Perhaps the organization "ISIS" is one of the most famous violent and terrorist groups, with a multitude of discussions surrounding its origins, objectives, and the timing of its activities, especially since it spread and gained notoriety quickly in complicated international circumstances. The conditions of its spread, as well as its phases of inactivity and re-emergence, raise more questions than they provide answers. During its peak period (2014-2017), as well as similar terrorist organizations, they portrayed their violent actions in the name of Islam and for Islam. Therefore, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced the establishment of the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism in December 2015 (comprising around 42 Islamic member states) with the goal of unifying the efforts of Islamic countries in combating terrorism.
Prior to this, a multinational coalition against "ISIS" specifically formed in September 2014, with extensive international participation, bringing its members to 87, led by the United States and including international organizations like NATO and the European Union. At that time, the coalition announced that its main goal was to confront ISIS on all fronts. After about five years (2019) since the formation of this coalition, the liberation of ISIS-controlled areas in Syria and earlier in Iraq was proclaimed, alongside limited successes in the Sahel region in Africa. But has the organization actually ended, or is it in a phase of dormancy waiting for opportunities? The reality is that the organization remains active, moving amidst weak areas in countries that lack adequate security and military capabilities. It will continue to seek publicity and notoriety through offensive operations in some countries that some may perceive as insulated from terrorism.
This reality is reinforced by analyzing the tragic terrorist incident for which the organization claimed responsibility this month (July 15, 2024), targeting a gathering of Shia at the Ali bin Abi Talib Mosque near Muscat, the capital of Oman. This attack resulted in the deaths of nine people and injury to more than 30 others, marking not the first incident this year and likely not the last. The organization claimed responsibility for two major explosions near a cemetery in Kerman, southern Iran, which resulted in the deaths of over 100 people at the beginning of 2024. In March of this year (2024), a loud attack was claimed by the organization on a music hall in Russia, leaving around 150 dead. In the same month, the organization also claimed responsibility for an attack on a group of the Nigerien army, resulting in the deaths of 30 soldiers.
Given the opaque and entangled international conditions and interests, and because "ISIS" represents an idea and a belief far beyond the organization itself, this idea will continue to thrive, with its promoters exploiting geopolitical, economic, and security circumstances. Consequently, Africa (and some areas in Asia) will remain active hubs for the organization's cells until an inevitable decree is fulfilled. In conclusion, "ISIS" is a toxic idea that spreads rapidly amid chaos, and it has never really disappeared to return again.
Paths... He said and moved on: The disagreement over (the approach) is about correctness and rightness; the problem is that we have never agreed on (the methodology).
