ISIS Fighters To Refugees: Do Not Migrate To France Or Germany, 'Migrate Immediately To The Islamic State'

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On September 16, 2015, the information office for the Islamic State (ISIS) in Salah Al-Din Province in Iraq released a video titled "Would You Substitute Something Good For Something Far Inferior?!"[1] The video features an ISIS cleric and two fighters, one of them apparently French, who harshly criticize the migrants leaving Iraq and Syria for relinquishing their honor and abandoning the fighters that shed blood for Islam and for their people. The cleric argues that "the lands of unbelief" such as Germany and France embrace Muslim immigrants out of their economic interests and with the intent to convert them to Christianity. The men then call on Muslim youths to immediately immigrate to the Islamic State.

The first speaker in the video (above), who appears with his face uncovered, attacks the Muslims who have emigrated and says: "All those leaving our state for the lands of unbelief – shame on you! Shame on you!" He asks: "What life do you hope [to live there]?! A life of humiliation and submission?! What life of ease are you entering?! And in the countries that are responsible for your destruction?!" He also notes that the entire world was outraged by one photo of a drowned toddler, while every day many Muslims are killed but the world remains silent.

Next, an ISIS cleric is seen speaking in a mosque. Discussing the wave of emigration from Syria and Iraq, he says: "Those who have left and those who are leaving today [i.e. the migrants] do not know their religion... since it is every Muslim's duty to emigrate from dar al-kuffr [the home of unbelief] to diyar al-Islam [the homes of Islam]." The cleric adds that the only place that implements the shari'a is the Islamic State, and that it is therefore every Muslim's duty to join it. He adds that even if most Muslims do not live within the borders of the Islamic State, it is still defined as dar al-Islam, and therefore they must leave dar al-kuffr and the "lands of idolatry" and immigrate to it.

The cleric continues: "Today we see, unfortunately, that some among the Syrian and Iraqi peoples who leave and flee to dar al-kuffr are emigrating to the cross-worshiping Germany and France, who are infidels to Islam and downplay its importance. These are lands where the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is mocked and [cartoons of him] are drawn. These are the countries to which our youths are unfortunately emigrating today – youths who have abandoned the home of honor and happiness."

Claiming that those immigrating to these countries will eventually be disappointed, the cleric explains that Germany, France, and other countries are currently embracing Muslim immigrants for their own economic interests, and that they will eventually make the immigrants convert to Christianity: "They have embraced them out of economic interests. Additionally, they will tempt them and force them to convert to Christianity. Thus, the [immigrants] will leave the religion of Islam in return for staying in the home of unbelief."

He argues that France's and Germany's sympathetic treatment of the immigrants at this stage is aimed at preventing them from taking up arms and fighting for Allah and for their honor and people. Those who think they will escape death by fleeing their country, he says, are mistaken, because eventually they will all meet their death, no matter where they go – Germany, France, Kurdistan, or Baghdad.

Asking how the immigrants can maintain their honor in the lands of unbelief, he claims that those places are rife with prostitution, lewdness, lasciviousness, and corruption, and that they are countries where Muslims will not be allowed to carry out the commandments of their religion. The wives of the immigrants, he adds, will be forced to go unveiled, and with their bodies exposed to all.

He concludes by demanding that Muslim youths immediately immigrate to the Islamic State, saying that in contrast to the lies being told about it, they will find there peace and tranquility.

The third speaker, who appears masked and who speaks Arabic with a French-North African accent, says, referring to those emigrating to France: "Those who emigrate to the lands of unbelief, especially France – we tell you: You will face problems in terms of wearing the niqab and the hijab. You will face difficulties throughout your lives. You will not have honor in these countries, but only humiliation... You have no honor. Honor is only found in jihad and the land of the caliphate."