Ian_W
Banned
ISIS follow the Quran and Hadiths literally.
Just to pick one issue, are you really classing methamphetamines as not-wine ?!
ISIS follow the Quran and Hadiths literally.
Having been a Muslim...
I won't go into any further details since I'm wary of being banned or anything.
Byzantine fanatic & all,
If anything, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is just an ISIS that managed to last long enough to become "legitimate" in its power and control.
I wonder if a western bankrolled super-liberal caliphate would be possible.There is a basis for the belief that a Caliphate would, indeed, be in a position to enact Sharia. One of the principles of a Sharia state is, obviously, that Sharia becomes the law of the land. But there are some scholars that argue that Sharia "law" is not, strictly speaking, valid unless there is a Caliph. This is because of the Caliph's unique role, as a head of state, who also combines religious authority with his stately duties. A state that lacks a Caliph, therefore, cannot in theory be a true "Sharia" state.
The ISIS form of Islam is a specific and rather modernist version, which confusingly derives from Wahhabist/Salafist ideology emerging into its present form in the 20th century. You're correct that Salafism does indeed stem from an attempt to get back to the "Salaf" - the time of the prophet. I'm personally of the opinion that there is absolutely nothing "Islamic" about ISIS, but then that's just my opinion. Ultimately there's never going to be agreement out there in the world on what Islam is or isn't, neither inside the Muslim world, let alone outside it (or on the internet). Like any religion (Christianity comes to mind) there are an almost infinite number of interpretations, and while one can argue persuasively that any particular version is "wrong", that isn't going to stop people in different times and places interpreting it in a way that suits themselves and whatever agenda they may have.
Atrocities are in my opinion one of the key reasons for the failure of the ISIS enterprise. They sparked international outrage that led to military intervention that ultimately destroyed their ability to hold onto their self-declared "Caliphate". The legitimacy of ISIS (or lack of it) is not really what I wanted to address in this thread, though. The concept of a Caliphate is indeed an interesting idea, which seems to pose a threat to just about every other nearby state.
I wonder if a western bankrolled super-liberal caliphate would be possible.
The most liberal of the ME diaspora is armed to the teeth and goes back home.
Israel gives concessions to this non-threatening muslim polity. Giving it a major political coup right off the bat as well as Israeli support sub-rosa.
US/NATO air and spec ops support on demand in the event they have to fight anyone.
Chinese support for friendly oil prices after the caliphate establishes itself.