AL Qaeda and ISIS Manuals

1. How does each document reflect the world view of the organization’s founders? What specific concepts let you know that you are reading an Al Qaeda vs. an ISIS document?

These two documents, The Al Qaeda Manual and The Management of Savagery, serve as blueprints that guide the operations of Al Qaeda and ISIS.

Al Qaeda presents itself as a moderate jihadist organization, as reflected in the document. Al Qaeda operations exist in disguise and they do not like to show any physical presence.

They undertake moderate and traditional recruitment policies. Also, being moderate in their approach, they mainly target major enemy positions like the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the World Trade Center, Pentagon etc., and rarely harm innocent civilians like journalists or aid workers, except those that were victims of these atrocities. Their main aims were to remove corrupt Muslim rulers and their regimes and to restore committed religious rulers throughout the region. They aim at targeting non-Muslims, particularly the US, for interfering in the affairs of the Middle East. Similarly, they condemn the adoption or association of Western ways of life. As their long-term plans, they envisage the need for a “caliphate” where Muslims could freely practice their faith without Western interference. Their main references were citations from Islamic quotations from the Quran and scholastic views. The manual provided a blueprint for waging war and, being a militant group, Al Qaeda has included such lessons in their jihadist operations. It provides regular training as instructed by the manual for its membership and terrorist groups in different areas of their operations. The group was embraced by most of the jihadist groups and they felt the need to associate with their name. This widespread association gave them a transnational outlook and made them a significant figure in the jihadist movement.

ISIL, as it first came to be known, entered the spotlight during the Iraq insurgency in 2003. It pledged its loyalty to Al Qaeda, who were by then the leading terrorist group in the region. However, after the 9/11 bombing, when the US captured, killed, and confiscated the assets of Al Qaeda, the organization shrank in size and operations and this led to the rise of what later became known as ISIS. In fulfilling its manifesto, they transitioned into a militant jihadist organization with strict Sunni Islamic doctrines. Since their campaign stretched from Iraq to Syria, the organization saw the need to proclaim itself as an Islamic caliphate, following their manifesto. In this regard, its self-claimed territory was known as an “Islamic state”. Its members required all Muslims to show loyalty to its leader and its state. As a means to gain worldwide recognition, and in fulfilling its manifesto, the organization embarked on violent activities. These terror acts included incidents such as the “Paris attack”, public executions such as the beheadings of journalists and aid workers, brutal persecution of other faiths, crucifixion of its members, torture, mutilations, and more. ISIS believed that by doing these acts, the organization would instill fear in the minds of their enemies. These heinous acts were condemned by Al Qaeda, moderate Muslims, various nations and international organizations. They flagrantly committed human rights violations and war crimes. As a militant terrorist group, they built a strong network amongst other terrorist groups. They organized regular training for its members and new recruits. They deftly made use of the media, following their manifesto. They used the media to connect with their sympathizers, recruit new members, conduct training and instruct individuals on how to carry out acts of violence, and broadcast horrific videos of their brutal acts to psychologically terrorize their opponents. They found ways to fund their campaign, through extortion, selling stolen artifacts, kidnapping for ransoms, taxes, looting, and financial support from foreigners sympathetic to their cause. Their ability to fund their operations led to them being recorded as the wealthiest group of the time.

I wish to conclude by stressing that the concept of these two international terrorist groups varied in their approach, strategy, and tactics. In light of this, Al Qaeda’s concept appears to be more moderate, as compared to ISIS which is more radical.

2. Is there specific language or concepts incorporated that are associated with this specific group?

In the case of the “Al Qaeda manual”, it was written in Arabic and translated into English. The English version is clear and easy to understand. It includes language that incites a jihad and it provides Quranic quotations to justify its actions. It disseminates anti-west ideology. It presents political, historical, religious, and economic reasons for war. However, it promotes a moderate approach in its activities.

This was not the case with the ISIS manual. “The Management of Savagery” was also written in Arabic and translated into English. It is very lengthy and full of rhetoric, which makes it very difficult to comprehend. The languages used in the ISIS manual are very strong and it continuously calls for a jihad and the establishment of a “caliphate”. It established the operation of such a “caliphate”. The language is very inflammatory and emphasizes hate and Islamic fanaticism. It makes references to Islamic scholars and the Quran to justify its claims. This strong language widens the already existing gap between Islam and other faiths. Its interpretation is extreme. The language emphasizes the Islamization of the entire Middle East and the radicalization of their operations.

3. What specific goals are articulated that you can tie back to a specific group?

Al Qaeda’s ultimate aim was to get rid of all corrupt Muslim rulers and “apostate” regimes in the Arab world and ensure that these countries are ruled by “holy” rulers. They believe that countries such as the US, which is responsible for the backwardness of the Arab world, should be targeted. That is why their operations targeted major US strongholds like the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, etc. For them, they want an Arab world free from interference by non-Muslims. In achieving this, Al Qaeda saw the need to establish a military terrorist organization. The intention is to use this organization to send out their message through violent means. Similarly, they stressed the need for a “caliphate”, but it was not their immediate goal.

ISIS also believes in fighting against corrupt Muslim rulers and opposes western interference. They have strong dogmatic religious views against the West. However, their main aim was to establish a “caliphate” in the Middle East, introduce Sharia law, and Islamize the state. They believe that with the existence of such a state, Muslims from all over the world will converge there to practice their faith without outside interference. To achieve this, they saw the need for a militant jihadist organization which will carry out its agenda. They held that the presence of the West is a threat to their campaign and because of that they emphasized the need for a radical and violent approach against the West. Their activities are extreme against fellow Muslims who do not practice their prescribed faith and non-Muslims. They called for the radicalization of their operation through social media to gain more members and sympathizers for their cause. This was effective because many players like “lone wolves” and “leaderless groups” became active after these calls.

4. Can you see how the terrorist group arrived at the decision to carry out specific events based on these documents?

Al Qaeda’s primary target is the United States. It accuses the U.S. of being responsible for the problems in the Middle East. Al Qaeda’s manual uses religious ideology as a justification for acts of terrorism. The organization believes that jihad is an act of God and a directive of their prophet, Mohammed. It propagates the idea that those who die for a “just cause” will go to heaven and those who commit acts of violence are doing so on God’s behalf. The recruitment strategy, focused on recruiting members of the same religion who are mature, intelligent, and secretive, has significantly aided in the effectiveness of their campaigns. Should we take a retrospective look at the 9/11 bombings and examine how the terrorists planned the operation, one could safely conclude that their tactics and strategy were derived from this manual. Interestingly, the operation’s classification remained undisclosed until its completion. They claimed that such actions are justifiable according to their beliefs.

Similarly, ISIS emphasizes a radicalized religious campaign with a membership base drawn from the same religious demographic. It justifies its acts of terror with references to Muslim scholars and citations from the Quran. ISIS encourages its followers and fellow Muslims to heed the call for a “jihad”—as prescribed by God and Prophet Mohammed. The organization tells its members that committing acts of violence for Islam is justified by the Quran, and if one dies in “the cause,” admission to heaven is assured. The group also outlines certain criteria as requirements for recruitment into their organization. These serve as instrumental tools for achieving their goals. Thus, when ISIS introduces campaigns like public executions—such as the beheadings of two Western journalists—it is perceived by them as “ridding their lands of infidels.” According to their religious beliefs, such actions are justifiable.

5. Name at least three pieces of common ground that these documents share.

Both Al Qaeda and ISIS uphold strong Muslim religious beliefs. They have a robust ideological foundation in the “holy” Quran. They believe that God is the champion of their cause, with Prophet Mohammed as a witness. They advocate that “war” should be waged against non-Muslims and Muslims who aren’t faithfully practicing the faith. They encourage their members to exert violence and, if necessary, die for “the cause” of God. To fulfill these goals, they have declared a jihad (Holy War) against all those who aren’t practicing “the true faith.” They further stress the need to overthrow all corrupt Muslim leaders and establish a governance based on leaders who are “God-fearing.”

Likewise, both organizations provide guidelines outlining the qualifications and characters of individuals to be recruited into their membership. They emphasize the need to have members of the same religion who are secretive, mature, and intelligent. According to these organizations, in order to maintain effectiveness and success, this recruitment process must be safeguarded rigorously.

Finally, both organizations have established militarized jihadist groups to execute their missions. They support the notion that violence and terror should be employed to establish their goals. They both agree that violence or death should be inflicted on non-Muslims who meddle in their affairs, corrupt Muslim rulers, and Muslims who aren’t practicing their faith correctly.

6. Show at least three ways in which these two documents depart from one another.

“The ISIS Manual” calls for the radicalization of violence as a means of gaining recognition. They argue that violence is an effective instrument for instilling fear in the minds of opponents. That is why it encourages its members to show no mercy and to take pleasure in perpetuating it. Some of its violent activities are publicly shown in videos. “The Al Qaeda Manual” calls for a moderate approach to avoid losing support. This is the main reason why it disassociated itself from ISIS over its brutal infliction of violence on both Muslims and non-Muslims. Al Qaeda controls and regulates its attacks to target major incidents, but ISIS acts on a whim and sporadically.

“The Al Qaeda Manual” maintains a traditional pattern of recruitment, which often follows a conservative and underground approach. They also take age and maturity into consideration in their recruitment policies. However, ISIS is more open in its recruitment policy. They encourage and target youths to join their organization. They effectively use social media in their bid to recruit. This approach has attracted many youths, including those from foreign countries, into their membership.

“The ISIS Manual” stresses the urgent need for a caliphate, but Al Qaeda considers it a long-term plan. According to ISIS, such a caliphate should be established in the Middle East. ISIS supports the establishment of a conventional army and an administration to run this “caliphate”, while Al Qaeda maintains a more moderate view about it.

In conclusion, these are two jihadist organizations that have posed serious threats to the West. They have introduced operations and strategies that have proved effective for their campaigns, leaving the West in search of solutions. We should never relent and we should step up our resilience. It is a fight that can easily be won if we all see it as a common and urgent problem.

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