Abstract

 

To deconstruct the strategic logic of terrorism and understand how the two major jihadists groups operate, their identity & ideological disparity becomes primary focus. Al-Qaeda frames its identity as the protector of Muslims from the evil West while Islamic States poses as the sole legitimate religious authority guiding Muslims to true Islam (both adhere to Salafism-Jihadism). This Whitepaper further provides more insight about these disparities.

 

Understanding Identity & Ideological Disparity between Al-Qāeda & ISIS.

 

Terrorism based on twisted interpretations and explanations of religious principles and practices, sometimes dogmatic ones is a reality. In the past two decades, millions of people have been both directly and indirectly affected by the violence propagated by jihadist movements seeking to advance their ideologies. Terrorism is the unlawful use of force or violence against people or property to intimidate and or coerce a government or the populace with the end goal of advancing the political or social or religious goals of the perpetrators. Terrorism is deeply rooted in jihadism that was popularized globally after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and has since been used as the base premise for violent extremism rooted in Islamism.

With globalization, Traditional Muslims have consistently felt the dwindling of Islam and the erosion of traditional beliefs and practices giving rise to Jihadi Salafism which seeks to create a utopian Islamic state by returning to the authentic beliefs and practices of the first generations of Muslims. Terrorist groups with Islamic tag mainly include Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Taliban, Boko Haram, PKK, and Al Shabaab as well as their various affiliates across the globe. Since the rise of ISIS in 2014, the group has cultivated and accepted allegiance pledges from groups in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa where the violent campaigns and activities have killed tens of thousands and displaced millions. Al-Qaeda and ISIS seemingly fight the same battle against a common enemy and share the same ideology, but scrutiny reveals several fundamental differences between the two.

 

These are highlighted below;

 

Different Targets

 

1. The two organizations differ on the main enemies, strategies, and tactics. Al Qaeda’s primary enemy is the United States which they view as the root cause of all the problems in the Middle East they believe that by overthrowing governments that are allied to the US and replacing them with “true” Islamic governments.
2. The Islamic State on the other hand focuses mainly on enemies closer to home with their primary targets being apostate regimes in the Arab world. ISIS is focused on what they term as purifying the Islamic community first by attacking Shi’a and other religious minorities as well as rival jihadist groups.
3. Al-Qaeda is more anti-west in approach while ISIS upholds ultra-conservative Sunni Islam.

 

 

Difference in Views

 

• Al-Qaeda doesn’t have any imperialist agenda.
• ISIS wants to capture state power through military aggression.
• Principally, Al-Qaeda believes in what can be termed as defensive Jihad declared against western culture, primarily US political culture.
• The group has maintained that the US holistic culture political and otherwise is entirely anti-Islamic, and thus is a threat to the Islamic world. Additionally, Al-Qaeda leadership believes that every true believer of Islam ought to proactively frown against the West and defend Islam. It is another matter that no act of the group seems defensive. Al-Qaeda doesn’t believe in forcibly establishing a caliphate, but rather wants to leave it upon agreement among Islamic seminaries.
• On the other hand, ISIS believes that every Muslim ought to take it upon themselves and make it a sacred duty to contribute to the armed struggle to forcibly establish a Caliphate for the entire Muslim world.
• ISIS is more old-fashioned in it is outlook, views, and practices in comparison toAl-Qaeda.
• Al-Qaeda generally does not differentiate between Muslims. ISIS, on the other hand, champions the causes of radical Sunni Islam.

 

Difference in Tactics

 

• Al-Qaeda has appeared to be more tactical in attacks and has never given eminence to senseless mass killing, beheading, torture, and rape.
• ISIS primarily believes in mass killing, torture, and rape of its indiscriminate prey/targets, including children.
• ISIS has zero tolerance for those moderate Muslims and doesn’t hesitate to dealwithsimilar brutality to those fellow Muslims as well.
• However, Al-Qaeda prefers to counter those in a non-violent way.

 

Organization

 

Al-Qaeda has largely remained a secretive organization, with the command confined among the close associates of Osama Bin Laden or the current leader. ISIS, on the other hand, is a conflation of radical Sunni terrorist groups, often led by ex-officers of the former Baath party of Saddam Hussein of Iraq.

 

Sources of Finance

 

• For finance, Al-Qaeda relies mainly on donations by moneyed people. ISIS, on the other hand, has several illegal money-generating activities.
• Osama bin Laden himself was the primary donor of Al-Qaeda, apart from numerous moneyed business tycoons of Saudi Arabia, and the Middle East. Whereas ISIS has many money-generating schemes like illegal sale of oil, extortion, and drug trafficking. Technology and Equipment Al-Qaeda leadership and activists rely more on primitive methods of communication, and less on modern gadgets. ISIS, on the other hand,is more open tousing up-to-date telecommunication equipment seeing as they seek to great a global caliphate and as such, it is in their best interest to embrace technology for coordination, propaganda as well as recruitment.

 

REFERENCES;

 

1. Byman, D. (2015, April 29). Comparing Al Qaeda and ISIS: Different goals, different targets. Retrieved from The Brookings Institution: https://www.brookings.edu/testimonies/comparing-al-qaeda-and-isis-different-goals-different-targets/

 

2. Tapas, K. (2017, April 24). Differences between Al-Qaeda And ISIS. Retrieved from Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects: http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/politics/differences-between-al-qaeda-isis/