Editor-in-Chief of Al-Masra Magazine: ‘ISIS will be over by the end of 2017’

Cairo – Abdel-Ghani Jaber, Editor-in-Cheif of Al-Masra Magazine (or Inspire in English), the official mouthpiece for Al-Qaeda terrorist organization, said that scores of members are now deflecting from the Islamic State (IS, formerly known as ISIS/ISIL or Daesh) following  their exposure to the truth about their ideological authority which is antithetical to the true version of Islam and its teachings.

ISIS will be over by the end of 2017

Jaber added that these dissidents find in Al-Qaeda what they are looking for, including moderation, saying that Al-Qaeda believes that the western countries are considered the major enemy, while ISIS launches its attacks against Muslim countries.

Jaber expected that ISIS will witness a notable decline by the end of the current year after the establishment of his magazine which aims to promote the right teachings of Islam and to expose the extremist ideas promoted by ISIS. He blamed ISIS for smearing Islam before the world.

Do you think that Al-Qaeda is a moderate group?

I am not going to launch moral and ethical judgments but what I can say is that Al-Qaeda does not accept the approach based on slaughtering Muslims. Al-Qaeda’s vision is based on fighting against the western countries because of their hatred to Muslims, while we do not fight against Muslim people.

Is the bombing of the World Trade Center, for example, from “acts of jihad”?

The September 11 Attacks

Perhaps we should ask the question in different way. Is the killing of Muslim children in Palestine and Burma, which we can keep silent about?

What is the editorial policy of your magazine?

Our magazine “Al-Masra” is a weekly magazine that focuses on covering the developments of Jihadi movements and their stories. It also publishes exclusive interviews with Jihadi leaders whether in Al-Qaeda or any other groups. We decided to establish a new magazine to be the media arm of our organization since 2008, while we issued it in 2016. We depend on internet to promote the magazine, while we also have a printed newspaper in a large number of states.

What are the editorial sources of your magazine?

Since the beginning, we decided to open the door of participation for any of correspondents, journalists, intellectuals or scholars. We do not have any restrictions except the commitment to the editorial policy. We do not accept any criticism against the jihadi movements or any propaganda aiming to smear the image of Islam or Muslim people.

Al-Qaeda witnessed notable decline since the emergence of ISIS, do you think that ISIS became the most influential jihadi movement?

Al-Qaeda faced a fierce world war. If a superpower faced such a war, it would disappear. The organization faced increasing challenges from the countries that targeted it and from other Jihadi movements that attempted to dominate the jihadi arena at the expense of other organizations. It also witnessed  major splits as a large number of Al-Qaeda’s leaders joined ISIS. Despite challenges, the organization has not completely fallen. Al-Qaeda took serious steps to restore its position among the Jihadi movements and will restore its influence by the end of the current year.

How do you see the emergence of Hamza Bin-Laden?

Hamza bin Laden: the heir to Al-Qaeda?

Of course, the emergence of Hamza left positive repercussion on the organization as he is the son of the founder. He enjoys high popularity among the members of the organization as a member of its Shura Council.

Do you think that the emergence of Hamza Bin Laden is enough for Al-Qaeda to restore its position among Jihadi movements?

No, it is not the only reason for our optimism. A large number of ISIS leaders decided to leave their militia and to turn into Al-Qaeda, as they discovered the contradiction between the ideas promoted by their militia and Islamic teachings.

Why has Nusra Front separated from Al-Qaeda?

Why has al-Nusra Front separated from al-Qaeda?

The separation came as a result of the pressure exerted by a number of Gulf States on Nusra Front, while it is a virtual separation, not a fundamental one. During the coming days, leader of Al-Qaeda Ayman Al-Zawahry will meet with a number of those leaders to cleanse their ideas from what promoted by ISIS.

Will Nusra be eliminated after separation from Al-Qaeda?

Nusra Front gained its popularity due to its relation with Al-Qaeda. There are over thousand armed groups working in the Syrian arena, while Nusra is considered the most popular among these groups. This popularity comes as a result of its relation with Al-Qaeda. If Nusra Front dissolved its relation with Al-Qaeda, it would weaken Nusra and serve the interests of ISIS. However, I ruled out any possibility of separation between Al-Qaeda and ISIS, as we have the same references and the same goals.

But these references pushed U.S and Russia to list Nusra Front as a terrorist group, what is your comment?

The decision to list Nusra Front as a terrorist group is not the major challenge facing the group, while the increasing pressure that the group faces to abandon Al-Qaeda and to change its ideological line. If the front responded to these pressures, it would fall.

Both Al-Qaeda and ISIS adopt violent approach.. What the is the major difference between the two groups?

It is not fair to say that the two organizations share the same approach or ideas, as they have essential differences. Al-Qaeda views the west as the major enemy. It fights against the western countries due to their hostile positions against Islam and Muslim people in all over the world. However, ISIS targets the Muslim countries and Muslim people.