Transcript The Current Iraq Crisis

Prime Minister Nuri Kemal Al-Maliki
The Current I.S.I.S-Iraq Crisis
What is the “Caliphate” and Who is a
“Caliph”?
• “Caliphate”:
– Term in Arabic means “succession”. The Caliphate is an Islamic
State.
• A geographic community of believers in Islam whose society is governed
by faith.
• “Caliph”:
– Term for the supreme religious and political leader of the
Caliphate.
• * The Caliph is the “successor of Mohammed”.
• What does a “Caliph” do?
– 2 responsibilities: political leader over the united Islamic State &
bears responsibility for the community of all Muslims
• *REALITY*: THERE HAS BEEN NO CALIPHATE
FOR NEARLY 100 YEARS!
Who is ISIS?
• ISIS:
– A militant, Sunni Islamist terrorist group, founded
in 2004.
– Islamic State of Iraq & Syria (ISIS)
• Goal of ISIS:
– Establish a militant Sunni Islamic Caliphate in
Syria & Iraq to eventually spread throughout the
entire Middle East region.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
• 42 years old
• Delivered a recent sermon inside a Mosque in
Mosul, Iraq declaring himself the new “Caliph”.
So as American’s we should fear a
“caliphate”?
• *NO! Not really… Why?
• Islam, like the other two primary world
religions (Judaism & Christianity) is peaceful.
• * Terrorist groups like ISIS use religion as a
means to give their barbaric, violent, and
hateful actions a twisted justification.
Violence in a “Holy Book”?
• “And he that curseth his father, or his mother,
shall surely be put to death.”
– Exodus 21:17
• “They shall also bring up a company against thee,
and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust
thee through with their swords.”
– Ezekiel 16:40
• “And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.”
– Matthew 14:10
For Today, After You Come In:
• Partner/ Triple up, get 1 laptop, log on.
• Google: “who are the Yezidis”
• CLICK ON: “CONVERT or DIE” link
• DON’T GET CONFUSED IF YOU HEAR:
– I.S. (Islamic State) ISIL (Islamic State Iraq &
Levant)= ISIS
“The Levant”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbJs3aeW
NEI
So how bad are these ISIS guys?
• PRETTY BAD:
– Islamist extremists.
• Membership: possibly 30,000…
– Responsible for murder, torture, kidnap, and rape
of anyone who does not subscribe to their radical,
violent, “brand” of Sunni Islam.
– *In Iraq: ethnic murders, torture, and assaults of
Yezidi’s (ethnic minority in Iraq), Christians, Shiite
Muslims, Arab Secular Nationalists, “westerners”.
Who are the Iraqi Kurds?
• “The Kurds”:
– Ethnic minority in Iraq (“Kurdish”)
• Most people in Iraq are ethnically Arab
– Most Kurds in Iraq live in Northeastern Iraq
(Kurdistan)
– Most Iraqi Kurds are Sunni Muslim
• Fighting Against ISIS:
– The Kurds are one of Iraq & America’s largest allies
in the fight against ISIS.
– Kurds (“Peshmerga” soldiers) are fighting against
ISIS invaders & beginning to take back some of
Iraq’s northern cities.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kurdistan-theother-iraq/
Steven Sotloff
http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/27/world/meas
t/isis-sotloff-mother-plea/
U.S. Action: What is the Threat?
U.S. Action So Far:
- Evacuation of American
Embassy.
Reasons for Concern:
-
Fight a “War on Terror”
-
American Embassy &
Consulates in Iraq = American
lives at risk
-
“Invested” in future Iraqi
Democracy
-
Stop ISIS led genocide
-
Economic ties to region = OIL
- President Obama authorizes
targeted airstrikes against ISIS in
Iraq.
- U.S. troops sent to help evacuate
& protect displaced Iraq minority
groups from ISIS genocide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax4a6cH1
Wjs
Scary Ambitions?
Threat to EVERYONE
in the MIDDLE EAST…
• Middle East countries and leaders fear that if
ISIS conquers Iraq, they will create a
terrorist state in the Middle East with control
over the 5th wealthiest OIL region in the
world.
– * Safe haven, recruitment, and home base for
Jihadist terrorists.*
– Direct threat to all lives in the region.
– Ability to exploit the oil wealth of Iraq.
The Faces of New Leadership in Iraq:
Fouad Massoum
(Iraqi President)
Haider al-Abadi
(Iraqi Prime Minister)
Sources:
• http://live.wsj.com/video/iraq-isis-sparks-a-middle-east-crisisexplained/74607CBE-0725-4C02-A289ABA34FEAB516.html#!2977C1CD-B8E5-439E-BC48-8AF0809C9434
• http://www.vox.com/a/maps-explain-crisis-iraq
• http://www.vox.com/2014/7/10/5884593/9-questions-about-thecaliphate-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask
• http://www.vox.com/cards/things-about-isis-you-need-toknow/isis-goal-theocracy
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQPlREDW-Ro
• http://www.religionnews.com/2014/06/13/sunni-vs-shiite-primer/
• http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/08/20/who-are-theiraqi-kurds/
• http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kurdistan-the-other-iraq/