AlQaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), is NOT ISIS.
In fact, the name ISIS/ISIL (Daesh) is no more. The organization has rebranded and now known as the Islamic State (IS). So a single "I" and a single "S".
Yeah, IS not as catchy or melodic as ISIS. Deal with it. And please stop referring to anything Islam+radical, including alQaeda or suspicious crazy beards with funny phonetics, as ISIS.
In fact, the name ISIS/ISIL (Daesh) is no more. The organization has rebranded and now known as the Islamic State (IS). So a single "I" and a single "S".
Yeah, IS not as catchy or melodic as ISIS. Deal with it. And please stop referring to anything Islam+radical, including alQaeda or suspicious crazy beards with funny phonetics, as ISIS.
Okay, here's the 101 on AQAP and ISIS, er, I mean IS (see what you've done!), and why it's of paramount importance to know difference. Will make this as simple and quick as possible so switch off Fox News and pay attention now.
AQAP is the flagship of the original alQaeda (AQ) and far older than IS. AQAP is synonym with Taliban, Bin Laden, September 11, and Buckaroo Bush "Yeehaw! Let's hunt Buffalo in Tora Bora (Afghanistan) & Baghdad (Iraq)" at turn of this millennia.
IS on the other hand popped on stage in 2014. IS is actually AQ's rowdy bunch in Iraq, alQaeda in Iraq (AQI), recently tripped into path of gamma rays (i.e. Iraq mess gone supernova) then basically went "Hulk, SMASH!" on everything including their AQ club membership.
Not really. AQI more or less capitalized on growth in numbers, lucky streak/battle wins in Iraq and seized moment to declare own brand of 'God's Kingdom'. Turmoil in AQ HQ and ambitious AQI leadership may or may have not have contributed to mutiny and creation of IS. Not important. This crazy part is though a) they actually succeeded in carving out rapidly growing niche, and by niche I mean a friggin country (Iraq), and now exceedingly outnumber AQ b) met with the insane on steroids, quite a few now lamenting the good old days of AQ!
Anyway, AQAP and IS are now rival groups. Not enemies, but not friends or in cahoots either. They are adversaries competing for the leadership of the jihadist movement. No blood spilled between the two groups despite no lost love and both being armed to teeth and borderline psychotic.
A commendable level of self control & classiness if you ask me. Not sure if would last for long though. This convoluted 'Pirates Code' of sorts is far from being an actual attempt at brinksmanship.
At any rate, it's understandable that the difference between AQAP and IS may not matter much to you. For all you care, they're a bunch of 'crazy beard' growing, phonetically challenged, AK47 wielding religious radicals marooned on some desolate island called Arabia. Miles and miles away from you. Thank god for immigration laws.
It does matter to me though. You see, Mr. Crazy Beard lives next door.
And while both AQAP & IS are dangerous, identifying which is very important when chances of your survival are inversely proportional to craziness of beard. This is especially so when getting out of Dodge is not an option and your lovely neighbor not going anywhere anytime soon.
Hence the handy 'Dangero-O-Meter' (DOOM) to gauge how bad. Scale is from 1-6 where 1- 'Keep low profile & may live' and 6- 'Quick, final prayers while you still can'.
AQAP is a 3-ish on Doom scale:
"Live by our way or hit highway"
AQ-Beard - Will change your way of life and govern every aspect of it. May subject to public lashing and even murder if you crossed, antagonized enough, or resisted (futile and frowned upon). Growing bear is optional.
IS is a 6-ish on..oh who the heck are we kidding, Doom is useless here, IS is Infinity-ish on whatever scale they use in Hell:
"Haha, you grew a beard! Cute but inconvenient. We need your head to be as round as possible. Now have to burn beard off your face before we behead anyway."
IS-Beard - Will chop off head and play soccer with just because
a) Apparently Mega IS-Beard decided MOST of folks born beardless and ALL still beardless as adults should be promptly put to the sword.
b) A guillotine not practical, it's French, foreign, Grrr, IS-Beard SMASH!
c) Soccer, much fun, need ball, Adidas is foreign, Grrr.
d) Yaay! Human head. Make sure it's local/native, foreign heads reserved for ransom.
e) Not soccer day? Okay, is it burn alive day? Execution creativity day? Murderous rampage day? Rape & plunder day? What? WHAT? Where's the blood, need NOW!
F) Hey, where's your beard, off with your head too. Growing beard NOT optional.
Yeah, yeah, both AQAP & IS believe in the Quran and follow Islam. So, yeah, Muslims. But so are 1.6 billion others around the globe. Yup, that's how many Muslims all over the place. Check your neighbor.
Calm down, only an infinitesimal percentage of those are out to get you. Even less with enough drive and means to do so. For now.
Thing is, just like any other religion, certain parts/text are open for interpretation. Hence sects. Hence AQAP and IS. Hence watch your six. Haha. Kidding, KIDDING!
Please put phone down. There are many types of Muslims, the good, the bad, and the ugly. A penguin is not an eagle, despite both being birds. And for god's sake who keeps the FBI on speed dial? Paranoid much!
*Article above was shared via Whatsapp. Published on blog here with permission. Author lives next to Crazy Beard whom has Internet & could very well come across and read. So yeah, 'Author Unknown'.
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