What if ISIS or another group successfully replaced Iraq and Syria with a caliphate?

Having been a Muslim...

Oh goodness me... I didn't expect that. Thanks for sharing and sorry to hear you've been through such a difficult experience. I haven't experienced something similar but I know people that have, and I know what it can be like.

I won't go into any further details since I'm wary of being banned or anything.

That's ridiculous, you shouldn't be banned just for sharing an opinion. Especially now that we all understand the reasons for your point of view (ie that you're not a racist).

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.

Completely agree. This is a very good post, even if I don't quite agree about some of the Israel part. I think you're right. Wahhabism is a dangerous and deeply evil ideology which destroys everything it touches.

A "Caliphate" based on an entirely different type of Islam - say Sufism, for instance, would also be an interesting prospect. I couldn't even imagine how such a thing would look. As far as I know, it has never existed in history.

By the way, i would like to recommend the book "Refuting ISIS" to anyone interested in this subject. It is a well-regarded book, which goes into detail on exactly why ISIS is wrong about Islam.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Refuting-ISIS-Shaykh-Muhammad-Al-Yaqoubi/dp/1908224193
 
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.
 
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.

This is an interesting concept.

One possible danger that I foresee is that it would be easy for hard line factions to cast the new state as a western puppet. Given the unpopularity of Israel and the US in the middle east, the western support, if too obvious, could be counter productive.

This could be mitigated though by some carefully pre-prepared and mutually agreed theatrical gestures. Although then we are in danger of getting rather Machiavellian about the whole thing!
 
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