260750900.pdf The Military Power of the Islamic State], a chapter inside "'''The Lessons of Operation Protective Edge'''", eds. Yoram Schweitzer and Omer Einav, [[Institute for National Security Studies (Israel)|INSS]], 2016.
* Tal Koren and [[Gabi Siboni]], [http://www.inss.org.il/uploadImages/systemFiles/No.%20601%20-%20Tal%20and%20Gabi%20for%20web.pdf Cyberspace in the Service of ISIS], [[Institute for National Security Studies (Israel)|INSS]] Insight No. 601, 4 September 2014.
* [https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/the-group-that-calls-itself-a-state-understanding-the-evolution-and-challenges-of-the-islamic-state "The Group That Calls Itself a State"] – Publication by the [[Combating Terrorism Center]] of West Point, [[The United States Military Academy]].
* [http://www.islamicsupremecouncil.com/historic-islamic-edict-fatwa-on-joining-isis-isil/ "Historic Islamic Edict (Fatwa) on Joining ISIS/ISIL"] – from [[Islamic Supreme Council of Canada]]
{{Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant}}
{{Military intervention against ISIL}}
{{Islamism}}
{{Syrian Civil War}}
{{Armed Iraqi groups in the Iraq War and the Iraq Civil War}}
{{Islamic terrorism in Europe}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1999 establishments in Asia]]
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[[Category:Totalitarian states]]' |
