CALIPH AND CALIPHATE

A caliphate is an Islamic state led by a supreme religious and political leader known as a caliph – i.e.

"successor" – to Muhammad. In the context of Islam, however, the word “caliph” acquires a narrower

meaning. The Muslim Khalifa (caliph) is the successor (in a line of successors) to Prophet Muhammad's

position as the political, military, and administrative leader of the Muslims. The prophetic role of

Muhammad is strictly not included in this definition, as the Qur'an and Hadith clearly state that

Muhammad was the last of the prophets. The successions of Muslim empires that have existed in

the Muslim world are usually described as "caliphates". Conceptually, a caliphate represents

a sovereign polity (state) of the entire Muslim faithful (the Ummah, i.e. a sovereign nation state) ruled

by a single caliph under the Constitution of Medina and Islamic law (sharia).

The original Caliphate was established in the year 632 in the Arabian peninsula, and the title of Caliph,

or Khalif, was given to Abu Bakr as-Siddiq who became the first leader, after the death of the Prophet

Muhammad. The Caliph Abu Bakr as-Siddiq was a friend and companion of the Prophet Muhammad,

though Shi'ite Muslims dispute the legitimacy of his leadership and believe that Ali, his son-in-law,

should have been chosen instead. The first four Caliphs are known as the Rashidun in Sunni

Islam, which means "The Rightly Guided" or "Righteous" Caliphs.

The Rashidun Caliphate exhibited elements of direct democracy (shura).

The Sunni branch of Islam stipulates that as a head of state, a caliph should be elected by Muslims or

their representatives. Followers of Shia Islam, however, believe a caliph should be an Imam chosen

by God (Allah) from the Ahl al-Bayt (the "Family of the House", Muhammad's direct descendents). From

the end of the Rashidun period until 1924, caliphates, sometimes two at a single time, real and

illusory, were ruled by dynasties. The first of these was the Umayyad dynasty, followed by the several

other sometimes competing claimants and finally the Ottoman dynasty.

Leader system Electing or appointing a Caliph

The standard Arabian practice during the early Caliphates was for the prominent men of a kinship

group, or tribe, to gather after a leader's death and elect a leader from amongst themselves, although

there was no specified procedure for this shura, or consultative assembly. Candidates were usually

from the same lineage as the deceased leader, but they were not necessarily his sons. Capable men

who would lead well were preferred over an ineffectual direct heir, as there was no basis in the

majority Sunni view that the head of state or governor should be chosen based on lineage alone.

This argument is advanced by Sunni Muslims, who believe that Muhammad's companion Abu Bakr was

elected by the community and that this was the proper procedure. They further argue that a caliph is

ideally chosen by election or community consensus.

Traditionally, Sunni Muslim schools of law all agreed that a caliph must be a descendant of the Quraysh

tribe. Abu Bakr Al-Baqillani has said that the leader of the Muslims simply should be from the majority.

The founder of the biggest Sunni legal school, Abu Hanifa, also wrote that the Caliph must be chosen

by the majority.

The legitimacy of the Khalifah depends on the Bai'ah, the Pledge of Allegiance of the People, and as long as he could perform the following functions:

1. The defence and maintenance of religion 2. The decision of legal dispute 3. The protection of territory of Islam 4. The punishment of the wrong doers 5. The provision of troop for guarding the frontiers 6. The waging of Jihad against the Kafir Harbi 7. The organization and collection pf zakat 8. The payment of salary and administration of public fund 9. The appointment of competent officials 10. Personal attention to the detail of the government

The prerequisites to becoming the Khalifa:

1. The Khalifa must be Muslim. 2. He must be a man. 3. He must be knowledgeable in Islam, and be able to make independent decisions if necessary. 4. He must be just, have good morals, and be trustworthy. 5. He must be physically able (non-handicapped), spiritual, brave, and helpful to protect the

Ummah against its enemies. His eyes, ears, tongue, and body in general should be in working condition. Today, for example, an artificial limb could be used to offset an otherwise crippling injury.

6. He must be politically, militarily, and administratively experienced. 7. He must be from The Tribe of Quraish because they used to be the leading tribe, the majority.

Sunni belief

Following the death of Muhammad, a meeting took place at Saqifah. At that meeting, Abu Bakr was

elected caliph by the Muslim community. Sunni Muslims developed the belief that the caliph is a

temporal political ruler, appointed to rule within the bounds of Islamic law (Sharia). The job of

adjudicating orthodoxy and Islamic law was left to Islamic lawyers, judiciary, or specialists individually

termed as Mujtahids and collectively named the Ulema. Many Muslims call the first four caliphs the

Rashidun meaning the Rightly Guided Caliphs, because they are believed to have followed the Qur'an

and the sunnah (example) of Muhammad.

Shi’a belief

Shia Muslims believe in the Imamate, in which the rulers are Imams divinely chosen, infallible, and

sinless from Muhammad's family – Ahl al-Bayt literally "People of the House (of Muhammad)" regardless

of majority opinion, shura or election. They claim that before his death, Muhammad had given many

indications, in Ghadir Khumm particularly, that he considered Ali, his cousin and son-in-law, as his

successor. As per Twelver/Ithna Ashery Shia, Ali and his eleven descendants, the twelve Imams, are

believed to have been considered, even before their birth, as the only valid Islamic rulers appointed

and decreed by God.

After these twelve Imams, the potential Caliphs, had passed, and in the absence of the possibility of a

government headed by their Imams, some Sh'a believe it was necessary that a system of Shia Islamic

government based on Vilayat-e Faqih be developed, due to the need for some form of government,

where an Islamic jurist or faqih rules Muslims, suffices. However this idea, developed by

the Marja (Ayatollah) Ruhollah Khomeini and established in Iran, is not universally accepted among

Shias.

Ismailis, Fatimids and Dawoodi Bohra believe in the Imamate principle mentioned above, but they need

not be ruler. To safeguard divine authority of Allah the "Din", from politics of World "Duniya" the

'external World', they have instituted office of Dai al-Mutlaq even from the era of their 21st

Imam Tayyab (1130 AD), under jurisdiction of Suleyhid Queen, as Imam was under seclusion. In the

twelver shia also many Imams were not ruler, and they sacrificed much to upheld "Din".

The Majlis-ash-Shura

The Majlis-ash-Shura is an advisory council or consultative council. In Islamic context, it is one of the two ways that a Caliph may be selected, the other way being by nomination.

There is no fixed size for this group, however, it is generally agreed that it should not be too large. The members must be adults (in Islam, this means anyone who has entered puberty), and of sound mind. These members are chosen by the various communities in the ummah.

The prerequisites of being a member of this group vary in the opinion of scholars. A general gist has been provided below.

Each member must be a man, knowledgeable, above average relatively, and Muslim. The members must have enough knowledge to select he who can be Khalifa - enough Islamic knowledge in particular, and wisdom and judgment in general.

The Majlis-ash-Shura should be the best of the ummah, composed of the scholars, leaders, soldiers, businessmen, and respected people of the society. All the members should have deep knowledge of Islam as a basic prerequisite. They must be people whose opinions and decisions are obeyed and respected. The Majlis-ash-Shura should have people from many fields of expertise to ensure a broad base of support and knowledge. It acts as an intermediary between the people and the Khalifa. The most qualified people to be in the Majlis-ash-Shura are the leaders of the different 'tribes', the Muslim scholars, and those experienced in life (i.e., experts in non-Islamic fields like economics, engineering, medicine, etc.). These are also the ones who represent the ummah and who can speak against the ummah.

How the Majlis-Ash-Shura selects the Khalifa

There are four conditions which must be met for the Majlis-Ash-Shura to legitimately select a new Khalifa:

1. There must currently be no existing Khalifa. 2. A qualified and willing individual must accept his nomination by the Majlis-Ash-Shura. 3. The nominee must have been selected freely by the Majlis-Ash-Shura - and the members of the

Majlis-Ash-Shura must give him their oath of allegiance (bay'a). 4. The bay'a must be given to the nominee by the general populace - though some scholars say

this is optional.

When the Majlis-ash-Shura votes for the Khalifa, the members must formally select one of the candidates, and there must be no objection against that candidate which can be supported by evidence. However, Muslim scholars have differed on the number of members in the Majlis-ash-Shura needed to select a Khalifa from the list of candidates. Some scholars say that at least a majority of the Majlis-ash-Shura must agree on the new Khalifa.

Using force to choose the Khalifa

One way the Khalifa may be chosen is through the use of force. Many Muslim scholars say that if a person has already seized power, then to avoid Muslim bloodshed that person should be accepted if he upholds his duties as the Khalifa of the Muslim ummah. Some believe that if a Khalifa has seized power, it is haram to fight him. However, he must meet his responsibilities under Islam.

Ash-Shafi'i believed that a person who seizes power and then is accepted by the people is a legitimate Khalifa. An-Nawawi believed that if someone forces himself on the ummah, but is qualified, then he should be accepted by the people to avoid Muslim bloodshed and to preserve Muslim unity. An-Nawawi also claimed that if the new Khalifa subsequently does not follow the sunnah of the Prophet precisely,

it would still be questionable to fight against him because of the paramount importance of avoiding Muslim bloodshed and disunity.

Ibn Khaldun, Al-Asqalani and Al-Juwayni all believed that forceful seizure of power by someone is legitimate as long as he follows Islam as the new Khalifa. Ibn Taymiya wrote that after someone has seized power, he is legitimate so long as he follows the Qur'an and Sunnah. All scholars are in unanimous agreement that using force to displace an already established Khalifa who is meeting his responsibilities is forbidden

Disobeying and Removing the Khalifa

Many Muslim scholars have commented on when it is permissible to disobey or remove the Khalifa, which is normally forbidden when the Khalifa is meeting all his responsibilities under Islam. Al-Mawardi believed that if the Khalifa has followed the Qur'an and Sunnah, the people must follow and support him. On the other hand, if he becomes either unjust or handicapped to the point of ineffectiveness (such as blindness or an amputation), then he must be removed.

Al-Baghdadi believed that if the Khalifa deviates from justice, the ummah needs to warn him first to return to the straight path. If this fails, then he can be removed. Al-Juwayni held that since Islam is the goal of the ummah, any Khalifa who steps away from this goal must be removed. Ashighistani wrote that if the Khalifa is found to be ignorant, oppressive, indifferent, or a kafir after his selection, then he must be removed. Al-Ghazali believed that an oppressive Khalifa must be told to desist from his crimes. If he does not, then he must be removed.

Al-Iji believed the ummah has a definite list of permissible reasons to remove the Khalifa. Al-Asqalani wrote that if the Khalifa starts to act as an unbeliever, it is prohibited to obey him and obligatory to fight him. It is obligatory to stand against him if one can - and this entails a big reward. Those people who choose to ignore the situation are in sin, whereas those who cannot fight should emigrate (to organize resistance). Al-Asqalani used two ayahs from the Qur'an in particular to support his position. The first is from surat Al-Ahzab 67-68, "...And they would say, 'Our Lord! We obeyed our chiefs and our great ones, and they deceived us as to the right path. Our Lord! Give them a double penalty and curse them with a very great curse'...", and the second is from surat Al-Baqara 167,"...And those who followed would say, 'If only we had one more chance, we would clear ourselves of them, as they have cleared themselves of us.' Thus will Allah show them (the fruits of) their deeds as (nothing but) regrets. Nor will there be a way for them out of the Fire..."

The Khalifa must be seriously and unrepentantly off the straight path if he is to be accused of kufr (concealing the truth). Actions like neglecting prayers, ignoring the fast, and claiming that the Qur'aan and Sunnah are outdated are the types of crimes that indicate kufr on the part of the Khalifa.In such circumstances, he must be warned quietly first before taking any physical action against him. However, in cases where the Khalifa is not a kafir, but is simply very belligerent (e.g., seizing the land of others unjustly), the people are obligated to yield their rights (including possessions) to avoid bloodshed.

The Removal of the Khalifa

The Majlis-ash-Shura is the body which has the authority to remove the Khalifa if he behaves contrary to Islam. At first, the Majlis-ash-Shura must advise the Khalifa of his deviant behavior, and warn him to stop. If the Khalifa does not change, then he must be told to resign. If he refuses and threatens to use physical force to stay on (e.g., a corrupt army backs him), then the Muslim ummah has these options available to it at that point: Fight him, according to some scholars. Be patient, and let him lead, to avoid Muslim bloodshed. This is the strongest opinion: the majority of the ahl-ul-hadith and scholars of the Sunnah advocate this view.

Depending on the circumstance, either fight or be patient according to some scholars. When should the ummah have to fight? Muslim scholars all agree that fighting is obligatory on the ummah when the Khalifa starts to alter Islamic doctrine and practice. This makes him a clear kafir. Some scholars say that the Khalifa can be fought even when he becomes only a fasiq - e.g., he believes in prayer, but does not do it regularly.

WHAT IS THE ISIS?

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), alternately translated as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, also known by the Arabic acronym DAISH, now

called simply the Islamic State (IS), is an unrecognized state and active jihadist militant group in Iraq and Syria.

The group, in its original form, was composed of and supported by a variety of Sunni insurgent groups, including its predecessor organizations, the Mujahideen Shura Council, the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) and Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), the insurgent groups Jaysh al-Fatiheen, Jund al-Sahaba, Katbiyan Ansar Al-Tawhid wal Sunnah and Jeish al-Taiifa al-Mansoura, and a number of Iraqi tribes that profess Sunni Islam.

ISIS grew significantly as an organization owing to its participation in the Syrian Civil War and the strength of its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Economic and political discrimination against Iraqi Sunnis since the fall of Saddam Hussein also helped it to gain support. At the height of the Iraq War, its forerunners enjoyed a significant presence in the Iraqi governorates of Al Anbar, Ninawa, Kirkuk, most of Salah ad Din, parts of Babil,Diyala and Baghdad, and claimed Baqubah as a capital city. In the ongoing Syrian Civil War, ISIS has a large presence in the Syrian governorates of Ar-Raqqa, Idlib and Aleppo.

ISIS is known for its harsh Wahhabist interpretation of Islam, and brutal violence directed at Shia Muslims and Christians in particular. It has at least 4,000 fighters in its ranks who, in addition to attacks on government and military targets, have claimed responsibility for attacks that have killed thousands of civilians. ISIS had close links with al-Qaeda until February of this year. After an eight-month power struggle, al-Qaeda cut all ties with the group, reportedly for its "notorious intractability" and wanton brutality.

ISIS’s original aim was to establish a caliphate in the Sunni-majority regions of Iraq. Following its involvement in the Syrian Civil War, this expanded to include controlling Sunni-majority areas of Syria. A caliphate was proclaimed on 29 June 2014, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi—now known as Amir al-Mu'minin Caliph Ibrahim—was named as its caliph, and the group was renamed the Islamic State.

Ideology and beliefs ISIS is an extremist group which follows al-Qaeda's hard-line ideology and adheres to global jihadist

principles. Like al-Qaeda and many other modern-day jihadist groups, ISIS emerged from the ideology

of the Muslim Brotherhood, the world’s first Islamist group dating back to the late-1920s in

Egypt, which follows an extreme anti-Western interpretation of Islam, promotes religious violence and

regards those who do not agree with its interpretation as infidels and apostates. Concurrently, it aims

to establish a Salafist-orientated Islamist state in Iraq, Syria and other parts of the Levant. ISIS's

ideology originates in the branch of modern Islam that aims to return to the early days of Islam,

rejecting later “innovations” in the religion which they believe corrupt its original spirit. They

condemn later caliphates and the Ottoman empire for deviating from what they call pure Islam and

hence have been attempting to establish their own caliphate. Some Sunni scholars, Zaid Hamid, for

example, and even Salafi and jihadi muftis say that ISIS and related terrorist groups are not Sunnis,

but Kharijite heretics serving an imperial anti-Islamic agenda.

The establishment of a pure Islamic state has been one of ISIS's main goals. One of the main significant

differences between Al-Nusra Front and ISIS is that ISIS tends to be more focused on establishing its

own rule on conquered territory. ISIS is far more ruthless in building an Islamic state, carrying out

sectarian attacks and imposing sharia law immediately. Finally, on 29 June 2014, ISIS removed "Iraq

and the Levant" from its name and began to refer to itself as the Islamic State, declaring its occupied

territory a new caliphate.

The group recently released a video entitled "The End of Sykes–Picot" featuring an English-speaking

Chilean national named Abu Safiyya. The video announced the group's intention to eliminate all modern

borders between Islamic Middle Eastern countries, referring in particular to the borders set by the

Sykes–Picot agreement during World War I.

Territorial claims On 13 October 2006, the group announced the establishment of the Islamic State of Iraq, which

claimed authority over the Iraqi governorates of Baghdad, Anbar, Diyala, Kirkuk,Salah al-Din, Ninawa,

and parts of Babel. Following the 2013 expansion of the group into Syria and the announcement of the

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the number of provinces that it claimed increased to 16. In

addition to the seven Iraqi provinces, the Syrian divisions, largely lying along existing provincial

boundaries, are Al Barakah, Al Kheir, Al Raqqah, Al Badiya, Halab, Idlib, Hama, Damascus and

the Coast.

In Syria, ISIS's seat of power is in Ar-Raqqah Governorate. Top ISIS leaders, including Abu Bakr al-

Baghdadi, are known to have visited its provincial capital, Raqqah.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

January 2014

• 3 January: ISIS proclaimed an Islamic state in Fallujah. In response, the Army of the Mujahideen,

the Free Syrian Army and the Islamic Front launched an offensive against ISIS-held territory in the

Syrian provinces of Aleppo and Idlib. A spokesman for the rebels said that rebels had attacked ISIS

in up to 80% of all ISIS-held villages in Idlib and 65% of those in Aleppo.

• 4 January: ISIS claimed responsibility for the car-bomb attack on 2 January that killed four people

and wounded dozens in the southern Beirut suburb of Haret Hreik, a Hezbollah bastion.

• By 6 January, Syrian rebels had managed to expel ISIS forces from the city of Raqqa, ISIS's largest

stronghold and capital of Raqqa province. Several weeks later ISIS took the city back.

• 8 January: Syrian rebels expelled most ISIS forces from the city of Aleppo. However, ISIS

reinforcements from Deir ez-Zor province managed to retake several neighborhoods of the city of

Raqqa. By mid-January ISIS fighters had retaken the entire city of Raqqa, while rebels expelled ISIS

fighters fully from Aleppo city and the villages west of it.

• 25 January: ISIS announced the creation of its new Lebanese arm, pledging to fight

the Shia militant group Hezbollah and its supporters in Lebanon.

• 29 January: Turkish aircraft near the border fired on an ISIS convoy inside the Aleppo province of

Syria, killing 11 ISIS fighters and one ISIS emir.

• 30 January: ISIS fired on border patrol soldiers in Turkey. In return, the Turkish Army retaliated

with Panter howitzers and destroyed the ISIS convoy.

• In late January, it was confirmed that Syrian rebels had assassinated ISIS's second-in-command,

Haji Bakr, who was al-Qaeda's military council head and a former military officer in Saddam

Hussein's army.

February 2014

• 3 February: Al-Qaeda's general command claimed that it had no links with ISIS, apparently to

redirect the Islamist effort towards unseating President Bashar al-Assad.

• By mid-February, Al-Nusra Front had joined the battle in support of rebel forces, and expelled ISIS

forces from Deir ez-Zor province in Syria.

March 2014

• By March, ISIS forces had fully retreated from the Idlib province of Syria after battles against the

Syrian rebels.

• 4 March: ISIS retreated from the Aleppo province-Turkey border town of Azaz and other nearby

villages, choosing instead to consolidate around Raqqa in anticipation of an escalation of fighting

with Al-Nusra.

• 8 March: During an interview with French television channel, France24, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri

al-Maliki accused Saudi Arabia and Qatar of openly funding ISIS.

• 20 March: In Niğde city in Turkey, three ethnic Albanian members of ISIS—Benjamin Xu, Çendrim

Ramadani and Muhammed Zakiri—opened fire while hijacking a truck which killed one police

officer and one gendarmerie officer and wounded five people. Shortly after their arrest, Polis Özel

Harekat teams launched a series of operations against ISIS in İstanbul. Police found documents and

an ISIS flag in one place and two Azerbaijanis were arrested.

April 2014

• 27 April: Iraqi military helicopters reportedly attacked and destroyed an ISIS convoy of eight

vehicles inside Syria. This may be the first time that Iraqi forces have struck outside their country

since the Gulf War.

May 2014

• 1 May: ISIS carried out a total of seven public executions in Raqqa, northern Syria. Pictures that

emerged from the city of Raqqa show how ISIS had been carrying out public crucifixions in areas

under its control. In most of these crucifixions, the victims were shot first and their bodies then

displayed, but there were also reports of crucifixion preceding being shot or decapitated. In one

case a man was said to have been "crucified alive for eight hours", but there was no indication of

whether he died.

June 2014

• In early June, following its large-scale offensives in Iraq, ISIS was reported to have seized

control of most of Mosul, the second most populous city in Iraq, a large part of the

surrounding Nineveh province, and the city of Fallujah. ISIS also took control of Tikrit, the

administrative center of the Salah ad Din Governorate, with the ultimate goal of

capturing Baghdad, the Iraqi capital. ISIS was believed to have only 2,000–3,000 fighters up until

the Mosul campaign, but during that campaign it became evident that this number was a gross

underestimate.

• Also in June, there were reports that a number of Sunni groups in Iraq that were opposed to the

predominantly Shia government had joined ISIS, thus bolstering the group's numbers. However,

the Kurds—who are mostly Sunnis—in the northeast of Iraq were unwilling to be drawn into the

conflict, and there were clashes in the area between ISIS and the Kurdish Peshmerga.

• 5 June: ISIS militants stormed the city of Samarra, Iraq, before being ousted from the city by

airstrikes mounted by the Iraqi military.

• 6 June: ISIS militants carried out multiple attacks in the city of Mosul, Iraq.

• 7 June: ISIS militants took over the University of Anbar in Ramadi, Iraq, and held 1,300 students

hostage before being ousted by the Iraqi military.

• 9 June: Mosul fell to ISIS control. The militants seized control of government offices, the airport

and police stations. Militants also looted the Central Bank in Mosul, absconding with US$429

million. More than 500,000 people fled Mosul to escape ISIS. Mosul is a strategic city as it is a

crossroad between Syria and Iraq, and poses the threat of ISIS seizing control of oil production.

• 11 June: ISIS seized the Turkish consulate in the Iraqi city of Mosul and kidnapped the head of the

diplomatic mission and several staff members. ISIS seized the Iraqi city of Tikrit.

• 12 June: Human Rights Watch, an international human rights advocacy organization, issued a

statement about the growing threat to civilians in Iraq.

• 13 June: Navi Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed alarm at reports that ISIS

fighters "have been actively seeking out—and in some cases killing—soldiers, police and others,

including civilians, whom they perceive as being associated with the government".

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad on 23 June 2014

• 15 June: ISIS militants captured the Iraqi city of Tal Afar in the province of Nineveh. ISIS claimed

that 1,700 Iraqi soldiers who had surrendered in the fighting had been executed, and released

many images of mass executions via its Twitter feed and various website.

• 22 June: ISIS militants captured two key crossings in Anbar, a day after seizing Al-Qa'im border

crossing at Qaim, a town in the province that borders Syria. According to analysts, capturing these

crossings could help ISIS transport weapons and equipment to different battlefields.

• 24 June: The Syrian Air Force bombed ISIS positions in Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-

Maliki stated: "There was no coordination involved, but we welcome this action. We welcome any

Syrian strike against Isis because this group targets both Iraq and Syria."

• 25 June: Al-Nusra Front's branch in the Syrian town of al-Bukamal pledged loyalty to ISIS, thus

bringing to a close months of fighting between the two groups.

• 26 June: Iraq launched its first counter-attack against the ISIS advance with an airborne assault

designed to seize back control of Tikrit University.

• 28 June: The Jerusalem Post reported that the Obama administration had requested US$500 million

from the US Congress to use in the training and arming of "moderate"Syrian rebels fighting against

the Syrian government in order to counter the growing threat posed by ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

• Iraq has reportedly purchased used Sukhoi fighter jets from Russia and Belarus to battle ISIS

militants after delays in the delivery of F-16 fighters purchased from the US. In an interview with

the BBC Arabic service, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said, "[If] we had air cover, we would have

averted what [has] happened".

• 29 June: ISIS announced the establishment of a new caliphate. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was appointed

as caliph, and the group formally changed its name to "Islamic State".

July 2014

• 2 July: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed caliph of the new Islamic State, said that Muslims

should unite to capture Rome in order to "own the world". He called on Muslims the world over to

unite behind him as their leader.

• 3 July: ISIS captured Syria's largest oil field from rival Islamist fighters, Al-Nusra Front, facing no

resistance from them. Taking control of the al-Omar oil field gave ISIS crude oil reserves which

could be useful to its advancing fighters.

THE QUESTION OF LEGITIMACY

The ISIS’s declaration of the caliphate opens up the debate of its legitimacy. It has been nearly a

century since the last caliphate dissolved with the end of the Ottoman Empire. The foremost question

on the establishment of the present caliphate is about its nature. The ISIS is infamous for its

persecution of Shi’a muslims, which questions the nature of Islam as a peaceful religion. The original

caliphates were not known to distinguish between the two factions of muslims. Both Shi’as and Sunnis

coexisted peacefully under the earlier regimes. The caliph is distinctly responsible for maintaining this

peace and sense of order in the caliphate. Keeping that in mind, one cannot disregard the fact that the

ISIS has been a poor example in this regard, killing innocent civilians, including women and children.

The ideals of the caliphate are necessarily in tandem with and reflect the ideals of Islam. What kind of

a caliphate would the ISIS come to represent, then? More importantly, if the ISIS declaration is

accepted and approved, what implications would this have on Islam as a religion which preaches peace

as its foremost ideal?

The new caliph’s relative unknown status is also a very important factor. Most of the general public

over whom he is supposed to rule is oblivious to his existence. A caliph is supposed to be a uniting

figure, but the ISIS deals in politics of division, besides creating a reign of terror (one cannot overlook

that the ISIS has its roots in terrorism). Moreover, the lack of influence which the ISIS has over a vast

majority of the muslim population it declares to now bring under its auspices is a noteworthy aspect of

its declaration. The caliphate it intends to set up may not have any relevance outside the areas of its

direct (terror-inspired?) influence. This area of course contains a minority of the muslim population in

the world. It seems oddly humorous to imagine a muslim in India, or even Pakistan, pledge allegiance

to the new caliph.

Indeed, many believe the ISIS’s declaration to be a cruel joke, verging on sacrilege. The term “Caliph”

means “successor” and is given to the person anointed to carry on the message of the Prophet

Muhammad. The Caliph is supposed to be the Prophet’s representative, his voice, and the embodiment

of his values. No single Muslim, or group of Muslims, has the right to “create” a Caliphate.

Such technical issues apart, it is of paramount importance to consider that the ISIS is an unrecognized

state.