Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

(formerly al-Qaida in Iraq)

Whats in a Name?
The full Arabic term for the
group is al-Dawla al-Islamiya
fi al-Iraq wa al-Sham,
What does the Flag mean?
translated, the Islamic State
Testimony
in Iraq and al-Sham. al-Sham
There is no God but Allah,
is translated as
Muhammad is the messenger of God
the Levant,
Allah
hence the
Messenger
acronyms ISIS
Muhammad
and ISIL in English. Daesh is
the Arabic acronym, and the
A Brief History:
term rhymes with or suggests
2004 al-Zarqawi establishes alother nefarious
Qaida in Iraq (AQI)
actions/words in Arabic.
2006 AQI attempts to start a
Who uses what?
sectarian war against the majority
Al-Dawla al-Islamiya, (Islamic
Shia in Iraq
State): members of the
JUN 2006 al-Zarqawi is killed and
organization
al-Masri assumes leadership of
Islamic State of Iraq and the
AQI
Levant: members of the U.S.
OCT 2006 al-Masri creates the
Government
Islamic State of Iraq and Syria: Islamic State of Iraq (ISI); Abu
Omar al-Baghdad assumes
members of the U.S.
leadership of ISI
Government and the media
APR 2010 al Masri and alDaesh: members of the
Baghdadi are killed and Abu Bakr
Arabic speaking community,
al-Baghdadi becomes the leader
French Government (in SEP
JUN 2014 al Baghdadi
2014)
announces the Caliphate (Islamic
Why the confusion?
State) and erases all state borders
Those who choose not to use
in the Levant. He declares himself
the terms ISIS or ISIL may be
ruler of all the worlds Muslims.
trying to take away its
preferred self-identity by delegitimizing the organization
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
that calls itself a nation-state.
Image Source: http://militaryedge.org

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/08/world/isis-fast-facts/

http://www.northeastern.edu/news/2015/11/3qs-what-using-the-name-daesh-ratherthan-isis-or-isil-really-means/

Image Source http://www.independent.co.uk/:

Foreign Terrorist Organization

ISIS was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) by the Secretary of State on 17 DEC
2004.
http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm