Jonathan Wright: “Well I waded through all 23 pages of the Islamic State document released by the Guardian and came up with some interesting observations that others might miss:
Firstly, the author of this document, Abu Abdullah al-Masri (presumably a pseudonym for an Egyptian recruit), wasn’t thinking about the imminent Apocalypse when he wrote it. The concept doesn’t appear at any point. Elements that do appear – such as investing in educating the next generation and in long-term economic projects – suggest quite the opposite – that Islamic State (or at least some of its officials) have their sights on creating a fairly conventional functioning state for the long haul.
Secondly, the tone of Sunni grievance at the turn of events in Iraq and Syria is overwhelming. The document rewrites history to say that even the Baath Party in Iraq oppressed and sidelined Sunnis in favour of Shi’ites and Kurds. The document is particularly unpleasant when it talks about the necessary response – ethnic cleansing of non-Sunni groups in the areas it controls, including the killing of the young, ‘so that the land will be for God and His people’.
Thirdly, the idea of world domination doesn’t appear at all. On the contrary the emphasis is very much of protecting a Sunni enclave from foreign incursions. The Sunni community in Iraq and Syria is portrayed as hemmed in on all sides by hostile non-Sunni communities. There is a lengthy passage on relations with foreign states, setting conditions for amicable coexistence. The main condition that is relevant is that IS will only establish relations with foreign powers that respect the rights and freedoms of their Muslim inhabitants. The West is portrayed as a distant force that interferes in the area and distorts local arrangements, but not as a permanent enemy.
Fourthly, the kind of polity Islamic State seeks to establish, at least on the basis of this document, shares many characteristics of the post-colonial Arab bureaucratic state, as it existed in Egypt or Syria or elsewhere. Much of the language and mentality is the same. That should reassure IS’s enemies that it doesn’t have much chance of succeeding.
I trust someone somewhere will translate the whole thing but I have better things to do.”
More here.