New release from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Mullā Barādar Akhūnd: “Speech At the Opening Ceremony of Intra-Afghan Negotiations”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

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الحمدلله وکفی والصلوة والسلام علیه رسوله المجتبی

امابعد:

فاعوذ بالله من الشیطن الرجیم، بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم

(و اعتصموا بحمبل الله جمعیا ولا تفرقو) الاية 

و ایضا قال الله تعالی:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّـهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّـهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّـهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا ﴿٥٩﴾

First and foremost, to the participants of this great gathering!

May peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you all.

I am pleased to be partaking in the inaugural ceremony of intra-Afghan negotiations aimed at ending the forty-year Afghan conflict and establishing an Islamic government following the signing of the historic agreement between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the United States of America.

The ongoing peace process can only attain success with the complete implementation of the Doha agreement.

The Islamic Emirate has implemented and will continue to honor its commitments outlined in the Doha agreement.

Therefore, we strongly urge the other side to also implement their part of the agreement so that the peace process may proceed in a proper manner without running into complications or delays.

I urge both teams present in this gathering to give precedence to the higher interests of our sacred religion of Islam and homeland during their deliberations and decisions and not sacrifice this objective for their personal or group interests.

The negotiation process will most certainly hit snags but we ask for patience and tolerance during discussions and to deal with all topics in good-faith.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan reassures its oppressed nation that we shall proceed with sincerity in these intra-Afghan negotiations in order to afford our Muslim nation an opportunity to live a peaceful, tranquil and prosperous life.

Moreover, we assure the world that we will strive to our utmost ability in order for the intra-Afghan negotiations to attain a successful outcome.

We seek an Afghanistan that is independent, sovereign, united, developed and free – an Afghanistan with an Islamic system in which all people of the nation can participate without discrimination and live harmoniously with each other in an atmosphere of brotherhood.

We seek a future Afghanistan that has positive, respectful and good relations with all its neighboring, regional and world countries.

To end, I wholeheartedly thank the honorable Amir, foreign minister, government and people of the host country Qatar along with all the other countries that have and to continue to comprehensively supported us in our pursuit of peace.

Peace, mercy and blessings be upon you all.

Political Deputy and Chief of Political Office of the Islamic Emirate

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar

24/01/1442 Hijri Lunar

22/06/1399 Hijri Solar                   12/09/2020 Gregorian

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Articles of the Week – 9/5-9/11

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

Sunday September 6:

Details on the IS Virtual Planner Attack in Akouda – Aaron Y. Zelin, Tunisian Jihadism: https://bit.ly/3hq8mfT

Monday September 7:

Measuring Terrorism – Thomas Hegghammer and Neil Ketchley, SocArXiv: https://bit.ly/3mbCeAu

Tuesday September 8:

Indian States, Deradicalisation and Online Platforms – Kabir Taneja, GNET: https://bit.ly/3ikfR9y

Al Qaeda’s Generational Change – Katherine Zimmerman, Newsweek: https://bit.ly/3bO7GzP

Wednesday September 9:

Living Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain: The Case of Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi – Aaron Y. Zelin, Jihadica: https://bit.ly/3k6PZhP

Risks, radicalisation and rehabilitation: imprisonment of incarcerated terrorists – Amber Hart, Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism: https://bit.ly/3hf5jHy

Thursday September 10:

Developing an Extremist Construct Schema and Measuring Ideological Engagement – Phillip Conrad De Bruyn, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism: https://bit.ly/2RdQo5O

Friday September 11:

The grievance-identity relationship: understanding the role of identity processes and stigmatisation on Muslims’ perceptions of terrorist grievances – H Williamson, K Murphy, and E Sargeant, Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism: https://bit.ly/33lUOx4

Defying Rules. Defying Gender?: Women’s Resistance to Islamic State – Gina Vale, Studies in Conflict & Terrorism: https://bit.ly/2FiCVqU

New issue of The Islamic State’s newsletter: “al-Nabā’ #251″

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

For prior parts see: #250, #249, #248, #247, #246, #245, #244, #243, #242, #241, #240, #239, #238, #237, #236, #235, #234, #233, #232, #231, #230, #229, #228, #227, #226, #225, #224, #223, #222, #221, #220, #219, #218, #217, #216, #215, #214, #213, #212, #211, #210, #209, #208, #207, #206, #205, #204, #203, #202, #201, #200, #199, #198, #197, #196, #195, #194, #193, #192, #191, #190, #189, #188, #187, #186, #185, #184, #183, #182, #181, #180, #179, #178, #177, #176, #175, #174, #173, #172, #171, #170, #169, #168, #167, #166, #165, #164, #163, #162, #161, #160, #159, #158, #157, #156, #155, #154, #153, #152, #151, #150, #149, #148, #147, #146, #145, #144, #143, #142, #141, #140, #139, #138, #137, #136, #135, #134, #133, #132, #131, #130, #129, #128, #127, #126, #125, #124, #123, #122, #121, #120, #119, #118, #117, #116, #115, #114, #113, #112, #111, #110, #109, #108, #107, #106, #105, #104, #103, #102, #101, #100, #99, #98, #97, #96, #95, #94, #93, #92, #91, #90, #89, #88, #87, #86, #85, #84, #83, #82, #81, #80, #79, #78, #77, #76, #75, #74, #73, #72, #71, #70, #69, #68, #67, #66, #65, #64, #63, #62, #61, #60, #59, #58, #57, #56, #55, #54, #53, #52, #51, #50, #49, #48, #47, #46, #45, #44, #43, #42, #41, #40, #39, #38, #37, #36, #35, #34, #33, #32, #31, #30, #29, #28, #27, #26, #25, #24, #23, #22, #21, #20, #19, #18, #17, #16, #15, #14, #13, #12, #11, #10, #9, #8, #7, #6, #5, #4, #3, #2, and #1.

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Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: The Islamic State — al-Nabā’ Newsletter #251

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To inquire about a translation for this newsletter issue for a fee email: [email protected]

Check out my new article at Jihadica: “Living Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain: The Case of Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi”

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

It has become a trope within the jihadi studies field to describe Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi (born ‘Isam Bin Muhammad Bin Tahir al-Barqawi) as being the most important jihadi ideologue alive. Part of this derives from a study written by Will McCants in 2006 that notes he is the most cited living jihadi ideologue within jihadi primary source literature. At the time, in many ways, al-Qaeda (AQ) was also the unipolar leader of the jihadi world. Since then, cracks in the foundation of AQ’s leading role have created alternative visions for the future of the jihadi movement. Most notable has been the case of the Islamic State (IS), but another is that of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). In attempting to bolster their legitimacy, these different currents have moved away from al-Maqdisi and even derided him. The story of al-Maqdisi’s issues with the leader of IS’s predecessor, Abu Mus‘ab al-Zarqawi, and of IS toying with him during fake negotiations over the Jordanian pilot Mu‘adh al-Kasasbah, are well-trodden at this point. But more recent recriminations between al-Maqdisi and HTS are also worth exploring since they signal a change in tone. Although there have been vigorous debates between al-Maqdisi and HTS over decisions to move away from AQ and HTS’s alleged “diluting” of its ideology, this latest round of argument augurs another broken chain within the jihadi movement and further cements the fact that claiming HTS is some kind of front for AQ is incorrect in the same way that saying ISIS was still within AQ in 2013 was wrong.

Click here to read the rest.