Terrorist interpretations and directives regarding corona

Ahmed Adel

Terrorist organizations have taken advantage of the global Covid-19 corona virus pandemic in a number of ways. Some have seen the crisis as an opportunity due to governments’ preoccupation and have thus issued new directives to militants, while others have been limited to publishing false religious interpretations regarding the causes of the pandemic in an attempt to attract its followers.

Viral punishment

Al-Qaeda has claimed that the corona virus is a punishment sent by God upon those who violate His teachings, while a statement on March 31 claimed that the pandemic came as a means to invite the West to enter Islam.

ISIS calls for exploiting the virus

Meanwhile, ISIS published a document in early March entitled “Legal Guidelines for Dealing with Epidemics”, which said to take the means to prevent and avoid the virus, such as covering the mouth when yawning and sneezing, washing the hands, and not entering or exiting an affected area. The terrorist organization also called on its elements to avoid traveling to Europe due to the corona virus.

On March 19, ISIS said that the pandemic is “the worst nightmare of the Crusaders” and called on its elements to exploit the world’s preoccupation with the pandemic to organize attacks and release prisoners, especially in the West. On March 26, the organization published a report titled “Conspiracy Theory”, in which it said that the virus is from God and He is sufficient.

Al-Shabaab delighted

For its part, the Somali Al-Shabaab movement, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda, said that Muslims should be happy with the spread of the corona virus around the world, considering it a scourge that God sent against those who are obstacles to the spread of Islam.

It added that the United States and its allies, including Italy, Germany and Britain, may have made Muslims taste affliction, but now they face divine punishment.

Ruqya treatment

On March 27, Yahya bin Taher al-Farghali, a leader within Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), broadcast a video on his Telegram account in which he said there is no reason for the panic produced by the material world, indicating that the corona virus can be treated through ruqya (religious incantation or amulet), morning and evening dhikr (remembrance), and relying on God not to afflict us, even if a person deals with an infected person, believing in fatalism and that there is no contagious disease.

Taliban accuses government

As for the Taliban, the movement has presented itself as an alternative to the Afghan government, which it accused of seeing the pandemic only as “an opportunity to embezzle foreign funds”. At the same time, it has refused to stop its attacks in the country.