ISIS Caliphate a year later: Stronger and far more dangerous

New Delhi, June 26: A year has gone by since the ISIS declared a Caliphate. With the Caliphat, the supreme commander of the ISIS, Abu Bakr-al Bhagdadi declared himself as the Caliph.

Not a single day has gone by since the past year when the ISIS has not been in the news and this would only show how very good their propaganda has been.

The US claims that it is at war with the ISIS. But has this made any difference? Certainly not and experts say that it has hardly made even a dent. To cut a long story short, it is clear that the ISIS has not been weakened despite the US spending 3 billion dollars on its war against the outfit.

Why does the ISIS continue to thrive?

The ISIS is brutal, it kills without mercy, but there are many in Iraq who still like them. As strange as it may sound, the fact of the matter is that several people in Iraq know that the ISIS basically comprise Saddam Hussein's men. There is another aspect and that when Saddam was around there was dictatorship no doubt, but no mindless violence on the streets every single day.

Many in Iraq feel that if the ISIS is able to overpower the existing government, there will be a sense of relative calm that may return. In addition to this the people of Iraq are also looking for a long term political situation and are aware that the existing regime will not be able to provide it.

Marigalisation of the Sunnis:

The marginalization of the Sunnis by the Shia led government in Iraq is another factor that has made the ISIS such a draw among many. The Iraqi people believe that the ISIS will ensure that there is Sunni dominance. This can be achieved only by overthrowing the Shia led government in Iraq.

Experts would point out that the presence of the ISIS is important for the Sunni majority in Iraq. There is no way that the Sunnis will ever trust the Shia or their government and there have been instances of them being marginalized. In this scenario, it is only the ISIS which offers them a solution as they have vowed to install a Sunni led government in Iraq.

The scenario world over:

The ISIS ever since the declaration of the Caliphate has only grown in strength. The original idea of declaring a Caliphate was floated by the al-Qaeda, but due to leadership trouble, they were unable to do so which led to the ISIS snatching that opportunity.

The declaration of the Caliphate has given the ISIS a global audience and several from the West have joined them without any reservations. The Jihadis from the West have complained about being ill-treated and in the ISIS they see an answer to their problems.

Further the declaration of the Caliphate has also helped the ISIS strike a chord with several radicals who believe that they are the ones who will be able to establish the global Islamic rule. Statements such as we coming to the Vatican have impressed jihadis no end and this has ensured that the ISIS has grown in stature among these people.

Cutting across borders:

The declaration of the Caliphate has also helped the ISIS make new ground in several countries. In Indonesia they have a huge support base and their foray into Afghanistan too has been successful. Several groups waging a battle in Pakistan too have pledged support to the Caliphate and not the ISIS. This is the kind of impact that the declaration of the Caliphate has had.

Further the ISIS has also prepared a road map into the future. The Global Islamic Council is a dream it proposes to achieve through waging various wars. This is another move which has helped them spread their ideology and propaganda.

The final question is has the ISIS become invincible. While they are not, the fact remains that the so called international Coalition led by the US has only spent 3 billion US dollars in waging a war which has had no result.

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