Following the horrific execution of a Jordanian pilot in which ISIS militants locked him in a cage and burned him alive, President Obama still seems confused as to what ISIS believes and what they want.
In a joint statement following the release of the video, Obama said that the killing “just indicates the degree to which, whatever ideology they’re operating off of, it’s bankrupt.”
It's quite interesting that our president still doesn't seem to know the ideology of the group that is indiscriminately murdering people thourought the Middle East. Particularly with this newfangled Internet thing, where he could just get one of his aides to look it up and fill him in on what ISIS is trying to accomplish. They do have an entire manifesto online that explains it all. It's pretty easy to find.
ISIS's stated goal is to restore the "caliphate" — an Islamic state under the rule of a community of religious scholars guided by a supreme leader, the caliph or khalifah, which is generally taken to mean the successor to the Prophet Muhammad. They believe that the true successor to Mohammed was Abu Bakr, and that those who believe that should control the entire middle East, as opposed to the Shiite Muslims who believe that Ali was the true successor to Mohammed.
Here's a fun bit from the ISIS manifesto:
"Here the flag of the Islamic State, the flag of tawhīd (monotheism), rises and flutters. Its shade covers landfrom Aleppo to Diyala. Beneath it, the walls of the tawāghīt (rulers claiming the rights of Allah) havebeen demolished, their flags have fallen, and their borders have been destroyed. Their soldiers are eitherkilled, imprisoned, or defeated. The Muslims are honored. The kuffār (infidels) are disgraced. AhlusSunnah(the Sunnis) are masters and are esteemed. The people of bid’ah (heresy) are humiliated. The hudūd (Sharia penalties) are implemented – the hudūd of Allah – all of them. The frontlines are defended.Crosses and graves are demolished. Prisoners are released by the edge of the sword. "