by Daniel Pipes
After an absence of 90
years, the ancient institution of the caliphate roared back into
existence on the first day of Ramadan in the year 1435 of the Hegira,
equivalent to June 29, 2014. This astonishing revival symbolically
culminates the Islamist surge that began 40 years ago. A Western analogy might be declaring the restoration of the Hapsburg Empire, which traced its legitimacy to ancient Rome.
Whence comes this audacious move? Can the caliphate last? What will its impact be?
For starters, a quick review of the caliphate (from the Arabic khilafa, meaning "succession"): according to canonical Muslim history,
it originated in 632 C.E., on the death of the Islamic Prophet
Muhammad, then spontaneously developed, filling the nascent Muslim
community's need for a temporal leader. The caliph became Muhammad's
non-prophetic heir. After the first four caliphs, the office became
dynastic.
From the start,
followers disagreed whether the caliph should be the most able and pious
Muslim or the closest relative of Muhammad; the resulting division came
to define the Sunni and Shiite branches of Islam, respectively, causing
the profound schism that still endures.
A single caliphate
ruled all the Muslim lands until 750; but then two processes combined to
diminish its power. First, remote provinces began to break away, with
some -- such as Spain -- even creating rival caliphates. Second, the
institution itself decayed and was taken over by slave soldiers and
tribal conquerors, so that the original line of caliphs effectively
ruled only until about 940. Other dynasties then adopted the title as a
perquisite of political power.
The institution
continued in an enfeebled form for a millennium until, in a dramatic act
of repudiation, modern Turkey's founder, Kemal Ataturk, terminated its
last vestiges in 1924. Despite several subsequent attempts to restore
it, the institution became defunct, a symbol of the disarray in
Muslim-majority countries and a yearned-for goal among Islamists.
And so matters remained
for 90 years, until the group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and
the Levant (abbreviated "ISIS") issued a declaration in five languages
(English version: "This Is the Promise of Allah")
proclaiming the founding of a new caliphate under "Caliph" Ibrahim.
Caliph Ibrahim (aka Dr. Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim), about 40, hailing from
Samarra, Iraq, fought in Afghanistan and then Iraq. He now claims to be
leader of "Muslims everywhere" and demands their oath of allegiance. All
other Muslim governments have lost legitimacy, he claims. Further,
Muslims must throw out "democracy, secularism, nationalism, as well as
all the other garbage and ideas from the West."
Reviving the universal
caliphate means, announces "The Promise of Allah," that the "long
slumber in the darkness of neglect" has ended. "The sun of jihad has
risen. The glad tidings of good are shining. Triumph looms on the
horizon." Infidels are justifiably terrified for, as both "east and
west" submit, Muslims will "own the earth."
Grandiloquent words, to be sure, but also ones with zero chance of success. ISIS has enjoyed backing from states like Turkey
and Qatar -- but to fight in Syria, not to establish a global hegemony.
Nearby powers -- the Kurds, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel (and eventually
maybe Turkey too) -- regard the Islamic State as an unmitigated enemy, as do nearly all rival Islamic movements, including al-Qaida. (The only exceptions: Boko Haram; scattered Gazans; and a new Pakistani organization.)The
caliphate already faces difficulty governing the Great Britain-sized
territories it conquered, troubles that will increase as its subject
populations experience the full misery of Islamist rule. (Its apparent
capture of the Mosul Dam on August 3 portends unspeakable crimes,
including the denial of electricity and water; or even creating
catastrophic floods.)
I predict that the Islamic State, confronted with hostility both from neighbors and its subject population, will not last long.
It will leave a legacy,
though. No matter how calamitous the fate of Caliph Ibrahim and his
grim crew, they have successfully resurrected a central institution of
Islam, making the caliphate again a vibrant reality. Islamists around
the world will treasure its moment of brutal glory and be inspired by
it.
For non-Muslims, this
development has complex and double-edged implications. On the negative
side, violent Islamists will be more encouraged to achieve their hideous
goals, leaving a wake of carnage. On the positive side, the caliphate's
barbaric zealotry will have the salutary effect of awakening many of
those yet asleep to the horrors of the Islamist agenda.
Daniel Pipes (DanielPipes.org), president of the Middle East Forum, holds a doctorate in medieval Islamic history.
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=9521
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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