On February 16, 2022, Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) mouthpiece Al-Azaim published the 22nd issue of its English language magazine Voice of Khorasan. The issue spanning over 48 pages is divided into seven articles and touches upon multiple topics, from religion to politics, against Turkey, Syria, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, and the United Kingdom. Contrary to previous issues, no militant biography is featured in this one.
ISKP targeting Turkey and Syria in the wake of the earthquake
The first article is a hardcore propaganda piece against Turkey that claims the Kahramanmaras Earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in February 2023 was a punishment sent by God for the Turk government’s actions. Written by an ISKP supporter who allegedly resides in Turkey, it argues that both states are planning to divide IS territories in Syria among themselves with the complicity of Russia and Iran. The latter is accused of having transferred Shia militants from Afghanistan and Pakistan into Syria, implicitly referring to the Fatemiyoun and Zainabiyoun brigades. According to the author, the role of jihadist group Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Abu Muhammad al-Jawlani is to act as a mercenary leader for Turkey to fight IS militants with eventual handing over of Idlib region to Damascus in exchange for the Kurdish territory in eastern Syria. The Idlib based HTS and its relations with Turkey are thus compared to the Palestinian Authority’s government and its relations with Israel calling both “a servant-master situation”.
The article claims that Jawlani is taking advantage of the earthquake to get closer to the affected people as a precursor to launch a crackdown on more Salafi jihadist groups in Idlib.
ISKP comments on the death of Pakistan’s former president Pervez Musharraf
One article is about the death of former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf who passed away on February 5, 2023. The text criticizes him for aiding NATO and international coalition forces against the Taliban and Al-Qaida, and a larger portion of the article recalls the different phases from the Lal Masjid Operation of 2007 that took place in Islamabad.
Translation of a text of former IS leader Sheikh Abu Hamza al-Muhajir
This issue of Al-Azaim features the English translations of a text first published in 2007 and attributed to Abd al-Munim bin Izz al-Din al-Badawi – better known as Abu Hamza al-Mujahid, a senior figure of Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). The text titled “Advice to the Soldiers of the Islamic State” consists of a 16-point advisory to the group including showing restraint in the declaration of indiscriminate takfeer (ostracization from the fold of Islam), abiding by the orders of the leadership, and following rulings of scholars.
ISKP targeting Muslim LGBTQ movement
While ISKP frequently mentioned the LGBTQ movement as an instance of “decadence” of the moral values in the Westin its writings, this article in particular focuses on the Muslim LGBTQ movement as an attempt by the West to damage Islam. Organizers of the initiative including such as Canadian Muslim El-Farouk Khaki who founded the Unity Mosque in Toronto, Canada, or Seyran Ateş, founder of the Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque in Germany, are labelled “agents of the West ”. Sections of the article criticize Pakistan for hosting the LGBTQ-friendly Scrapfest event in Karachi mentioning Pakistani-Canadian singer Urvah Khan by name.
ISKP Infographics for “lone wolf attacks”
An infographic features 5 potential targets for so-called lone wolf attacks, arguing that one attack in the West is more important than a daily attack in the Muslim world. The suggested targets include police forces, markets, streets, festivals, shopping malls; stadiums, music concerts, protests and public rallies.
ISKP exploiting the Rohingya issue to threaten Myanmar and Bangladesh
In one of the articles, ISKP cites the actions of the Myanmar and Bangladesh governments as a reason for intervening in the Rohingya issue. The piece recalls the trajectory of violence in Rakhine state since 2017 and the subsequent exodus of Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh. They accuse the latter of denying protection to the displaced initially and then later accepting them only out of pressure from the West. The article criticizes Muslim countries including Turkey, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, for ignoring the issue. The author also accuses Bangladesh of facilitating international NGOs so that they can allegedly convert Rohingya Muslims to Christianity in exchange for political and economic support.
The United Kingdom and ISKP threats to the West
A long tirade against the West and its ideological war against Islam is the main topic of another ISKP article in the issue. The historical phenomenon of colonialism is described as a manifestation of the nature of the West and its attempt to enslave people. The United Kingdom is accused of being at the forefront of “a global colonial project” historically and spearheading a clash against Muslims. The UK is blamed for disintegrating the Ottoman Empire, the creation of Israel, installing the al-Saud dynasty in Saudi Arabia, and creating prevailing economic difficulties in the Indian Subcontinent.
The text claims that Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other Muslim countries are suffering from economic crises because of the long-term effects of British colonialism as well as intervention of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in the countries’ affairs. It also claims despite being stronger, the gulf economies are not sustainable in the long run and thus the West is already planning to predate these countries.
ISKP dismisses doubts on perceived weakness of the Islamic State
In the last article of the issue there is a brief answer on the current status of IS and the legitimacy of its fight. Whereas ISKP acknowledges that IS has lost territories and suffered setbacks saying “mistakes have been made”, it criticizes the entire Muslim Ummah for not joining the struggle to “rectify” the deviances of IS militants who are burdened by extreme pressure.
