Глобальный проект халифата (English)

GLOBAL ALTERNATIVE ISLAMIST PROJECT TO CREATE A CALIPHATE

         Actual problems of modern science, issue 1 for 2017, pp. 95-103.

Pashkov Roman Viktorovich, Specialist of Moscow State Law Academy

         This article is devoted to the theory and practice of the jihadist concept of Al-Qaeda as one of the main players in the global terrorist international.

Bin Laden’s Strategy.

The most famous Islamist terrorist figure was Osama bin Laden after the terrorist attacks in the United States. He sought redistributive socialism, a caliphate empire, and control over oil rents. This is the most simple and crude essence of his program, based on Ibn Taymiyyah.

Bin Laden’s strategy was for the coming years, i.e., the minimum program — a 5-10 year destabilization of the political situation in Arab countries according to a terrorist scheme:

1. terrorist attacks in the USA, Europe, Israel — retaliatory actions of these countries against Arabs and Muslims,
2. the expansion of repression by national governments in Islamic countries — the spread of terror in the territories of Arab countries, terror against the government and the ruling elite
3. in one or two countries in the Arab world, fundamentalist regimes closely linked to Bin Laden will come to power,
4. These countries are becoming a springboard for the expansion of the fundamentalist revolution — the situation is gradually escalating to the point of a sharp decline in oil revenues and a rise in social tension and uncertainty in all major oil-exporting countries
5. powerful pan-Arab terrorist and «simply» extremist organizations, which had been working all this time for the Islamic and pan-Arab revolution, immediately became involved in the development of the situation
6. Several revolutionary Arab (and perhaps not only Arab) nations are uniting in a single state around Saudi Arabia.

The ultimate goal could then be implemented. This would include strengthening the foundations of the Arab state, attempting to bring the falling oil price under the control of producers, a radical restructuring of the social structure along the lines of Islamic socialism, and expansion, both ideological and subversive, into other countries of the Islamic world—ultimately, the creation of a great Arab power with a global mission and a global geopolitical role.

Al-Qaeda’s economic program.

         Al-Qaeda’s economic program is based on three main points:

1. A single Arab oil-producing mega-corporation within a single Caliphate, oil rents are considered the property of the entire Muslim world and will be used for the economic recovery and revival of Islam and the Caliphate’s emergence as a leading force in the global economy.
2. The gold standard. The global economy is based on the dollar, which America continually prints, financing its budget. Exchange rate differentials allow America to cover up to 25% of its budget, not including emissions. Gold is much more conservative in price and a less common commodity, independent of the will of any one party, even a superpower.
3. The Economy of State Capitalism. Islamists reject the Western free enterprise economy and place their bets on a state capitalist economy, led by state-owned corporations as the property of the entire nation, whose labor contributes to the development of Islam. State capitalism is considered the best model for Sharia and Islam in general.

Al-Qaeda’s long-term strategy.

         The international terrorist network Al-Qaeda considers one of its goals to be to establish Islam as the sole ruling force in the world by 2020. This conclusion follows from the organization’s «long-term program,» published on one of its websites.

         The program for world conquest consists of seven stages, and it must be completed, according to the calculations of the «Al-Qaeda strategic team», in 2020 with the complete defeat of the «infidels» and the «establishment of true peace and security.»

         The first phase began in 2000 with the preparations for the mega-terrorist attack in the United States that occurred on September 11, 2001. It concluded in April 2003 with the deployment of US-led coalition troops to Iraq. According to al-Qaeda strategists, this ultimately expanded the United States’ sphere of activity, occupying foreign territory and becoming more vulnerable.

         The second stage, according to the plan, began with the occupation of Baghdad and is scheduled to last until the end of 2006. Its main goal is to maintain a state of war with the «enemies of Islam,» initiate a direct confrontation with Israel, conduct an «electronic jihad» to spread Islamic ideology, and transform Iraq into one giant training camp for «jihad warriors» who will then be sent to neighboring states.

         The third stage is expected to begin in 2007 and be completed by 2010. During this stage, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan are to be united into a common force for the subsequent fight against the «state of the Jews» and against Jews throughout the world.

         Another, no less important plan is to transform the Turkish army into an Islamic army in order to use it to achieve a coup in Turkey and establish a radical Islamic regime in the country.

         The fourth phase—gaining and accumulating forces for change—will begin in 2010 and is expected to be completed by early 2013. During this period, al-Qaeda strategists plan to overthrow Arab regimes through direct confrontations and popular uprisings. This phase also includes a series of severe blows to the US economy, as the collapse of Arab regimes will necessitate the mobilization of greater resources by the United States.

         Furthermore, Al-Qaeda intends to embrace the doctrine used by the terrorist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, which advocates the widespread use of gold as a substitute for the dollar. Taken together, these steps should lead to a reduction in American economic aid to Israel.

         The fifth stage—the proclamation of the state—will begin in the first months of 2013, with completion scheduled for early 2016. Al-Qaeda’s ultimate goal is to establish a new global balance of power. The creation of an Islamic empire is treated as an inevitable, but intermediate, stage of development, not a primary focus. The further weakening of the enemies of the Islamic «ummah» (all Muslims on the planet) will lead to the fall of the «vicious» Arab regimes that support Western countries and, according to al-Qaeda strategists, to the establishment of true «justice, equality, and freedom throughout the world.»

         The sixth stage—global confrontation— was planned to begin in 2016 with a global standoff between devout Muslims and «infidels» (that is, all non-Muslims). After this, the Islamic empire would supposedly lead humanity back to security, peace, and prosperity, the agency writes.

         Finally, the seventh stage is the final victory. The war against the «infidel» forces will last a few years and lead to the final establishment of the Islamic empire. Meanwhile, the mobilization of human and material resources for the decisive battle will continue. At this stage, Israel will no longer be able to hold out against the Islamic forces, and the very concept of terrorism will change: from now on, terrorism will refer exclusively to acts against Muslims.

The first attempt to create a global Islamic currency market.

In November 2000, representatives of banks from leading Islamic countries—Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Malaysia, and others—gathered on the Malaysian island of Labuan. They announced their decision to create a global Islamic interbank foreign exchange market, which would begin operating in 2001. By doing so, Islamic countries intend to distance themselves from the global foreign exchange market, whose traditions generally do not conform to, and often directly contradict, Islamic norms. According to Khalid al-Bassam, Executive Director of the Bahrain Monetary Authority, the risks of the new market will be significantly lower than those of current markets, and the returns will be higher.

The US dollar was to be the new market’s primary currency, according to the meeting participants, but this was to no avail. The US torpedoed the first attempts to create such a market by intervening directly in the Middle East, viewing it as a threat to the US dollar.

Gulf Dinar.

         Since the fall of 2001, six countries in the region have been discussing the introduction of a single currency—the Gulf dinar—in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states. The GCC includes Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. In 2001, these countries agreed to peg their single currency to the US dollar. Therefore, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, countries whose national currencies were dependent on exchange rate fluctuations in their trading partners, were forced to switch to the dollar.

         At a meeting in Riyadh in March 2005, the heads of the central banks of the GCC member states agreed on the principles for the creation of their single currency, the dinar. The single currency is expected to be implemented by early 2010, preceded by the creation of a single customs area in 2007.

         At the meeting in Riyadh, among other things, frameworks for inflation, interest rates, the size of gold and foreign exchange reserves, and the acceptable level of public debt were outlined, according to the GCC Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs. However, the official did not specify the agreed-upon figures for all indicators. Specific agreements included keeping the GCC member states’ public debt to 60% of GDP.

Gold dinar.

       The Malaysian government introduced the «gold dinar» as its national currency in August 2004. It has a gold content, which is set and adjusted by the National Bank based on global and domestic gold prices. The exchange rate of this currency against other currencies is also determined by the National Bank, but it is important to emphasize that fluctuations in these currencies will no longer automatically change the dinar’s exchange rate. The decision will be made jointly by the government and the National Bank, again depending primarily on the domestic socio-economic situation. In the coming years, this currency will be introduced in six more Muslim countries, and by 2010, the «gold dinar» will be used for domestic and foreign trade transactions in a total of 12 Islamic countries (in accordance with their 2001 agreements), based on the «Malaysian concept.»

       Back in 1952, at an international economic conference in Moscow, developing and now former socialist countries agreed to establish precisely this kind of currency and a unified currency, customs, and economic space. Then, in 1953-1955, this project was transformed into the concept of a «gold transferable ruble» within the CMEA.

       Similar projects are currently being developed within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Community (based on the Russian ruble), the Asia-Pacific Economic Community (the «Asia» project), the Union of Latin American and Iberian States (the «Ibero-Real» project), the Maghreb (the «Alfa» project), Southern and Eastern Africa (based on the South African rand, which, incidentally, has had a stable gold content since its founding in the early 20th century), Indochina, and the Caribbean region.

       The current impetus for such projects is the exacerbation of monetary, financial, and even general economic contradictions between «blocs» of industrialized countries and the resulting destabilization of international currencies, particularly the US dollar. According to estimates by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), due to the sharp fluctuations in the US dollar that began in the second half of the 1990s, most countries are losing between 12 and 25 percent of their export revenues annually, while their import costs are, on average, a quarter higher than in the 1980s and mid-1990s.

       The emergence of the euro did not inspire the majority of developing countries , if only because over 70 percent of the range of goods and services in world trade is quoted in US dollars (and hence the obvious «dollar peg» for foreign trade transactions, debt payments, trade and credit agreements, etc.).

       The proposed financial system is built on the principle of Islamic states storing gold in a central bank and using the gold dinar as a means of payment in mutual trade, thus eliminating dependence on foreign capital markets and financial corporations.

       According to Malaysian Prime Minister Mohamad Mahathir, «members of the Gold Dinar bloc must, firstly, strengthen ties with gold-producing countries and, secondly, actively promote the creation of an organization of precious metals-producing and -exporting states. Synchronized actions in these areas could dramatically weaken the presence of transnational cosmopolitan structures in global precious metals trade and, consequently, limit the potential for triggering the collapse of economies with gold-denominated currencies.»

Assessing global markets from an Al-Qaeda perspective.

         Euro:

Introduced in 1997, 70% of the global foreign exchange market and export settlements continue to be conducted in US dollars, and the US is trying to slow down the integration of the European Union.

         Gulf Dinar:

The introduction is expected in 2010, it is possible that the Gulf countries will switch to the gold dinar, petrodollars may become Arab, the US is establishing a direct presence in the Middle East with constant intervention and pressure.

         Gold dinar:

Introduced in 2004 by Malaysia, the use of the second world alternative payment system with gold content, an alternative to the Western system of paper money, attempts by the United States to arrange a currency collapse as in 1997, to achieve an increase in the exchange rates of the national currencies of ASEAN member countries, to integrate ASEAN on the basis of Japan or the United States.

         Yuan:

The date for regional integration based on the yuan has not been set; the yuan will be strengthened by any means, including destabilization.

         The US global strategy is to prevent the emergence of new world currencies, torpedo existing world currencies and to strengthen national currencies .

Jihad strategies.

         Several centuries of militant Islamist evolution have led to the emergence of four types of strategies for defending traditional Islamic values in the new global world. Understanding the differences between these four types of jihad is crucial for understanding the role of ideology in the international Islamist movement.

         The first strategy of Islamic jihad is based on the traditional Muslim obligation to defend the lands of Islam, religion, and traditions threatened by the armies of infidels (kafirs). When such jihad is sanctioned by fatwa, the fight against infidels becomes the sacred duty of every Muslim. A classic example of such global jihad in modern history was the resistance to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in late 1979.

         The second strategy of Islamic jihad is dawa, the call to Islam. Dawa consists of strictly adhering to the norms of Islam and observing all religious rituals as practiced by the Prophet and his first followers, in all areas of life. This strategy of Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic movement operating unofficially at the grassroots level, is growing successfully and gaining more and more followers, but due to its secrecy from public scrutiny and apolitical nature, it attracts little attention. The secretive nature and pacifist orientation of Tablighi Jamaat make this movement harmless to the Western world and, from the perspective of the fight against international Islamic terrorism, is of little interest.

         The third jihad strategy is advocated by Egyptian Islamist extremist terrorist organizations fighting against the secular government of Egypt. These third-type Islamist extremists prioritize the destruction of the «near enemy,» represented by their own corrupt governments, which are obedient agents of Western governments, primarily the United States. After overthrowing their own puppet governments and establishing truly Islamic regimes in accordance with Quranic law, they can move on to the next phase of jihad—the destruction of the «far enemy»—Israel and the United States. This strategy of Islamic jihad is the most controversial among Islamists, as it presupposes the extermination of other Muslims.

         The fourth strategy of Islamic jihad is the Salafi strategy of global jihad, first proclaimed by Osama bin Laden in a 1996 fatwa and directly opposed to the previous strategy. In his numerous addresses and books, Osama bin Laden argues that confrontation with the Christian and Jewish West in military, economic, cultural, ideological, and religious spheres is objective and inevitable.

         Osama bin Laden and a number of his supporters—particularly Ayman al-Zawahiri —see the destruction of the «distant enemy,» represented by the United States and Israel, as their top priority. According to bin Laden , the «near enemy»—the governments of Muslim states—are completely dependent on Western support, and the puppet regimes of Islamic states will collapse immediately after the «crusaders» leave the Holy Land, since only support from infidels allows the corrupt regimes of Muslim countries to remain in power.

         The goals of the global Islamic jihad against the crusaders were best formulated by the second man in al-Qaeda , the leader of the al-Jihad group Ayman al-Zawahiri stated in one of his speeches: «The ultimate goal is to establish Sharia law in all Islamic lands, create a worldwide Islamic caliphate, and return Islam to its former glory. The United States and Israel will never willingly allow such a development, so global Islamic jihad must first and foremost crush these two countries.»

World Islamic Front.

         In February 1998, Laden announced the creation of the Islamic International Front to Combat Jews and Crusaders in Pakistan. It united the following radical organizations:

• Egyptian «Al-Jihad» («Al-Gihad» translates as «Holy War»), led by one of its leaders, Ayman al-Zawahari. It was formed in the 1970s with the goal of destroying the Soviet regime in Egypt.
• the Egyptian Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group) led by Rifai Ahmad Taha;
• Pakistan’s Jamiat-ul-Ulema-e Pakistan (Association of Pakistani Ulema) headed by secretary Munir Hamza;
• Pakistani Harkat-ul-Ansar (Ansar Movement) led by Fadl ar-Rahman Khalil;
• Bangladeshi «Jihad» («Holy War») led by Abdas-Salam Muhammad Khan.

         The World Islamic Front was an umbrella organization for Islamist groups that had expanded internationally. It couldn’t really be called an organization; it was more like a club of like-minded individuals issuing periodic joint statements; it was too early to talk about coordination.

Global Salafi Jihad or the Bin Laden Brotherhood.

         Drawing on the vast experience of the defunct al-Qaeda, bin Laden, together with the leaders of other major Islamist organizations, created an entirely new terrorist structure, of which al-Qaeda became the primary «founding member.» The «Bin Laden Brotherhood» was founded on entirely new organizational principles, which ensured its exceptional sustainability for many years.

• The «Bin Laden Brotherhood» resembles an international, decentralized mafia rather than a serious structure united under a common leadership. This, first and foremost, guarantees the mobility and flexibility of the new terrorist organization. The self-governance of individual terrorist groups, operating autonomously while still linked to the «Brotherhood» by a common strategic goal, became one of the main innovations Osama bin Laden introduced to the «international terrorist community.»
• The «Bin Laden Brotherhood» has the ability to «bud,» that is, create new, separate terrorist structures. Like a cancerous tumor, the «Brotherhood»‘s metastases spread throughout the body, affecting healthy tissues of the global community uninfluenced by Islamism. Over time, this proved its effectiveness, as newly created terrorist groups and organizations adapted more quickly to various changes.
• Osama bin Laden not only failed to suppress but also actively encouraged the emergence of new charismatic leaders who served as the backbone of the sprawling structure. In the eyes of their followers, they invariably appeared as martyrs to Islam or victims of the arbitrary exercise of secular regimes. However, they were all merely «second-tier» leaders. Bin Laden’s genius was revealed in the fact that these «second-tier» leaders, many of whom appeared far more powerful than the «Sheikh of the Mujahideen» himself, fulfilled their mission, and, if not perished, then lost their influence, while his own authority only grew with each passing year.
• Each of the groups within the Bin Laden Brotherhood had its own sources of funding, with one group often funding the terrorist activities of another.
• Having declared holy jihad against the West, any Bin Laden Brotherhood faction could at any time count on the support of local Islamists, primarily Bosnians, who, upon request, would provide funds, weapons, fighters, information, and all necessary logistics. A simple, utterly uncomplicated, and simplistic ideology, built primarily on hatred of the West—that is, hatred of the «new crusaders»—became the Islamists’ main unifying factor.

Evolution of organizational structures.

         The international Islamist community is evolving and we can name the following stages.

         During the first stage, from 1990 to 1998, Al-Qaeda was formed as an operational combat center for Islamism, funding was established, the operational zone was expanded, and future operations were practiced.

         During the second stage, from 1998 to 2003, the World Islamic Front against Jews and Crusaders was formed as the first attempt to assert itself on a global scale; large-scale terrorist attacks were carried out, confirming the organization’s combat potential.

         During the third phase, from 2004 to 2006, al-Qaeda underwent a qualitative transformation. It became a global political movement. This movement is called the Global Salafi Jihad, or unofficially the «Bin Laden Brotherhood.» Al-Qaeda is the militant center of this movement. The Global Salafi Jihad launched a guerrilla war in various parts of the world.

         The fourth stage, in 2007, will then involve an attempt to create a foothold in the idea of states.

Jihad projects.

         Neo-Wahhabism:

• 1979.
• Saudi Arabia as a host and sponsoring state.
• Increased influence in the world and the emergence of allied states.
• The existence of a unified socio-cultural space in the Muslim world is necessary.
• If possible, the West must be driven out of the Muslim world.
• Predominantly armed way of fighting.
• Direct Western assistance at the initial stage to fight communism.

         Pure Salafism:

• 1996.
• The global political jihad movement Al-Qaeda.
• Creation of a unified Muslim state, the Caliphate.
• Conducts global jihad throughout the world and invades the Western world.
• The West must be destroyed as a godless civilization.
• The main thing is armed jihad of the sword against the infidels.
• Certain agreements with the West even now.

         Shiite project:

• 1979.
• Iran as a host and sponsor state.
• Increased influence in the world and the emergence of allied states.
• The existence of a unified socio-cultural space in the Muslim world is necessary.
• If possible, the West must be driven out of the Muslim world.
• Predominantly armed way of fighting.
• An uncompromising struggle with a combination of attempts to reach an agreement.

The program of global Islamism.

         Elements of the global Islamist program:

• United Caliphate — Islamist organizations are striving with all their might to build a unified Muslim state, viewing it as the only way to protect the ummah from Western pressure, and thus the new state will be able to become an Islamic USSR in terms of resources, ideology, and power.
• Oil Control — The United Caliphate will control the oil reserves of Arabia and other Muslim countries and will be able to dictate its policies to the entire West, protecting Muslims; this will be the most powerful tool in the fight against the Western world.
• An alternative global project — Islam is being promoted by Islamist organizations as a global alternative project, completely opposed to Western values and, most importantly, self-sufficient; this project challenges the United States and America’s attempts to fulfill the mission of democracy.
• Global Jihad — Islamism preaches the doctrine of global jihad as an endless war for the spread of Islam and revenge on the West for the humiliation and colonization of Muslim peoples; as Islamists present it, jihad implies a global offensive on all fronts against everyone.

Bolsheviks and Islamists.

         Bolsheviks:

• They emerged at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries as a party of professional Bolshevik revolutionaries.
• Initially a project of Protestant Westernization of Russia.
• The project was then actively supported by Jewish communities, who saw it as liberation from the oppression of Tsarist Russia.
• At the stage of direct implementation, German intelligence played a major role, hoping to take Russia out of the war.
• With the creation of the red state, the project became completely independent.
• Jews were liberated from the restrictions of the Russian Empire and gained access to the highest power.
• The United States has the opportunity to change the global state of affairs.
• The West’s unequivocal support for this project

         Islamists:

• They emerged at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries as the Salafi global jihad organization Al-Qaeda (the Foundation).
• Initially a project to combat the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
• The project was then actively supported by Saudi Arabia, which was seeking to expand its influence.
• At the stage of direct implementation, the role of American intelligence was great, hoping to justify the global expansion of the United States.
• With the creation of the Islamic Caliphate, the project will become completely independent.
• Jews face the threat of physical annihilation and the State of Israel if the global jihad wins.
• The United States has an opportunity to change the global state of affairs.
• Controlled support from the West for this project, which believes that it can prevent the creation of a caliphate.