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Friday March 29, 2024

Why I wrote book Daesh-ISIS; rising monster worldwide

By Senator Rehman Malik
July 21, 2019

Sitara -e -Shujaat, Nishan-e-Imtiaz

I decided to write a book on Daesh to inform the world as to how it has emerged as being more dangerous and more lethal than Taliban and al-Qaeda.

Daesh’s presence in Afghanistan and rest of the region is an alarming threat for the whole world as the deadly terrorist group is replacing al-Qaeda and Taliban through a well-planned strategy. I was the one who first ever named Taliban as Zaliman for their brutalities against humanity. Daesh is worse than Taliban which is now trying to bring a new ideology as Daesh-ism which is anti–Islam.

I, as then interior minister had closely watched and followed the real motives of these terrorists and discovered the exact modus operandi of their moves and operations. I was keenly observing the behaviour of al-Qaeda and the emergence of Daesh starting from the ouster of Hosni Mubarak to developments of Arab Spring and violence in Libya to Syria and, also many other events which were happening across the world and in the meanwhile the rise of Daesh and its terroristic activities worldwide.

I kept chasing and reported activities of Daesh and discovered the first ever presence of Daesh in Daska - area of Sialkot and its further expansion to the Southern Punjab and finally its presence was reported in Kalar Syedan, near the capital. Omar Khalid Khorasani claimed to be the local representative of Daesh.

This was alarming situation of presence of Daesh in Pakistan and its expanding activities compelled me to write the book titled “Daesh-ISIS; A rising monster worldwide” which was launched on 17th July, 2019. I would like to share that the motivation behind the book was to put my experience in war against terrorism and to expose the deadly terrorist outfit – Daesh/ISIS for the information of the people and to give a wakeup call to the world leadership and international community to play its role in smashing this monster. I knew it was a dry and making entry into the affairs of this deadly organisation yet I decided to write with full facts for the information of a common man.

In the mid of 2014, in a press conference in Islamabad, I had stated that I have all the documentary evidence about the presence of Daesh in Pakistan and had warned the then government that instead of remaining in a state of denial, the government (then) should take serious actions and measures before Daesh spreads like Taliban and may push the country into another phase of terrorism. Despite of my repeated warnings, the government of the time was not prepared to accept it but I continued my chase and the country witnessed the terrorist actions in Pakistan claimed by Daesh. However, our security agencies have been playing great role in identifying the operator and smashing the handlers and blocking their entry on the borders.

Despite government’s continuous denial about the presence of Daesh/ISIS in the country, two major terrorist attacks happened in Quetta in 2016. First occurred in August killing 70 people and more than 100 were wounded, in second attack the terrorists carried out mass shooting at police cadets at training centre in Quetta killing 61 cadets while 160 were wounded. In 2017, 100 were killed in Sehwan Sharif suicide attack. An attack on a bus in Karachi in May 2015 that killed 46 people were the first major incident officially claimed by IS in Pakistan. In May 2017, Daesh targeted the ex- deputy chairman of Senate Abdul Ghafoor Haideri in a bomb attack in Mastung District. In August 2017, a suicide blast carried out by ISIS in Quetta killed 15 people including 8 Pak soldiers. In July 2018, Daesh carried out the deadliest attack in the history of Pakistan after APS attack in Mastung in which Siraj Raisani was about to address an election rally when a suicide bomber, carrying around 16–20 kg of explosive material in his vest, blew himself up among a crowd of more than 1000 people. Along with Raisani, the explosion killed 128 people. Two days after the attack, on 15 July 2018, the number of dead increased to 149, while 186 other people were injured. These all deadliest terrorist acts were claimed by Daesh/ISIS.

In July 2018, ISIS carried out a bomb blast outside a polling station during elections in Quetta's Eastern Bypass area which resulted in killing of 31 people and over 35 were injured.

Apart from above attacks in Pakistan, the Daesh/ISIS so far has claimed 139 terrorist attacks across the world. Among those terrorist attacks since 2013, 19 in Iraq, 4 in Belgium, 4 in Australia, 5 in Canada, 7 in USA, 13 in France, 3 in Saudi Arabia, 2 in Libya, 1 in Denmark, 4 in Tunisia, 2 in Yemen, 10 in Turkey, 1 in Kuwait, 10 in Egypt, 2 in Russia, 1 in Lebanon and the recent Sri Lankan attacks, were carried out and claimed by Daesh/ISIS. Daesh/ISIS poses a whole new dynamic and a new paradigm of threats to Pakistan, Afghanistan and the whole world as so far it has proven its presence across the world in different shapes by carrying terrorist activities as explained earlier.

The West has already expressed the apprehensions that Daesh/ISIS does pose a severe threat to the West in the form of the hundreds of European and American fighters who have fought with the Daesh/ISIS in Iraq and Syria and could return to their home countries to attack. In many videos the terrorists of Daesh were found speaking English with a British and Western accent.

Here are some statements quoted by Daesh leadership reflected in my book:

“Our battle today is one of attrition and stretching the enemy. They should know that jihad is ongoing until the Day of Judgment,” al-Baghdadi said.

“We believe it is really an attempt to divert attention from the core group’s heavy losses and to ensure that the franchise groups and grassroots supporters remain loyal to the Islamic State (Daesh) pole of the jihadist universe,”

“In the post 9/11 era, weaponised jihadist propaganda has helped transition us into a situation where we are primarily concerned with lone wolf, homegrown violent extremists as opposed to people trained abroad. ‘We call it open-source jihad, which allows people to train at home rather than going abroad to carry out jihad.”

“We branded jihad like Madison Avenue and understood what the world was going into, in regard to the emotional and less rational approach to life, particularly among the youth.”

I have highlighted as to how Daesh/ISIS is more lethal than al-Qaeda and Taliban in South Asia, Middle East and Europe even it will continue to be great threat to the China and this monster can push the whole world into another bloodiest phase of terrorism, if not smashed on time. I have interacted with many Iraqis and Libyans including Libyan former interior minister about the activities of Daesh and each of them confirmed the presence of Daesh in Libya and other parts of world. My research and personal interaction with different heads of states and other interior ministers enabled me to get the insight of the emergence and growth of Daesh and their worries. I have also indicated tactical operations of Daesh, its destruction and brutalities and its future designs in the book.

Daesh is being controlled by all those students who are being trained in Khost area of Afghanistan which includes the name of Abu Bakar Al Baghdadi and Mosab Al Zarqavi, ex-members of al-Qaeda and even Osama Bin Laden had named Zarqavi as Youth leader of al-Qaeda.

It was shocking to see that the Sri Lankan attacks and the link between the terrorist lead to Daesh and these Daesh operators were further trained in India. The terrorist’s identified the use of Indian soil against Sri Lanka. India was not only identified as supporter of Daesh but was in fact caught red handed for its involvement in terrorism in Sri Lanka when on 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday, three churches in Sri Lanka and three luxury hotels in the commercial capital Colombo were targeted in a series of coordinated terrorist suicide bombings in which 259 people were killed including at least 45 foreign nationals. The president and prime minister of Sri Lanka publicly declared as per their investigation that these attacks were carried out by Daesh operators having trained and subsequently launched from India which confirms the link between Daesh and RSS. I was right in introducing the terms of RSS-ISM and DAESH-ISM as new ideologies and exposing their nexus.

My book “Daesh-ISIS; Rising Monster Worldwide” contains all about what people want to know about Daesh and its dreadful terror creating modalities. It is very unfortunate that the killers/operators of Daesh, al-Qaeda, and the Taliban recite Kalma/Allah-o-Akbar and the one who is killed also chants the same slogan of Allah. So what is the ideology of Daesh and obviously this ideology of Daesh is anti-Islam and will continue to be anti-Islam. I have narrated all the facts in my book as to who created and funded for Daesh in the beginning. Daesh is fully present in Afghanistan and doing its actions in Pakistan via Afghanistan. I have mapped out the locations of Daesh training centers as well.

In view of my assessments about the fast growing Monster of Daesh, I have proposed following immediate counter measure suggested in my book:

1) There should be consolidated and collective effort to block the growth of Daesh with an international common counter-terrorism strategy duly discussed and formulated in the United Nations. 2) An immediate conference should be called by UNO to formulate a common counter-terrorism strategy, especially to control the rising of Daesh. 3) I appeal to the UNO to constitute a Fact-Finding Commission to investigate the growth and ongoing brutalities in the world and the Commission should submit its report within 3 months. 4) Daesh should be declared as deadly terrorist organisation by UN and stern actions against its sympathisers, financer and abettor should be taken mercilessly across the world. 5) The OIC should declare Daesh as anti-Islam organisation as it is bringing bad name to the religion by claiming to be an Islamic Organisation. 6) There should be an Inter-Faith Harmony Commission under the United Nations to enhance harmony among all faiths and religions.

I have done my best to get the facts based on personal experience and interaction various international authorities and my participation in various security forums. It is based on my own actions in Pakistan and by closely watching the mysterious growth of Daesh starting from its initial days in Fulaja, Iraq to various countries of Middle East and subsequently its expansion towards west. There is a big question in the world as to who is funding Daesh and providing them with heavy weapons including tanks and fleets of modern jeeps with missiles.

I appeal to the world to avert the growth of this monster which is going to be worse than al-Qaeda as it will bite every one of us on this planet and world powers should not forget that they sponsored Jihadis against Soviet Union in Afghanistan to the level of Taliban/Zaliman then their unhindered raising to al-Qaeda and now Daesh. The inside account shows that Daesh is emerging as an ideology of Daesh-ism and its available missionaries in the world which could be used by any aspirant of dealing matters through terrorism.

I have also given the details as to how India when closer to Daesh and how the India national security adviser created working relation with Daesh to use them in Indian Held Kashmir. I have proved the link between RSS & Daesh. Now there is deep relation between Daesh-ism & RSS-ism and unfortunate evil success of the Indian National Security adviser who is the real designer of brutalities in Kashmir with newly induction of Daesh. The readers can find all about Daesh in my book and the book also indicates as to how Chinese nationals are being trained by Daesh in Afghanistan.

The writer is former interior minister of Pakistan, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Chairman of Think Tank "Global Eye". He can be reached at: rmalik1212@gmail.com, Twitter @Senrehmanmalik