Latest Articles and Blog Posts

Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zinki Splits from Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham

July 20, 2017 at 1:04 pm

Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zinki (The Nour al-Din al-Zinki Movement: NZM)- an Islamist faction originating from Aleppo that once received support from the CIA's program of backing 'vetted' Syrian rebels that now seems set to be phased out- gained a widespread reputation as being representative of the 'not-so-moderate rebel' trend in Syria when a video emerged from Aleppo last year of some members beheading of a youth accused of being a fighter for the regime. While a beheading in itself is not so indicative of ideological 'moderation' considering how widespread war crimes and brutality are in Syria, a legitimate concern was NZM's close working relationship with Jabhat al-Nusra/Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, which was probably a key reason why the group was cut off in 2015 from the program of support for 'vetted' groups.

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The Myth of ISIS's Strategic Brilliance

July 20, 2017  •  The Atlantic

As Mosul is finally freed in its entirety from the Islamic State (ISIS) and the offensive in Raqqa continues, the predictable question becomes: What's next for the group? Without control of territory, its complex state administration project cannot function. This project was probably ISIS's biggest selling point in relation to its rivals in the global jihadist movement.

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Islamic State Treatise: Ruling of Shari'a on the Shi'a Sects

July 18, 2017  •  aymennjawad.org

That the Islamic State (IS) detests the Shi'a- both the main body of Shi'a and the smaller sects and offshoots- is well known. But how exactly does IS classify those it deems the 'Shi'a sects'? This small treatise, an output from the Office of Investigations and Studies (part of the Diwan al-'Iftaa' wa al-Buhuth: Fatwa Issuing and Investigations Department), helps clarify this issue.

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"I am your brigade, oh Ruqayya"- New Nasheed for Liwa al-Sayyida Ruqayya

July 16, 2017 at 7:41 pm

Readers may recall my previous posts on the Syrian Shi'i militia Liwa al-Sayyida Ruqayya, also known as the Ja'afari Force. Named for the Sayyida Ruqayya shrine in Damascus, the group is officially considered an independent formation though the links with Iran are clear. Most recently, the group has been participating in the broader campaign by the regime and its allies to control the Syrian badia areas to the east of Damascus, pushing towards the wider east of the country and the borders with Jordan and Iraq. The group also appears to maintain a presence in Jobar in Damascus.

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After the Caliphate: Interview with Omar Fawaz

July 8, 2017 at 6:07 pm

Readers of my blog may recall Omar Fawaz al-Shammary, a resident of Mosul who did some media work covering life under the Islamic State (IS). On multiple occasions in 2015 (e.g. here) I used his posts to illustrate certain aspects of IS administration in Mosul, and he was the one who posted the basic theology textbook for training camp recruits: Course in Monotheism, issued by the Diwan al-'Iftaa wa al-Buhuth.

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