The so-called Islamic State will not stop until it has “exterminated” all other religious groups, according to a former Islamic extremist now working in counter-terrorism.
“They’re on a mission – a programme of extermination – to wipe out everyone else,” said Shiraz Maher, a former member of Islamist group Hizbut Tahrir, speaking this week in London as he promoted his book, “Salafi-Jihadism: The History of an Idea”.
Maher said wiping out Christians, in particular, is a “very important part” of IS’s ideology. He said that although they were “religious amateurs” with “weak theology”, their claim to have restored the Caliphate – by appointing Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as “God’s representative on earth” – has given them a strong position, which leaves other Muslims with a choice: reject that claim or to “do whatever he says”. Continue reading →