PEARL MUN 2015-2016
Forum: Arab League Commission
Issue: The Issue of the ISIS
Student Officer: Lyan Al Welayti
Position: Co-Chair
Introduction
ISIS is a Jihadist group known for carrying out public executions, beheadings,
crucifixions and other brutal actions. The Islamic State is a terrorist, rebellious
extremist organization that operates in Iraq, Syria, eastern Libya, Egypt, and others. It
started as “Jama’at Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad” back in 1999. The group pledged its alliance
to Al-Qaeda in 2004. It joined revolutionary Sunni extremist groups, forming the
“Mujahideen Shura Council”. The council lead to the creation of the “Islamic State of
Iraq”, which gained its notoriety through the killing of prisoners, that led to some
retaliation from other revolutionary groups. With its multi-pronged assault across central
and northern Iraq, the Islamic State has taken over from the Al-Qaeda organization
founded by Osama bin Laden, as the most powerful and effective extreme jihadi group in
the world. Led since 2010 by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, also known as Abu Dua, it has
proved itself even more violent and sectarian than what US officials call the “core” alQa’ida, based in Pakistan. The group’s name is frequently translated to “Islamic State of
Iraq and Syria”, but in June of 2014, it changed its name to the “Islamic State”, leading to
controversy behind its name due to its violent nature and Muslims all over the world have
condemned the use of this name. It is now more frequently labeled as the “Islamic State
of Iraq and the Levant”. The Arabic acronym of this organization is DAESH, since it is
known as “Ad-Dawlah Al-Islamiyah fi Al-Iraq wash-Sham”. The United Nations has
accused ISIL of abusing human rights and committing war against humanity, following
endless amounts of reports from Amnesty International, leading to its designation as a
terrorist organization by the following: United Nations, the European Union, the UK, the
US, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Russia, UAE, etc.… In total of more than sixty countries, ISIL
is labeled as a terrorist group.
Definition of Key Terms
Jihad
Jihad is an Islamic term referring to the religious duty of Muslims to maintain the
religion. The word jihad means "to strive, to apply oneself, to struggle, to persevere". A
person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid, the plural of which is mujahideen. The word
jihad appears frequently in the Quran, often in the expression of "striving in the way of
God (al-jihad fi sabil Allah)", to refer to the act of striving to serve the purposes of God .
Regardless of the mentioning, not all scholars agree on its naming. Most of the time, this
war is fought for military meaning, not religious meaning. Some believe that jihad is a
struggle against people who commit wrong-doing, whether religious or not. Jihad has two
forms: inner Jihad and outer Jihad. The inner Jihad, which is the greater Jihad, is the
spiritual struggle with non-Muslims, whereas outer Jihad, which is the lesser Jihad, is the
physical struggle against those who oppose Islam. However in this case, terrorists use this
term to fulfill genocide, eliminating non-believers.
Religious Terrorism
Religious terrorism is a type of political violence motivated by an absolute belief that
another worldly power has sanctioned and commanded terrorist violence for the greater
glory of the faith. Acts committed in the name of the faith will be forgiven by the
otherworldly power and perhaps rewarded in an afterlife. In essence, one’s religious faith
legitimizes violence as long as such violence is an expression of the will of one’s deity.
Levant
The Levant is a term used to approximate the geographical location of SouthEastern Asia. The countries of the Levant are Cyprus, Hatay, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon,
Palestine, and Syria. Some countries and regions often included when referring to the
Levant are Iraq and Sinai. Territories of countries, which are included in the Levant, are
Turkey and Egypt. The different languages of the Levant are Levantine Arabic, Hebrew,
Aramaic, Aremenian, Greek, Kurdish, Circassian, Turkish, and Ladino. Other names
used to refer to the Levant are Canaan, the region of Syria, and Sham.
Treaty
A treaty is an agreement between two or more countries or political authorities that
is formally signed by the country’s representatives and authorized or ratified by the
authority of that state. The beginning of a treaty, or a preamble, usually discusses the
parties involved with the treaty, as well as their objectives and any underlying events.
You also have the beginning of the argument being presented. After the preambles come
the articles that contain what the parties have agreed on. At the end of the treaty, you
have the closing protocol which states who has witnessed the treaty and the signature of
that party, as well as where it was signed.
War on Terror (WOT)
War on Terror is the international campaign against terrorism in all its forms. This
campaign was first started after the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers of New York on
September 11th, 2001, and the US President George Bush Jr. first used the term on the
September 20th, 2001. Ever since, western administration and media have used this term
to describe the legal, political, and military struggle against terrorist organizations and
their public supporters. It was first used to target Muslim countries affiliated with Islamic
terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS, etc.
Background Information
After the invasion of Irag in 2003, Terrorist groups began to emerge after Jama-at
Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad, which was founded in 1999, performed suicide attacks on Shia
Islamic mosques, Iraqi government institutions, innocent Islamic civilians, and Italian
soldiers in the Multi-National Force. Years later, on October 2004, it grew stronger,
gaining more soldiers until it pledged it joined forces with Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden’s
terrorist network, and changed its name to “Tanzim Qaidat Al-Jihad fi Bilad AlRafidayn”. A letter was sent to Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, the leader of this group, which
outlined the plan to expand the Iraqi War, which meant they would be ejecting US forces
from Iraq, and create an Islamic authority over the land. The letter also states that Israel
“was established only to challenge any new Islamic entity”, which led to their plan to
clash with Israel. In January of 2006, it merged with other rebellious Iraqi groups under
the Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC). Following a US airstrike on June 7th 2006, AlZarqawi was killed, and was succeeded by the Egyptian Abu Ayyub Al-Masri. On
October 13th 2006, the MSC established the Islamic State of Iraq, which was consisted of
six Sunni Arab Iraqi governorates while Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi was its Amir, and AlMasri its Minister of War.
Wars IS participated in:
Name
Date
Al-Qaeda Insurgency of Yemen
1998-present
Iraq War
2003-2011
War in North-West Pakistan
2005-2011
Iraqi Insurgency
2011-2013
Syrian Civil War
2011-present
Sinai Insurgency
2011-present
Libyan Civil War
2014
War in Afghanistan
2014-present
The Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium had identified 60 jihadist groups that
have either pledged their allegiance to ISIL or support ISIL (November 2014).
Radicals affiliating with ISIL:
Pakistan
Taliban splinter group Jundallah joined a handful of other Pakistan affliliates that have
already pledged allegiance to ISIS. "[ISIS] are our brothers, whatever plan they have we
will support them," a Jundallah spokesman said. Taliban leadership has historic ties to
central Al Qaeda leaders, and so a pledge of allegiance to ISIS is a strong sign that Al
Qaeda is losing support. ISIS has also gained support from other Pakistani militants like
Tehreek-e-Khilafat, a Taliban-linked group that became its first Pakistani supporter in
July, and Jamaat al-Ahrar, a significant group.
Egypt
Islamic terrorist groups are particularly active in Egypt's lawless Sinai peninsula, and the
most well-known of them is Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, with about 1,000 militants. The group
pledged allegiance to ISIS and Baghdadi in November because, the New York Times
reports, they hope such a partnership will give them more resources and weapons to fight
the more secular leadership in Cairo. "To our people in Egypt, what are you waiting for
after the violation of your dignity?" the group said in an audio statement that promised to
"obey" Baghdadi. "When will you take out your swords to face your enemies?" After
pledging allegiance, they also changed their name from one meaning Supporters of the
Holy House to Wilayat Sinai — the province of Sinai. Baghdadi specifically mentioned
this group in an audio statement released last week, further raising their profile.
Algeria
Like the Pakistani groups, the Algeria-based Soldiers of the Caliphate, also known as
Jund al-Khilafa, had ties to central Al Qaeda leaders like Osama bin Laden and Ayman
al-Zawahiri. The Soldiers were a splinter group of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and
formally pledged their allegiance to ISIS in mid-September. "You have in the Islamic
Maghreb men if you order them they will obey you," leader Gouri Abdelmalek, a.k.a.
Khaled Abu Suleimane, said in a statement. Less than two weeks after pledging
allegiance, the caliphate Soldiers beheaded French citizen Hervé Gourdel after France
participated in airstrikes on ISIS in Iraq. For Khan, this action makes the Soldiers more
significant than many of the other groups who've pledged allegiance. "The caliphate
soldiers have actually beheaded on the Islamic State's behalf," she says.
Libya
A relatively new and unknown group of radicals took over the coastal Libyan city of
Derna back in April. The organization, which calls itself the Islamic Youth Shura
Council, was founded earlier this year. While, like many groups, it initially allied itself
with Al Qaeda, IYSC quickly switched allegiances to ISIS in June. "It is incumbent on us
to support this oppressed Islamic State that is taken as an enemy by those near and those
far, among the infidels or the hypocrites, or those with dead souls alike," its statement
read. In October, IYSC declared that Derna was now an outpost of the ISIS caliphate
known as Wilayat Derna. This is one of the few ISIS outposts that actually controls
physical area, and, Khan worries, the group's influence may spread inland because of the
country's ongoing political instability.
Philippines
Abu Sayyaf, a Philippines-based group dedicated to carving out an Islamic province in
the country, pledged allegiance to ISIS over the summer. (It may have had vague ties
with Al Qaeda at some point in the preceding decades.) "We pledge to obey [Baghdadi]
on anything which our heart's desire or not and to value him more than anyone else," Abu
Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon read. "We will not take any emir other than him unless we
see in him any obvious act of disbelief that could be questioned by Allah in the
hereafter." The group subsequently kidnapped two German hostages, who they
threatened to behead if Germany didn't pay a ransom and denounce actions against ISIS.
The pair was later released, reportedly after the militants received about $5 million in
ransom.
Israel/Gaza
Not much is known about Gaza's Ansar Beit al-Maqdis group, except that the
organization is believed to have fired some rockets into Israel during this summer's war
and is believed to have recently pledged allegiance to ISIS and changed its name to alDawla al-Islamiyya — the Islamic State.
Lebanon
In Lebanon, Free Sunnis of Baalbek Brigade is a Sunni militant group fighting against
Shia influence. It has engaged in violent struggle against Shia groups, particularly against
Hezbollah, and also took responsibility for the 2013 bombing of the Iranian embassy in
Beirut. It gave bay'ah to ISIS at the end of June, writing on Twitter: "With utmost honour
and pride, we announce our allegiance to the jihadist Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi as the
Caliph for Muslims." (Hezbollah, its Lebanese rival, has also been engaged in the Syrian
conflict, fighting ISIS and ther rebel groups on Bashar al-Assad's behalf.)
Indonesia
Abu Bakar Bashir, the incarcerated leader of the Java-based Ashorut Tauhid
movement, pledged allegiance to ISIS from his jail cell in mid-July. (Bashir is serving a
15-year sentence for running a jihadi training camp.) The group broke off from a larger
terror organization known as Jemaah Islamiyah and has taken responsibility for church
bombings and the like in Indonesia. Not everyone in his organization agreed with
Bashir's decision, though, and top leaders as well as some of Bashir's own sons left to
form a different organization.
Jordan
A youth militant movement called Sons of the Call for Tawhid and Jihad is ISIS's main
affiliate in Jordan. The group began as a branch of the country's salafist movement and
now makes up the majority of its members. It denounced Al Qaeda leaders in July,
adding that it is "the right and duty of all to support [ISIS]." It is believed to have several
thousand members
Major organizations involved include but are not limited to:
United Nations (UN): The United Nations is an intergovernmental organization
established on the 24th of October, 1945 for the purpose of promoting international
cooperation as a replacement for the League of Nations. It was also specifically following
World War Two to prevent the occurrence of World War Three. Its headquarters is
situated in Manhattan, New York City. The United Nations has openly labeled ISIL as a
terrorist organization that has committed crimes against humanity and acts of injustice
against human rights.
Amnesty International (AI): Amnesty International is non-governmental organization
established in London in 1961. AI’s purpose is to “to conduct research and generate
action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those
whose rights have been violated.” Amnesty International has accused ISIL of committing
crimes against humanity in Iraq, such as the carrying out of a systemic campaign of
“ethnic cleansing”.
Possible Solutions
There are many different solutions to the issue of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
 Forbidding ISIL from using the term “Islamic State” in its name, as it is stirring a
lot of controversy in Islamic countries, seeing as it does not represent Islam
properly. This results in defecting the Islamic Countries’ reputation.

Cutting off ISIL from its money, supplies, additional fighters, weapons, and
essential equipment, which would quickly overwhelm Syrian and Iraqi forces.
Without cash to pay fighters, and without new fighters to replace those lost in
fighting, morale would quickly falter. Without a constant torrent of weapons,
ammunition, and fuel, ISIS and other Al Qaeda affiliates would quickly lose their
tactical capabilities. Fighters unable to flee would be encircled and destroyed as
has happened deep within Syria’s interior where Syrian forces have been able to
cut supply lines to key cities and starve out terrorist armies.
 Stopping ISIL as a whole, since it is primarily a radical terrorist group. In addition,
all they are doing is attacking innocent civilians in countless countries. In fact, it’s
militants are attempting to cause a larger, international war against Islam as a
whole. ISIL should be opposed and fought by all, and should cease to exist,
terminating it’s existence.
Bibliography
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/11/isis-now-has-military-allies-in-11countries.html
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=128133
http://www.globalresearch.ca/how-the-us-can-stop-isis-without-setting-foot-insyria/5473128
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/beliefs/jihad_1.shtml
http://www.thessismun.org/2015/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/security-council.pdf
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/jul/24/russia-sends-iraq-fighter-jetshelicopter-gunships/
http://books.google.com.kw/books?id=U94S6N2zECAC&pg=PA87&redir_esc=y
http://www.un.org/en/
https://www.amnesty.org/en/who-we-are/about-amnesty-international
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/colonial-caliphate-theambitions-of-the-islamic-state