The Inner Workings of ISIS

by Will True

The actions of the radical Islamist group ISIS in Syria and Iraq have drawn international condemnation and
military intervention. Why have thousands of Muslims, domestic and foreign, pledged their lives and deaths
to the cause? The Institute for the Study of Wars analysis paints the picture of an organized, sophisticated, and
unforgiving religious sect, rising to power from the ashes of civil war and Western withdrawal.
In mid-July, a video featuring Canadian-born Andre Poulin began spreading around the Internet. Poulin, who converted
to the religion of Islam six years prior and vaguely resembles John Lennon, looks directly into the camera with an assault
rifle resting against his right shoulder and the flag of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) waving over his left1. He
implores Muslims of the Western world to abandon their lives and come to Syria to fulfill their religious obligation and
fight against the kuffar (non-Muslims). Later in the video, Poulin is seen firing a rocket toward a Syrian airfield before
storming the battlefield. The camera is rocked by an explosion, and a dust cloud covers the screen. In the next scene, Poulin
is found slumped against a wall, unmoving. His death is celebrated as that of a martyr by the faceless narrator of the video.
Since their declaration of statehood in June, ISIS has experienced an influx of foreign-born fighters. By mid-September,
ISISs foreign mujahideen (soldiers of Islam) numbered 15,000 in Syria, including 2,000 Westerners2. These outsiders join the
ranks of Iraqi and Syrian radical Islamists in their 12,000-plus square miles of conquered territory3.
But what prompts people to fight for ISIS? How does the Islamic State convince Muslims to abandon their daily lives and
take up arms against their ideological opponents? What do they have to offer to the citizens of their state? The Institute for
the Study of War (ISW) has done extensive research on the ideology and reasoning behind ISISs publicity campaign and
internal machinations, and the answer is deceptively simple: a strong claim to religious authority, and effective government.

Dabiq
As the media is fond of noting, ISISs public relations campaign is of an extraordinarily high quality. The propaganda videos
produced by ISIS, which is also known as the Islamic State, are expertly edited and place a high premium on emotional manipulation. However, their most impressive work can be found in their monthly publication Dabiq, an English-language magazine.
It is beautifully crafted, brutally graphic and an intricately detailed representation of ISIS activity and their Islamist ideology.
In her report Dabiq: The Strategic Messaging of the Islamic State, Harleen Gambhir analyzed the first two editions of the
magazine for the ISW4. The small town of Dabiq is located in Syria, where the West and Islam meet in apocalyptic battle
according to hadith (traditional Islamic literature). Titling the magazine with this end-of-days rhetoric implies that ISIS
wants to be seen as the jihadist group that will lead the Muslim community into worldwide domination as the result of the
Wests destruction at Dabiq. ISISs claim to religious authority is explicitly stated in their propaganda, and relies on passages
from the Quran and widely known hadiths. Using these core texts, ISIS creates complex logical arguments supporting the
formation of a true khilafa (caliphate, or supreme Islamic state).
Aside from justifying their religious authority, Dabiqs secondary purpose is to bring Muslims into their ranks from all over
the world. In the beginning of each issue, Dabiqs staff asserts that it is every Muslims religious duty to perform hijrah (migration) and come to the Islamic State5. ISIS assures immigrating Muslims that they and their families will be well taken
care of. To emphasize this, Dabiq features accounts of their military victories, assuring their readers that this is what awaits
1http://jihadology.net/2014/07/12/al-%E1%B8%A5ayat-media-center-presents-a-new-video-message-from-the-islamic-state-al-ghuraba-the-chosen-few-of-
different-lands-abu-muslim-from-canada/
2http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/09/cia-triples-number-islamic-state-fighters-201491232912623733.html
3http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/08/the-many-ways-to-map-the-islamic-state/379196/
4http://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/dabiq-strategic-messaging-islamic-state
5http://media.clarionproject.org/files/09-2014/isis-isil-islamic-state-magazine-Issue-2-the-flood.pdf

them in the Islamic State. By contrast, Dabiq also publishes graphic photographics of dead opposition fighters, sending the
message that apostates and nonbelievers are destined for the same fate.
If a Muslim cannot perform hijrah, it is their duty to hold localized bayat (pledges of allegiance) to ISIS and its khalifah (religious leader) Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. If possible, these bayat should be recorded to promote a sense of unity among Muslims
and fill the hearts of the kuffar with painful agony. This is a sentiment echoed by Andre Poulin in his posthumous propaganda video: If you cannot fight, then you can give money. If you cannot give money, then you can assist in technology.

Control Through Governance

In its Middle East security report ISIS Governance in Syria, the ISW examines the government that was installed in their
regional capital of Raqqa, which was captured in January of 20146. Authors Charles Caris and Samuel Reynolds find that
ISIS has built a holistic system of governance, offering services and goods once offered by the Syrian government before
civil war threw the country into turmoil. This model of government is touted by ISIS as a significant reason for fellow Muslims to join them in their war against the kuffar.
Unlike similar radical Islamist sects like al-Qaeda, which try to establish religious authority first and foremost, ISIS believes
that a functional government is the first step toward establishing a legitimate caliphate. To ensure that their state is home to
like-minded Muslims only, ISIS forces rival rebel groups out of newly conquered territory and either excommunicates or executes apostates and dissenters. One of the first things ISIS does upon entering a new location is hold an outreach meeting called
a Dawa, in which ISIS teaches the public about their brand of Islam in a welcoming manner, so as not to stir up controversy.
When ISIS informally conquers a city or province, they establish rudimentary governmental offices in two branches:
administrative and service-oriented. The administrative branch establishes their brand of Islam as law among the people,
establishing a court system, a police force, and an Islamic education system. On the other side of the coin, the citizens of
war-torn regions benefit greatly from ISIS Muslim services, their term for human services. They provide their Muslim
constituents with any basic needs they require, including food, gasoline and medical aid. They also control several bakeries
which provide cheap food for the local population.
After gaining full control of the territory, ISIS tightens its grip with stricter religious enforcement and further-reaching
human service efforts. Instead of letting electricity and water systems fall to ruin, they repair damaged power lines and dams,
keeping the local population somewhat complacent. However, in eliminating ideological opposition, they often eliminate the
technical expertise that would be needed to expand their efforts. To address this, ISIS calls upon foreign Muslims not only
to fight but to help maintain their more technical services. Incoming Muslim professionals could bolster the sustainability
of the Islamic State and further increase the power of their caliphate.

Fighting on Two Fronts

Every week, it seems, a new twist in the ISIS propaganda narrative rears its head. Whether it be a new issue of Dabiq, a
journalist reciting ISIS talking points under threat of death, or the brutal beheading of a Western aid worker, ISIS finds new
ways to spread their message across the world. This brutal message of religious extremism appears to be working anecdotally,
giving the messengers that much more power. In one story, a Chicago teen was arrested on October 6th at the airport for
attempting to join the extremist group7. In another, two teenage girls fled their home country of Austria to join ISIS, and
are now married to ISIS fighters and expecting children8. These stories help spread ISISs content through more traditional
media, and play a significant factor in their recruitment of Muslim extremists worldwide.
On September 10th, President Barack Obama announced to the public that the United States would begin conducting
airstrikes on strategic ISIS locations in Iraq and Syria9. Joining the US in action against the perceived international threat
6http://www.understandingwar.org/sites/default/files/ISIS_Governance.pdf
7http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2782539/Feds-Illinois-man-wanted-join-Islamic-State.html
8http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2750637/Teenage-girl-jihadists-inspire-copycats-try-run-away-Syria-join-ISIS.html
9http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2014/09/10/president-obama-we-will-degrade-and-ultimately-destroy-isil

is a coalition of forces from countries as diverse as the United Kingdom, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt10. Just prior
to that, ISIS released the third issue of Dabiq. In the following month, no new editions of the magazine appeared online,
leading some to conclude that ISISs propaganda efforts had taken a hit. However, on October 14th, the fourth issue of
Dabiq hit the web, this time covered by a picture of the Vatican with the flag of the Islamic State flying overhead. For the
time being, the war against ISIS will be fought on two fronts: on the battlefield, and in digital media.
10http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/world/meast/isis-coalition-nations/