"They are part of us and we are part of them"- Islamic State Editorial on Attacks Around the World
Recently, there have been reports of some plots and attacks in various countries that are suspected as being linked to or inspired by the Islamic State, such as one in Dagestan in late June that targeted police posts, churches and a synagogue and killed at least 20 people. Most recently, a convert to Islam tried to attack the Israeli embassy in Serbia’s capital Belgrade, and footage has emerged suggesting he was a supporter of the Islamic State.
It is most likely in light of these attacks that the Islamic State has released its latest editorial in its al-Naba’ letter: “They are part of us and we are part of them.” The editorial notably features a screenshot of the footage of the Belgrade attacker.
The editorial emphasises that an allegiance pledge to the Islamic State (i.e. to its ‘caliph’) does not necessarily mean a formal organisational connection with the Islamic State, but it is nonetheless a bond of faith and loyalty to Islam that can be best proven by conducting an attack in the heart of the ‘abodes of disbelief’ (e.g. targeting the capitals and embassies that belong to countries of ‘disbelief’) in the event that it is not possible to ‘migrate’ to the Islamic State and its various provinces around the world, continuing on an idea emphasised by the group’s then spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani in 2016. The editorial stresses that it is through conducting an attack and shedding one’s blood that one can best demonstrate support for Islam and God’s law.