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Issue Nine of "Khurasan Ghag [Voice of Khurasan]," the Pashtu-language magazine published by Al-Azaim Foundation, which is the media arm of the Islamic State's Khurasan Province (ISIS-K), by the Islamic State's Khurasan Province (ISIS-K), published a rare article targeting cricket, a sport that is immensely popular in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and other South Asian countries. It referred to cricket as a tool of the West's ideological war against the Islamic Ummah, aimed at diverting Muslim youths from jihad.
The article, titled "Cricket: A Tool And Weapon Of Ideological War," appeared in the ISIS-K's Pashtu-language magazine Khurasan Ghag. It said: "Cricket is one of several different tools of the ideological war that has diverted Muslim youths from the way of jihad and struggle for the freedom of the occupied Muslim lands from Spain to southern France, South Africa, Indonesia, East Turkistan [Xinjiang, China], and Dagestan and former USSR."
The ninth issue of the magazine was released on 15 Safar 1444, in the Hijri calendar, which corresponds with the lunar month beginning September 11, 2022.
"Some Of The Tools Of The Infidels' Ideological War [Such As Cricket] Are So Attractive, Normal, And Popular That Most Of The People Are In The Grip Of Their Magic"
The article declared: "In the ideological war, the infidels have dominated the minds of the young generation of Islamic Ummah [in a way] that now they see their own values as foreign and the foreign infidel values as their own."
"The infidels, especially the West, by using different tools of ideological war, trained our young generation in [such] a way recently that putting them back on track requires hard work. Not only is the young generation a victim of this ideological war, but this ideological war continues in such a skillful fashion that a large number of older people, doctors [PhDs] of Islamic studies and specialists, without realizing it, have also become victims of this war, adopting standards and [...] slogans which are not Islamic, but are [those] of infidels. They think that they are serving Islam," the article said.
The article continued: "Some of the tools of the infidels' ideological war are so attractive, normal, and popular that most of the people are in the grip of their magic and even if they know about the damage [caused by these tools], they do not react and raise their voices due to the fear of society. You know that military wars are not as effective and damaging as the damage and destruction caused by the ideological war whose damage is increasing with each passing day. To dominate the thinking of the Islamic Ummah, work and efforts have been ongoing in the information, education, health, literature, and entertainment sectors."
"Most of the people see cricket as only a sport and a favorite game without knowing or keeping their eyes shut [to the truth]. It is not a sport, but rather a tool of ideological invasion and a source of nurturing and protecting a large number of secular foundations. This game was founded by the British imperialists in 1744 to achieve this and a large number of other similar objectives," the author of the article added.
The article explained that "[t]he sacred religion of Islam has set limits for physical fitness and sports. Cricket is not a sport, but a strategy, conspiracy, and ideological war [against Islam and Muslims]." However, the article noted that sports should be used to promote physical strength in order to fight to establish Islam, saying: "Islam does not oppose sports, rather sports are a way to strengthen and train the body for good health and for the aim of using the one's physical strength in service of the establishment of Allah's religion."
Quoting different hadiths ("traditions of Muhammad"), the article said that the prophet of Allah, Muhammad, always stressed the sport of archery, swimming, and riding horses, but that "it should only be used against the enemies of Islam in the battles of jihad." The article went on: "You see in what condition the young boys and girls sit in the cricket stadiums. How they bury their modesty and values? For what purpose do the young lazy boys meet each other surrounded by semi-nude girls? The examples of licentious conduct and love between cricket players and non-mahram [non-relative] girls cannot be counted. All this is also shown on television which is watched together by members of a family including women, children, and adults."
"The Battles Of Jihad And Qital [Fighting To Kill] Have Changed Into Cricket Matches; In The Past, The Muslim Children Used To Fight The Infidels With Swords"
"Most of the young men become so addicted and intoxicated by this game that their favorite infidel and apostate players become a symbol of love to them. By hugging the infidels, laughing, and partying with them, expressing happiness over their victories, making different types of movements to encourage the infidels, hosting and loving each other, ignoring the difference that this is a rival infidel and cause of the destruction of Muslim Ummah, these Muslim youth treat these infidels and apostates as their brothers and loving friends," the article stated.
The cover of the magazine
"The battles of jihad and qital [fighting to kill] have changed into cricket matches. In the past, the Muslim children used to fight the unbelievers with swords and spears and would establish Allah's religion. The current youth think that winning a cricket match against a country is a massive victory. Then there are celebrations and celebratory fireworks and other improper celebrations. To them, victory and loss is restricted to cricket. So, if they win a cricket match, it is a victory and they are heroes," the article observed.
"The young generation of the Islamic Ummah has been dominated to the degree that they do not think that the land of Islam has been occupied; instead of Allah's law, nationalism and democracy rule the entire world. It is the responsibility of the youths to conduct jihad and all-out resistance for the freedom of the captured Islamic lands and establishment of Allah's system [of governance]," the article comments.
"One [thing] is a secular country whose limits and boundaries have been decided by the British and the UN formally recognizes it. The other is the Islamic homeland whose one wall once passed through Spain and southern France and spread to South Africa while the other [wall] spread to the green banks of Indonesia... Similarly, another [wall] passed from East Turkistan [Xinjiang] and included Chechnya and Dagestan while the Soviet Union occupied the land... This sprawling Islamic soil is our homeland, the homeland of the Muslim that has been occupied," article declared.
The article added that "the country and homeland of the Muslims is not only Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi [Arabia] or other lands restricted to other borders; rather the country of the Muslims is the entire occupied Islamic land." The article concluded that it is the game of cricket that has killed the thinking among Muslim youths about the need for the freedom of Muslim lands, including of Al-Aqsa Mosque of Jerusalem.
Source: Archive.org, September 15, 2022.
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