Recent events in Gaza have prompted an interest in the Middle East and Terrorism that has been unparalleled in this generation. 

Middle East interest in the American psyche has primarily been a GenX phenomena, given their age proximity to 9/11. 

Younger Millennials and GenZ have had almost zero interest in this topic, as it has not been seemingly relevant to events in their lives. 

That’s all changed as fighting between Hamas and Israel has dominated the news cycle…as an old friend of mine once said: 

“It’s not new, it’s just new to you.” 

CLIFF NOTES 

I’ve spent over a decade and a half studying the Middle East closely, culminating in my book, All Men Follow the Strongman: The Forgotten History of the Iraq War. 

At 425 pages and 8×11 inches, I realize that it is a massive book, and a lot of people just want the cliff notes. 

So in the spirit of brevity and general interest alike, here are some facts about the Radical Islamist Jihad movement, its ideology, its history, and its doctrine. 

I want to start out by saying: I am not talking about the good Muslims who are average everyday moms and dads and sons and daughters. 

I’m not talking about our heroic Muslim Allies from Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and beyond who have valiantly stood tall alongside American and Allied fighting men in the Global War on Terror. 

I am talking about the committed members of Radical Islamist Jihadi movements, both in their political and military variety. 

With that out of the way, let’s roll. 

DAR AL-ISLAM VS. DAR AL-HARB 

Radical Islamist Jihadi movements believe that the world consists of two realms…Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb. 

Dar al-Islam means “House of Islam”, and it is all the lands and peoples that Islam rules. It is likewise known as the Umma, meaning Empire. 

Dar al-Harb means “House of War”, and it is all the lands and peoples that Islam does not rule. All the unbelieving inhabitants of these unconquered lands are considered Harbis, meaning Warriors against Islam. Men, women, and children alike. 

The mission of the Radical Islamist Jihadis is to expand Dar al-Islam to all the lands and all the peoples of the earth by conquering Dar al-Harb, slaying and enslaving all Harbis who do not convert to their faith. 

THREE JIHADS 

Radical Islamists Jihadists view warfare along a three-fold, Platonic model that is likewise shared in the Indo-European World. However, each group interprets how to implement this model very differently. 

This model consists of: 

1. Jihad of the Heart…Belief in the power and righteousness of the cause
2. Jihad of the Tongue…Verbal persuasion to effect above belief
3. Jihad of the Sword…Battlefield actions to kill the enemy 

According to Radical Islamist Jihadists, commitment to Dar al-Islam and its expansion takes place first in the Heart. The conflict, or Jihad as it is called in Arabic, must first be won there.

Jihad of the Tongue consists of deceptive propaganda operations aimed at presenting a favorable image of Radical Islamist Jihadis to Harbis, thereby lessening their will to resist. 

This type of deception aimed at non-Muslim Harbis is called Taqiyya. A special form of this type of deception is sanctioned for use against fellow Muslims as well. This special form is called Tarwiqa. 

The warfighting means to accomplish these goals, Jihad of the Sword, have their roots in Arabic Bedouin tribal warfare. 

This type of warfare, borne of the desert, consists of a Predatory system of hit-and-run ambushes and raids called ghazzus and raizas in Arabic. 

All Harbis are fair game for all three levels of Jihad. 

SUNNI AND SHIA 

Radical Islamist Jihadists fall into two broad categories…Sunni and Shia. 

These are the Islamic equivalent of the Protestant and Catholic denominations in the Christian World.

While Sunni Jihadist groups and Shia Jihadist groups often fight each other for supremacy for Dar al-Islam, they will always come together at the end of the day to roll back the Dar al-Harb and destroy the accursed Harbis. 

Every outside force that has sought to play Sunni and Shia Jihadist groups against each other have failed in the face of this common union. 

Every time. 

STATE SPONSORS OF TERROR 

A common misconception is that Radical Islamists Jihadist groups only take the form of what are called “non-state actors”, or fringe militant groups at war with state governments. 

In the common vernacular, Terrorists. 

The truth is, the militant wings of Radical Islamist Jihad cannot survive without the financial and military assistance from outside…and boy, do they receive plenty of assistance from regional governments. 

This has always been the way it’s been: 

Pakistan has long been the financial backer of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. 

Saddam Hussein’s Iraq sponsored Al Qaeda for over a decade, and the Muslim Brotherhood (Al Qaeda’s political wing) even longer. Saddam’s top Special Republican Guard Officers even ran ISIS. 

Qatar and Turkey have regularly funded ISIS since the start of the Syrian Civil War. This is no surprise as both of their governments are dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, the Muslim Brotherhood’s headquarters being in Qatar. 

Bashar al-Assad of Syria regularly funded ISIS through the oil trade. These two forces had a long-standing agreement to cooperate on taking out moderate Syrian Rebels. 

Iran runs Hezbollah in Lebanon, and has used them to protect the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria against the rebels. 

Iran likewise runs Jaish al-Mahdi in Iraq to dominate the political landscape there. 

And of course, Iran, Turkey, and Qatar all fund and train Hamas, which proudly declares itself as the Palestinian wing of Al Qaeda. 

This is why these governments have long been referred to as “State Sponsors of Terror”. 

AN ENTIRE SYSTEM OF LOGIC

Well, there you have it. 

The facts of the matter on Radical Islamist Jihadists groups and their influence on the Middle East landscape. 

Now when you watch the news, you’ll have a better handle on the context of the situation. 

It’s not random. It’s not senseless. It’s not incomprehensible. 

An entire system of logic exists behind the reality of horror that flashes all across news screens. 

And whatever you do, always remember: 

“It’s not new. It’s just new to you!” 

Sincerely,

Richard Barrett

10-22-2023

Written at 3:13 PM, somewhere in the USA…

Sources Cited

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