Ramadan Toll Shows Islamic State In Pitched Recruiting Race

It is believed by radical jihadists that if one is a martyr for their faith during the month of Ramadan, they will receive even greater rewards in the afterlife.

And, because the Islamic state is losing its grasp in Iraq and Syria, they have threatened to make this year’s Ramadan a “bloody one at home and abroad. With attacks in Egypt, Britain and Iran among others and a land-grab in the Philippines, the group is trying to divert attention from its losses and win over supporters around the world.”

According to the Associated Press:

The militants insisted in their English language magazine this week that losing territory has only made it work that much harder to kill. The attacks since Ramadan’s beginning on May 26 show the sweep of the group’s ambition — from attacking the West, to expanding in the Philippines, to targeting Shiite powerhouse Iran — something al-Qaida itself never risked.

“They can say here is something that al-Qaida has refrained to do,” said Assaf Moghadam, an author and analyst of jihadi groups. “From their perspective it’s been a great Ramadan so far.”

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But a powerful counter-message is emerging in recent days. With the month of fasting also a time of high television ratings in the Arab world, the telecommunications company Zain has launched a commercial that begins with footage of a man fabricating a suicide bomb. By the end, faced with bloodied victims and survivors of extremist attacks, the man stumbles and fails in his mission. “Let’s bomb delusion with the truth,” a man sings. The ad has been viewed more than 6 million times on YouTube. “We will counter their attacks of hatred with songs of love,” it ends.

What are some examples of this violence?

In Iran, five Islamic State groups attacked Iran’s parliament and killed 17 people.

In London, eight people died after three terrorists “plowed a rented van into pedestrians on London Bridge, then slashed their way through the evening crowd at Borough Market.”

This was Britain’s third attack in three months by extremist groups.

In the Philippines, Islamic militants attacked and sieged the city of Marawi.

In Egypt, Coptic Christians were ambushed on a bus as they traveled to visit a monastery outside of Cairo. 29 were killed.

And all of this happened within the month of Ramadan. This is shaping up to be one of the bloodiest Ramadans we have ever seen in our lifetimes.

Ramadan Death Toll Shows Islamic State In Pitched Recruiting Race

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