In a very serious development, the terrorist group ISIS has released a video after a long hiatus on its official channel, “Al-Battar.”
The video starts by discussing the fall of the regime and the rise of new factions, and it raises the question of what form the new system will take, whether
#Sharia will be applied, or if a transitional council and a national constitution will be implemented. The narrator mocks this, asking why the revolution was launched if its just only purpose was to overthrow Assad.
The narrator then criticizes Turkey's role and refers to its president as “Ataturgan” (comparing him to the secular Mustafa Kemal Atatürk). The video addresses Turkey's control over parts of northern Syria through “pawns” such as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (
#HTS) and other factions, and its role as a key player in the international coalition.
The narrator goes on to speak about the future of
#Syria and refers to the new ruling figures as “Sahwat” groups (the term “Sahwat”(means: Awakening) refers to groups recruited to fight Al-Qaeda in Iraq, such as the “Sahwat Al-Anbar ” after the U.S. invasion). He quotes statements from several ISIS leaders about the threat of a
#civilstate.
The narrator criticizes the statements of the new regime, calling them apostates for reassuring the international community and promoting coexistence with minorities, such as the Alawites, Ismailis, Yazidis, and Christians.
The narrator also criticizes the new regime's dealings with Russia, calling them “Crusaders,” and condemns Iraq’s government, labeling them “Rafidah” (a derogatory term used by extremists to refer to Shiite Muslims).
The narrator calls the Syrian revolution a “Jahiliyyah” (pre-Islamic) that seeks to establish the concept of a civil state, insisting that it is not a
#jihad for the sake of God. He likens the situation to the falling of an old statue and the building of a new one in its place, (he puts
#alJulani 's photo while talking about the new statue).
The narrator speaks about the international coalition and their fight against
#ISIS, but also mentions that despite this, their operations continue, citing recent operations and dates.
The most dangerous part of this propaganda video is when the narrator suggests that their project is bigger than just the new regime in Syria. The map of the Middle East is shown, followed by an expansion that includes
#Europe and
#theUnitedStates, with the label “The Islamic State Project” at the top.
At the
#Syrian_Democratic_Observatory , we wonder whether the international community will allow Syria to fall under the control of ISIS, given the risk this poses to the entire region and especially to
#minorities . This is because the jihadist regime in power in
#Damascus is not ideologically very different from ISIS, which could lead many of its jihadist members to join them.
Note: We cut the last 3 minutes of the video due to the graphic scenes of prisoner executions.
Date: 25/01/2025