9erempiree
06-18-2015, 03:48 AM
1st day of Ramadan is the Islamic State's version of the State of the Union Address. This day is well known around the world as the day when the Islamic State announces their plans or in their words, "international jihad".
For those watching the Islamic State, however, the month of Ramadan gives them reason to worry. The month has become a time of action for the extremist group, who see the month's religious importance as an added imperative for jihad, and its traditions as an opportunity to go on the offensive.
Last year, for example, the group declared its "caliphate" on the first day of Ramadan, with the Islamic State spokesperson Abu Mohammed al-Adani declaring "a new era of international jihad." It was a dramatic escalation of the group's rhetoric and its timing was unmistakable. Shortly after this announcement, the newly proclaimed caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, made his first public appearance and he was unequivocal about the importance of Ramadan to the Islamic State.
“There is no deed in this virtuous month or in any other month better than jihad in the path of Allah, so take advantage of this opportunity and walk the path of your righteous predecessors,” Baghdadi told his supporters.
In 2013, the group, then known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, broke into Abu Ghraib, an infamous prison in Iraq. Many of the prisoners who escaped during this raid went on to join the group, bolstering following in both numbers and fervor. "There's no underestimating the boost to morale," analyst Charles Lister told The Post at the time.
Be safe people.
And in 2012, the group launched a bombing campaign targeting security forces and Shi'ite neighborhoods in Iraq that left many dead. At the time, the Guardian noted that the bombings appeared to be timed to cause maximum carnage around Ramadan's predawn meals. "We are starting a new stage," Baghdadi said in an audio recording released before the bombings.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/06/17/the-start-of-ramadan-is-bringing-new-fears-of-an-islamic-state-attack/
For those watching the Islamic State, however, the month of Ramadan gives them reason to worry. The month has become a time of action for the extremist group, who see the month's religious importance as an added imperative for jihad, and its traditions as an opportunity to go on the offensive.
Last year, for example, the group declared its "caliphate" on the first day of Ramadan, with the Islamic State spokesperson Abu Mohammed al-Adani declaring "a new era of international jihad." It was a dramatic escalation of the group's rhetoric and its timing was unmistakable. Shortly after this announcement, the newly proclaimed caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, made his first public appearance and he was unequivocal about the importance of Ramadan to the Islamic State.
“There is no deed in this virtuous month or in any other month better than jihad in the path of Allah, so take advantage of this opportunity and walk the path of your righteous predecessors,” Baghdadi told his supporters.
In 2013, the group, then known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, broke into Abu Ghraib, an infamous prison in Iraq. Many of the prisoners who escaped during this raid went on to join the group, bolstering following in both numbers and fervor. "There's no underestimating the boost to morale," analyst Charles Lister told The Post at the time.
Be safe people.
And in 2012, the group launched a bombing campaign targeting security forces and Shi'ite neighborhoods in Iraq that left many dead. At the time, the Guardian noted that the bombings appeared to be timed to cause maximum carnage around Ramadan's predawn meals. "We are starting a new stage," Baghdadi said in an audio recording released before the bombings.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/06/17/the-start-of-ramadan-is-bringing-new-fears-of-an-islamic-state-attack/