Article Images
Content deleted Content added
Line 63: The group's original aim was to establish an [[Islamic state]] in the Sunni-majority regions of Iraq. Following its involvement in the [[Spillover of the Syrian Civil War|Syrian Civil War]], this expanded to include controlling Sunni-majority areas of Syria.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Cockburn|first=Patrick|authorlink=Patrick Cockburn|date=9 June 2014|title=Battle to establish Islamic state across Iraq and Syria|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/battle-to-establish-islamic-state-across-iraq-and-syria-9510044.html|work=[[The Independent]]|accessdate=12 June 2014}}</ref> It proclaimed a [[Worldwide Caliphate|worldwide caliphate]] on 29 June 2014, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi—known by his supporters as [[Amir al-Mu'minin]], Caliph Ibrahim—was named as its [[caliph]], and the group was renamed the Islamic State.<ref name="newname">{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-declares-new-islamic-state-in-middle-east-with-abu-bakr-albaghdadi-as-emir-removing-iraq-and-syria-from-its-name-9571374.html|last=Withnall|first=Adam|title=Iraq crisis: Isis changes name and declares its territories a new Islamic state with 'restoration of caliphate' in Middle East|date=29 June 2014|accessdate=29 June 2014|work=The Independent}}</ref> In its self-proclaimed status as a caliphate, it claims religious authority over all [[Muslim]]s worldwide, and aims to bring most Muslim-inhabited regions of the world under its political control, beginning with the [[Levant]] region, which approximately covers Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Cyprus, and part of southern Turkey.<ref name="Arabic CNN">{{cite web|url=http://arabic.cnn.com/middleeast/2014/06/29/urgent-isis-declares-caliphate|script-title=ar:داعش تعلن تأسيس دولة الخلافة وتسميتها "الدولة الإسلامية" فقط دون العراق والشام والبغدادي أميرها وتحذر "لا عذر لمن يتخلف عن البيعة|work=Arabic CNN|date=29 June 2014|accessdate=31 July 2014}} {{ar icon}}</ref><ref name="newname1">{{cite web|title=Isis rebels declare 'Islamic state' in Iraq and Syria|date=30 June 2014|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28082962|work=BBC News|accessdate=30 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="WSJb12-6-2014">{{cite news|title=What is ISIS? — The Short Answer|url=http://blogs.wsj.com/briefly/2014/06/12/islamic-state-of-iraq-and-al-sham-the-short-answer/|accessdate=15 June 2014|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=12 June 2014}}</ref> The group has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Israel, Turkey, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia. The United Nations and Amnesty International have accused the group of grave human rights abuses, and Amnesty International has found it guilty of ethnic cleansing on a "historic scale". Muslims have criticized ISIL’s actions, authority and theological interpretations. ==Names== | |||