This “state”, which calls itself a caliphate, could bring big parts of Syria and the Iraq under its regime of terror during the year 2014 . Ideological basis is a radically conservative interpretation of Islam presented with the claim for the absolute truth. Adherents to other religious beliefs or agnostics only have the options to convert, to flee, to work as slaves or to be killed. Human rights do not exist for those people who pose as self appointed holy warriors. The ideological base for their berserk behavior is a literal interpretation of the Koran as the “genuine speech of Allah”, which was revealed to the Prophet Mohammed in the 7th century. About the same is assumed for the “Sharia” as the base for Islamic jurisdiction, which also dates back to the 7th century.
The ideology is extremely hostile to women in terms of clothing, sexuality and education. Educated women are in clear contrast to the inferior role attributed to women. This point of view is also shared by conservative Muslims in the Gulf states, in Nigeria (mass abductions of female students by the terror militia Boko Haram, which means “western education is sin”), in Somalia (Al-Shabaab militia) and in Pakistan (attack and threats towards Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai). Female demands for better education frighten radical islamists, because they feel their traditional, patriarchal world view endangered.
The real, underlying motivation of the leaders of the “Caliphate” is to establish a totalitarian state in the Middle East. Religion is only a tool to manipulate naive followers and warriors to unconditionally support the aggressive fight to reach this goal. Logical enemies are: All other states in the Middle East, especially those with different interpretations of Islam (Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, Iran and other Shiite states), Kurds, Christians and Israel. “Western values” practiced in liberal, constitutional states such as human rights (also for women!), christian and jewish religions, agnosticism, free market economy are demonized and adherents are dubbed “non believers” and are therefore not seen any more as humans with equal rights.