Even though the Islamic State has lost most of its territory in Iraq and Syria, and with it the appearance of enjoying the favor of Allah upon its claim to be the caliphate, that claim still has a potent appeal for jihad groups worldwide. In Sunni Islamic law, only the caliph is authorized to declare offensive jihad; in the absence of a caliph, jihad can only be defensive (although that can be and has been interpreted elastically enough to include 9/11). In my book The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS, I detail how the great Islamic caliphates of the past — the Umayyads, Abbasids, Ottomans, and others — pursued jihad relentlessly against Infidel states. Jihadis still think about those glory days, and want to relive them. And so now a new caliphate is growing in Indonesia.
“Fears an Islamic State stronghold is emerging in Indonesia as 63 terror groups in the region pledge allegiance to the ISIS leader,” by Lauren Ferri, Daily Mail Australia, October 11, 2018:
Fears are growing an Islamic State stronghold is emerging in Indonesia after 63 terror groups in the region pledged allegiance to the ISIS leader.
Indonesian Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has warned lives could be lost unless action is not taken..
Mr Ryacudu is calling for the sharing of intelligence to be improved in order to protect the lives of civilians, The Australian reported.
Mr Ryamizard scheduled a meeting with Australian Defence minister Christopher Pyne in Jakarta on Thursday….
US counter-terror operations foiled plots to fly drones filled with explosives into police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, carry out suicide attacks in the State Palace in Jakarta and fire a rocket at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.
Mr Ryamizard also said 63 groups in Southeast Asia pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Countries in Southeast Asia responded last year after ISIS inspired terror groups attacked the Philippines city of Marawai, leaving more than 1,000 innocent people dead….