Fourth Generation Governance -- Sheikh Tamimi defends the Islamic State of Iraq

摘要

On October 15, 2006 al-Qa'ida in Iraq (AQI) and its allies declared an independent Islamic State across a swath of Western Iraq. The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) was widely scorned by Western counterterrorism experts, many of whom rightly concluded that the ISI would never be capable of developing the material and bureaucratic infrastructure widely expected of a modern state. The ISI has not been embraced in the Mideast either. More secularist elements of the Iraqi insurgency condemn it. Most importantly to al-Qa'ida, well-known jihadi scholars, who could provide the ISI critical legitimacy, have been slow to support the new organization. The scholars are apparently concerned about the strategic wisdom and theological correctness of establishing an Islamic State now. The ISI's defenders -- ranging from jihadi pundit Shaykh Atiyatallah to Al-Qa'ida commander Abu Yahya al-Libi -- have developed a series of theological, philosophical, and practical arguments to justify the ISI's existence to the ulema -- Islamic scholars. The most comprehensive defense, entitled 'Informing the People about the Birth of the Islamic State of Iraq,' was authored by Uthman Bin Abd al-Rahman al-Tamimi and released by Furqan Media, the ISI's official media development unit. This book is significant for two reasons: (1) it delineates the ideological schism within the jihadi movement over the ISI's existence, and (2) Tamimi defends the ISI by combining modern globalization theory with Koranic and hadith-based justifications to fundamentally redefine what a modern Islamic nation state should be. To limit the ISI's long-term effectiveness, the United States should carefully attack its material and human infrastructure inside Iraq and the intellectual infrastructure that Tamimi is trying to erect in 'Informing the People.' Specific recommendations are to challenge Tamimi's intellectual framework for the ISI, confuse the ISI's leadership picture, and beat the ISI on the ground.