ISIS Extremism or Islamic Doctrine?

by Raymond Ibrahim, New American Prophet, ©2026

(Jan. 7, 2026) — A lie, by definition, conceals the truth. And when unpleasant but vital truths remain hidden, they go unacknowledged, unaddressed, and ultimately unresolved.

This principle underscores one of the most consequential falsehoods of our time: the claim that violence committed in the name of Islam is wholly unrelated to Islam itself. This widespread denial has enabled what is, at its core, an ideologically vulnerable religion to become one of the most persistent sources of global instability, with no end in sight.

Consider the most recent example: On June 22, Islamist militants launched a suicide attack on a church in Damascus, Syria, killing 25 Christians — mostly women and children—and injuring nearly 100 others.

The central question under current discussion is not why the attack occurred, but rather which group carried it out. The regime of Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa — formerly the head of the jihadi faction Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — initially attributed the assault to ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). Yet two days later, a lesser-known group, Saraya Ansar al-Sunna — an offshoot of al-Sharaa’s own organization — claimed responsibility.

While analysts and media outlets debate which group was behind the bombing, there is near-unanimous agreement on one point: regardless of which faction committed the atrocity, it is not to be seen as representative of Islam. The act is instead portrayed as a “hijacking” of the faith. Accordingly, discussion remains confined to the individual groups — not to Islam itself.

My immediate response is this: There sure appear to be a remarkably high number of organizations “hijacking” Islam — especially when compared to the conspicuous absence of any comparable phenomenon within Christianity or other major religions.

Remember When…

The following examples, far from exhaustive, offer a brief but sobering reminder for those in the West with short institutional memory:

• Democratic Republic of Congo (February 2025): The Allied Democratic Forces rounded up 70 Christians, marched them to a church, and decapitated them with knives.
• Philippines (Jan. 27, 2019): Abu Sayyaf militants bombed a cathedral, killing at least 20 Christians and injuring over 100.Indonesia (May 13, 2018): Jamaah Ansharut Daulah bombed three churches, killing 13 Christians and wounding dozens.
• Sri Lanka (April 21, 2018): On Easter Sunday, National Thowheeth Jama’ath bombed three churches and three hotels. The coordinated attack killed 359 people — mostly Christians — and wounded over 500.
• Egypt (April 9, 2017): On Palm Sunday, ISIS-linked Egyptian terrorists bombed two churches packed with worshippers. At least 45 Christians were killed and more than 100 injured.
• Pakistan (March 27, 2016): Following Easter Sunday services, Jamaat ul Ahrar bombed a public park frequented by Christians. More than 70 Christians — mainly women and children — were killed. Just one year earlier, the same group killed at least 14 Christians in coordinated attacks on two churches.

These incidents — while only a fraction of the whole — illustrate a critical point: The groups in question have little, if anything, to do with each other. They are based in widely different countries across sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia. They differ in race, language, and sociopolitical context.

What they do have in common is their religion: Islam, which directs them to kill Christians. And yet this is the one factor we are collectively instructed to ignore. It is the one variable mainstream narratives insist is wholly benign and synonymous with peace.

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