Establishes Islamic states in the territories it controls
Insists on establishing Shariah law in territories
Embraces Sunni sectarianism
Does not cooperate with ideologically different factions
Thinks IS is the only faction on the pure Salaafi path
Islamic State of Iraq
Formerly Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Lakshar-e-Taiba (Army of the Righteous)
From Pakistan
They are followers of Ahl-e-Hadeeth, a South Asian Salaafi Jihadist group
Ahl-e-Hadeeth (People of Narrations (of Muhammad and his Companions))
They are a South Asian group
They justify Jihaad with the Qur’aan’s Ayah 2:216, which states:
“Fighting has been made obligatory upon you ˹believers˺, though you dislike it. Perhaps you dislike something which is good for you and like something which is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know.”
But this is the Ayah taken out of context, like all Jihadist groups do. Specifically, this was written for a time of war, when the Arabs were being under threat from the Quraysh tribes of Mecca. This Ayah was to give them hope for war. It also had verses requiring them to protect all the civilians who have made peace with them, or taken refuge with them, and even the war was against people who had broken the peace treaty between tribes, titled the “Constitution of Medina”.
al-Qai’dah (meaning, “The Foundation”, of their creed)
Cautions against the formation of Islmaic states in the present time
Calls for tolerance and gradualism in applying Islamic law
De-emphasizes sectarianism
Cooperates with a wide range of political and military factions
Thinks IS is a neo-Kharijite deviation from Salaafism (remember, Salafism is just the belief that all should follow the Quran, people do it quietly, as Islamists, or as extremists, jihadists)
Boko Haram (meaning, “Fake is Forbidden”, with “fake” referring to Western education or secular ethics)
Originally called Jamaa’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’al-Jihaad (meaning, ‘Group of the People of Tradition for Call and Struggle”, with “call” meaning call to their creed, and “struggle” meaning, according to the tenets of their creed)
al-Shabaab (meaning, “The Youth”)
Originally Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen (meaning, “Youth Strugglers Movement”, “struggle” meaning, according to the tenets of their creed)
Regional Resistance Groups
Palestine
Hamas / Harakat al-Muqaawamah al-Islaamiyya (The Movement of Resistance by the Path of Submission)
Had its origin with the peaceful Muslim Brotherhood, which later turned violent
Hamas is the manifestation of Muslim Brotherhood, fighting for the Palestinian cause alone
They fight to establish take back the entire land of Palestine, and establish an Islamic state.
The Palestinian nationalist sentiment began as an opposition to the Israeli invasion. This doesn’t mean Palestine was unimportant until then; but that all community movements begin as an opposition to some entity, as they need to place importance on their identity.
Hamas is recognized as a terrorist organization only by the US, EU, Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, Paraguay, UK
Hamas is not recognized as a terrorist organization by: Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Iran, Jordan, Norway, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Syria, Türkiye and the UN
New Zealand and Paraguay recognize its military wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades as a terrorist group.