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ISIS Declares New Islamist Caliphate - WSJISIS Declares New Islamist Caliphate
The Sunni Islamist militant group whose three-week blitz through northern Iraq has nearly upended the country's fragile unity announced itself as a new Islamist "caliphate" on Sunday, unilaterally declaring statehood and demanding allegiance from other Islamist groups.
The announcement, recited in Arabic on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan by spokesman Abu Mohammed Al Adnani into an audio file, effectively renames the group the Islamic State, canceling its previous title of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS.
"We have had all the requirements of the Islamic state like fundraising, almsgiving, penalties, and prayers and still have only one thing which is the caliphate," said Mr. Adnani in the recording. "The legality of all emirates, groups, states, and organizations, becomes null by the expansion of the caliph's authority and arrival of its troops to their areas."
The spokesman also declares the group's leader, Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi, as the new Islamic State's caliph. The recorded message was recorded on an Mp3 audio file and distributed through the group's expansive social media presence.
The announcement revives the idea of an Islamic caliphate that hasn't existed as a recognized political entity since it was abolished 90 years ago by Kemal Atatürk, the first president of modern Turkey.
Militant Group Declares Statehood, Demands Allegiance From Other Organizations