With the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL, or IS), an old apologia meant to exonerate Islam of violence has become prominent again. Because ISIS is killing other Muslims, so the argument goes, obviously its violence cannot be based on Islam, which bans Muslims from killing fellow Muslims in its name.
This point is always stressed whenever Islamic jihadis commit massacres in the West. Speaking soon after the San Bernardino terror attack that left 14 dead, U.S. president Obama, who earlier insisted that the Islamic State “is not Islamic,” elaborated:
ISIL does not speak for Islam. They are thugs and killers, part of a cult of death…Moreover, the vast majority of terrorist victims around the world are Muslim (emphasis added).
Similarly, after last November’s Paris terrorist attack, which left 129 people dead, the UK’sIndependent published an article titled, “Paris attacks: Isis responsible for more Muslim deaths than western victims.” And the Daily Beast argued that, “Before the Paris horror, ISIS was killing Muslims on a daily basis. We Muslims despise these crazy people more than anyone else does…. But the number one victim of this barbaric terror group is Muslims. That’s undisputed.”
Along with distancing Islam from violence—real Muslims are not supposed to kill other Muslims in the name of jihad—this argument further clouds the issue of who is the true victim of Islamic terrorism: Why talk about the Muslim slaughter of non-Muslims—whether Western people in Paris or California, or Christian minorities under Islam—when it is Muslims who are the primary victims most deserving of sympathy?
Yet this argument is flawed on several levels. First, the Islamic State does not view its victims as Muslims. Indeed, mainstream Sunni Islam—the world’s dominant strand of Islam which ISIS adheres to—views all non-Sunnis as false Muslims; at best, they are heretics who need to submit to the “true Islam.”
This is largely how Sunnis view Shias and vice versa—hence their perennial war. While Western talking heads tend to lump them together as “Muslims”—thus reaching the erroneous conclusion that ISIS is un-Islamic because it kills “fellow Muslims”—each group views the other as enemies. (It’s only in recent times, as both groups plot against the West and Israel, that they occasionally cooperate.)
Overall, then, when Sunni jihadis slaughter Shias—or Sufis, Druze, and Baha’i, lesser groups affiliated with Islam to varying degrees—they do so under the same exact logic as when they slaughter Christian minorities, or European, American, and Israeli citizens: all areinfidels who must either embrace the true faith, be subjugated, or die.
In fact, that ISIS kills other “Muslims” only further validates the supremacist and intolerant aspects of Sunnism, which is hardly limited to ISIS. Just look to our good “friend and ally,” Saudi Arabia, the official religion of which is Sunni Islam, and witness the subhuman treatment Shia minorities experience.
But what about those Sunnis killed during the Islamic State’s jihad? These are rationalized away as “martyrs”—collateral damage—destined to enter Islam’s paradise… Keep reading

Kepha says
The trouble is that ISIS kills too many people–regardless of race, color, creed, or national origin. That’s why it’s good to keep its potential infiltrators out.
mortimer says
‘More Muslims suffer from ISIS’???
They are manipulating public opinion to exonerate, whitewash and sanitize the JIHAD DOCTRINE.
…canard, false rumor, buzz, kite-flying, red herring, dupery, pettifogging, card sharping, dodge, fast one, diversion, bluff, blame-shifting, cozenage, swizzle, legerdemain, sleight of hand, jugglery, decoy, make-believe, scarecrow, masquerade, distraction, untruth, misrepresentation, half-truth, subterfuge, falsehood, whopper, twist, Judas kiss
They are betraying the public trust with such damnable LIES!
Islam is JIHAD, not peace!
Shane says
Islam means submission and Muslims will not become peaceful until all people are Muslims or dhimmis who pay the jizya tax and live under sharia law.
Jerry says
Islam is inherently so intolerant and violent that even of the whole world was to be conquered by Islamic bandits they will still find enough fault in each other to declare each other kaffirs (“infidel” deniers of the faith) so that the Islamic slaughter of each other could continue.
Moth Queen says
LOL @ westerners trying to define who true Muslims are. PATHETIC!
ECAW says
Not so. The truest Muslims are obviously those who most closely follow Mohammed’s example. He said so himself:
“My people will be divided into 73 sects, all of them will be in the fire except one.” The companions asked, ‘Who are they O Messenger of Allah,’ Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “They are those who will be like me and my companions.” (Abu Dawood hadith).
Jerry says
O ye Islamic faithful:
Prepare your six to nine year old daughters to be ravished by your sheiks, imams and ayatollahs wishing to emulate the “prophet”
خَليفة says
Westerns have far more knowledge of the history and pre history of Islam than do the typical Muslim.
The west preserves history, artifacts and books, Seeks the truth and adapts to newly found truths.
Islam rewrites history, destroys artifacts and books, distorts the truth, and does not adapt new truths inspire of overwhelming facts and evidence.
pdxnag says
And they always justify it by reference to Islam. Thus Islam is still the problem.
Angemon says
That pretty much sums it up – muslims killing other muslims that are deemed not muslim enough (or at all).
خَليفة says
Perhaps those “Muslims” who are killed for not being Muslim enough are really just MINO – Muslim in name only. They call themselves Muslims and do the minimum to survive, but if given the opportunity would choose not to be Muslim.
I wonder if Islam had an annual “Get out of Islam day” ( without the threat of later being killed ) how many would be eager to leave.
Howard Pond says
“MINO-MUSLIM,” I like that term. It’s an obvious relation to “RINO” but I haven’t seen anyone use “Mino” before.
I wrote an article posted on “Faith-Freedom.com where I classified Muslims as being in different devotional levels and introduced the term “Jack-Muslim.” I mentioned “Minimal Muslims,” but I didn’t recognize your obvious abbreviation “Mino-Muslim.” Thanks, I’d like to see everyone repeat the term when it fits their comments. It does describe a large percentage of Muslims that the uninformed think represent the faithful members of “the religion of peace.”
The link to the Faith-Freedom article is:
.http://www.faithfreedom.org/introducing-the-term-jack-muslim/
Dave J says
The fact that Islam is at war with itself (in addition to everyone else) and cannot heal the schism even after centuries says a lot about the “religion of peace”.
This is not a religion at all – it is a criminal gang with one mob boss trying to kill the other. It is a primitive war over booty and females slaves, not righteousness or spirituality..
William says
Stalin killed a lot of communists. Chairman Mao killed a lot of communists too. Did that make Stalin and Mao lesser communists?
jura says
Actually, Stalin killed a lot of workers, so as Mao did.
Those workers for that were there Mao and Stalin to lead in the fight against capitalism/imperialism.
Matthieu Baudin says
“…Overall, then, when Sunni jihadis slaughter Shias—or Sufis, Druze, and Baha’i, lesser groups affiliated with Islam to varying degrees—they do so under the same exact logic as when they slaughter Christian minorities, or European, American, and Israeli citizens: all are infidels who must either embrace the true faith, be subjugated, or die…”
Very good Raymond. Your analysis adds to the remarkable depth and quality of material contained within the Jihad Watch archives.
Unfortunately our political leaders and other commentators are happy to hand out opinions with only a scant familiarity with the subject matter. If the day arrives when the political leadership of one of those nations, leading the modern world, wishes to make a fresh analysis of traditional Islam in relation to today’s violence, then the Jihad Watch Archives will keep them occupied for many, many months.
This has been the great and enduring achievement of contributors both large and small; the material that has been gathered is a huge repository, accessible and ready for use, come the time when the current mask of political denial slips away.
celticwarriorcanada says
Great Article ! Thank you for addressing this issue : I’m so tired of hearing this B.S comment dribbling from the mouths of the Leftist Lunatics and their Department of Propaganda , the Media Elite ! Islam : the so called religion, which teaches people to torture , kill or rape everyone who pisses you off or offends you ! Following of Course, the example of the great (LOL ) Spiritual and Moral Example of the Perfect Man; mohammed !
Sergio says
Perhaps it is a naive attempt to discourage Western Muslims from joining ISIS. I think it is unlikely to be fruitful because the Shia vs. Sunni divide has a bloody history that traces back to the first days of Islam. Hence, Muslims killing Muslims is as part of Islam as the five daily prayers.
dragaozao says
Raymond Ibrahim has unfortunatelly, a pointless rethoric (although nor to us who understand him). For our “elites”, both political and media, nothing will make them change their public views. They don’t need logic nor knowledge. A simple soundbit like “nothing to do with islam” is enough.