Al-Qaeda was the leading terrorist organization of the world, but after the assassination of its face, Osama bin Laden (OBL), Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri, its new leader, failed to keep all the knots of the organization tight, resulting in popping-up of the most violent terrorist organization of history, ISIS (Daesh). Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi or Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim el Badri, along with Syrian chapter of Al-Qaeda, set up the Islamic State of Iraq in 2014. On that basis, he proclaimed the establishment of the new Islamic caliphate under his leadership and the new name he was taking i.e. Abu Bakr al Baghdadi el Hashemi el Kurayshi. After claiming the caliphate under the flag of ISIS, Baghdadi opened the mouth of hell, mostly on Muslims. The vicious terrorist organization, which operated like a trained army carrying out massive ethno-sectarian killings, took over vast territories in Iraq and Syria where some three million people lived. This gave it an access to natural resources and manpower. It started levying taxes, selling Iraqi oil, running local governments and unleashing propaganda on a large scale. According to reports, at the height of its power in early 2015, the militants controlled 90,800 square kilometer territory in Syria and Iraq. As it is, atrocities and unacceptable mindset of Baghdadi and ISIS, which is purely un-Islamic in nature, has proven disastrous for Muslims all over the world. The ISIS branches in Libya, Egypt and Afghanistan have unleashed unspeakable atrocities. Daesh has also carried out terrorist operations throughout the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and the United States in which scores of innocent lives were lost. Misuse of Jihad is a common denominator for almost all extremist ideologies in the Muslim world. As such, both Al-Qaeda and ISIS are wrongfully declaring terrorism as Jihad. The sole purpose of terrorism is to cause severe impairment, pain and sufferings to others by making them feel frightened and apprehensive, which is against the basic essence of teachings of Quran and Sunnat and Jihad. The so-called Islamic State is in its death throes and is likely to disappear both in Iraq and Syria as a geographical entity. But it has propped up franchises in the Muslim world before it lost in the Middle East. In Pakistan, the security forces have eliminated such organizations though its vestiges may remain but it nevertheless thrives in neighbouring Afghanistan. Many important and worthy questions have appeared after the apparent demise and endgame of ISIS in Iraq and Libya. While Baghdadi’s proclamation is purely aimed at self-glorification, efforts have to be made to counter the war of ideas, strategic messaging and ideology of terrorists. The propaganda wing of ISIS is spreading disinformation that democracy is against the basic rules of Islam in order to achieve their vested interest of acquiring power and ruling the Muslim world, without having any second option. It is aimed at destruction of the modern state system. A nuanced and coherent strategy in a regional context is therefore needed to counter the future threats. Attention should be focused that the terrorists are clearly defeated, not only militarily but also psychologically and in the propaganda war, and they are denied clandestine underground network in any country.
