HomeImage GallerySeriously, NBC? Station Posts ‘Terrifying ISIS Expansion Map’ Created By Neofascists on Twitter

Seriously, NBC? Station Posts ‘Terrifying ISIS Expansion Map’ Created By Neofascists on Twitter

Here’s a good example of how the Mainstream Media can be just as vulnerable to viral memes as anyone else. A map began making the rounds on Twitter sometime ago, showing a large hunk of Africa, Central Asia, The Caucasus Region, and parts of Europe, consumed under a black mass with ominous white Arabic text, called “ISIS’s five-year expansion plan” by NBC News. There’s just one problem — it has nothing to do with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syriaor with reality at all.

The map has been floating around Twitter for a while, but only after ISIS’ success in Iraq did it go viral. NBC picked up the picture and ran with it, publishing their article on June 30. The Daily Mail was right behind with their own article:

ISIS Map

The Daily Mail went so far as to include a translated version of the map in their article, which reads like the sort of map that a 14-year-old gamer with no knowledge of geopolitics would draft for a science fiction setting:

article-2674736-1F46221200000578-100_634x381

Do you see that “Sham” sandwiched between Land of Alkali Metals, Hijab, Iraq, and Corduroystan? That’s your first clue.

And there’s a reason why it reads like someone with no knowledge of geopolitics drafted it: because it was not intended to be geopolitically correct. NBC listed a Twitter account called “ThirdPosition” as their source for the map: anyone with knowledge of history recognizes that term. “The third position,” the position between communism and capitalism, is better known as fascism.

And that’s exactly what you get from “ThirdPosition’s” twitter feed, according to io9:

Adding to the story’s credibility, the ABC News web page cites the Twitter account of a neofascist group, “ThirdPosition,” as one of its sources. Indeed, visitors to ThirdPosition’s Twitter feed can learn such intriguing facts as that World War II began when “Germany overthrew its overlords. It adopted a seperate [sic] banking system outside Jewish cartel influence. That is why we made war.”

According to NBC, the black parts of the map are regions that ISIS hopes to add to its “Sunni-run state.” But according to Quartz, the map is a fake:

“It’s an old image put out by fans of the group,” says Aaron Zelin, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who also maintains a blog, Jihadology.net, that analyzes primary source material produced by Islamist movements. “There is nothing official about it nor is there some alleged 5-year plan.”

While ISIL obviously does have plans to control territory and impose its extreme take on Islamist politics, this particular map is just a historical mash-up of past Muslim political entities. They range from the empire that emerged from modern-day Saudi Arabia in the 7th century to the Ottoman Empire, with its roots in Turkey, that collapsed in 1923.  (The Daily Mail has a rough English-language version of the map.)

It is also an ironic creation, considering that many of the polities whose territory is encompassed by this map endorsed brands of Islam and politics that would offend ISIL. To over-simplify, ISIL’s ideology comes from the branch of modern Islam that seeks a purifying return to the early days of Islam, rejecting later “innovations” in the religion that, they believe, corrupt its original spirit.

Quartz goes on to point out that the map is ironic; like most fundamentalists, ISIS wants to go back to the “roots” of their religion, when it was “pure.” There are many territories under the black that would offend ISIS’ religious “sensibilities”

It is also an ironic creation, considering that many of the polities whose territory is encompassed by this map endorsed brands of Islam and politics that would offend ISIL. To over-simplify, ISIL’s ideology comes from the branch of modern Islam that seeks a purifying return to the early days of Islam, rejecting later “innovations” in the religion that, they believe, corrupt its original spirit.

As for the territorial boarders of the fictional map, it’s cobbled together from a variety of historical and ahistorical sources — the Ottoman Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate, the Khwarazmian Dynasty, and others — and not at all true.

Maybe next time you’ll think twice before you believe anything you hear from . . . NBC?

h/t: io9

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About Josh Kilburn

Josh Kilburn
Josh is a writer, author, blogger, and freelancer with a Bachelor's degree who lives in the buckle of the Rust Belt.
  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1575062152 Alex Stone

    Where do I begin? So the right has being doing a little bit of fear mongering lately and this map is the latest example. The map is laughably, comically, and hilariously implausible. But make no mistake, the Daesh most certainly does see this map as their rightful territory. The reason why I presume that and part of the reason why the media immediately assumed that it was genuine is because similar groups have outlined goals that really are as crazy as this map, and one of those groups is in fact the Daesh itself. As of this writing they and their subsidiaries (mostly Al-Qaeda breakaways) operate in the Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, West Africa, North Africa (specifically Libya), the Sinai, Yemen, and Southeast Asia. Their leadership has also made statements about conquering Spain and the Caucasus (srsly, they threatened Putin). They are just like any other crazy Salafist Jihadist group except they have been far more successful, are much bigger, and are slightly more brutal. There is no doubt in my mind that the Daesh most certainly does believe they will rule all of this territory for they believe it is there right to do so. These people who we are dealing with are not ordinary Wahhabists, if you wish to see ordinary level headed Wahhabists than travel to Saudi Arabia. These are Salafi Jihadists, they do believe in the reestablishment of the Caliphate and in the conquest of all territories they see as being Muslim but were later lost to anyone at any time since Islamic rulers ruled them. You may ask, yes but if this map is fake why is it important and if it were real why would it be important? The map is indeed fake, it was created by fascists to get conservatives anxious and to play on their fears, nevertheless that fact, as bizarre as this may sound, is essentially irrelevant, since we have all the reason in the world to believe that the Daesh really does think that it is there right to rule this area (and hence they will fight to do so). The map itself despite being technically fake is nevertheless useful in examining the mindset of the Daesh because it correctly marks the territories which the Daesh wishes it actually controlled.

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  • Susie Sotar

    Josh, your batchelors degree must be in remedial basket weaving for you to be so ignorant of what a Caliphate is. ISIS has already declared a Caliphate in the territories that they currently hold.It would not matter where this map had been lifted from; it could have been from something that someone “saw” in the poo on a baby’s diaper, a Crackerjack box or the mind of a psychopath because it accurately depicts the aims of a Caliphate.

    • Skip Moreland

      What would the ignorant susie know of what a caliphate would aim for or even what a caliphate is for that matter?
      Like fundamentalist christians, ISIS has a warped view of what their religion and their past really is. What they are fighting for never existed. Just like the fundies in this country trying to take us back to a time that never happened. Warped views of a religion.

      • Susie Sotar

        Anyone with an inquiring mind will study what a Caliphate represents Skippy. Don’t take my word for it. research it. Whether they’re warped or not is of no consequence but the danger they pose is.

        • Skip Moreland

          I knew you didn’t have a clue. I have researched it, I (unlike you) study history. So I knew that you had no idea of what you were talking about. And you keep showing that ignorance every time.

          • barloot

            Susie understands this better than you Skip. While I agree that this graphic is sourced from a less than reputable source, the fact’s are not in dispute. Insofar as that’s what a caliphate’s goals are. To create and expand an Islamic homeland. That’s the goal. Denying that is the goal, is bowing to predetermined reaction to the fact.

          • Skip Moreland

            Then you should perhaps study past caliphates also. In the past they were the most open, science oriented, equality oriented, golden age of the muslim world. We would have a far easier time dealing with people who really were caliphates and not people who are pretend caliphates.
            What I was trying to teach susie was that these people are not following the precepts of what the caliphates believed in. They believe in a corrupted version of their religion just like the corrupted christians in this country.
            Quite frankly a true caliphate might be exactly what muslims need. Not that they will get one with this group. And it would probably be better than our doing the same, expanding our empire over muslims as we have been doing for over a hundred years. Our own ‘caliphate’ so to speak, except we don’t allow the muslims the same freedoms that the old caliphates allowed other people.

          • barloot

            What? If thing’s were different than they wouldn’t be the same? The AK-47 is the tool of this movement, the Koran is way down the list. You want to think the best of this movement, while it’s clear it’s the worst that’s being used and implemented. Recite the precepts and beliefs of Islam, right now!! Do it, do it with a gun to your mother’s head, knowing that a hesitation or a stumble means her death, NOW!!!! Do it!!! That’s what’s happening, right now. You still think it’s a noble cause that’s at the heart of this?

          • Skip Moreland

            Do you people purposely misread what is written? Where did I defend ISIS at all? In fact I called them corrupted. That they aren’t following the qur’an at all, but a twisted version of it. That they would not create a true caliphate.
            Really, reading comprehension should be taught to conservatives, they don’t seem to understand the written word.
            Have you ever read the qur’an? It’s like the old testament, but with less demanding to kill, rape, steal, etc from other people. Far more poetry on love than the old testament. More like the new testament with some of the old thrown in. Which is why ISIS and others misrepresent their religion so much.
            Do you understand that the muslims have the same religion of abraham? That the old and new testament are sacred to them (jesus was a major prophet to them)? That basically they are all the same and have acted just as decently and indecently as the other two? Christians esp do not have a leg to stand on when criticizing the muslims for the way they behave. For the past 100 plus years, christians have tried to control and rule the muslims.
            Do you even know that we created ISIS, al queda, and other terrorist groups to do our bidding except that, they decided to stop being our puppets? We have a bad habit of creating people to hate us. When you play with fire, you can get burnt.

          • barloot

            So.. then you agree. A murdering, marauding band of thug’s under the auspices of Islam, have proclaimed their goals to be the creation of an Islamist state. Those goals include but are not limited to complete expansion of their ideals of Islam in the middle east region. What’s the problem? What does anything else have to with that?

          • Skip Moreland

            My disagreement with Susie was how she portrayed the caliphates of old as ISIS. She was trying to equate the two as the same when those caliphates of old would be horrified at the ISIS. Comparing the two as equals is like saying a rabid wolf (ISIS) is the same as a german shepherd.
            Which is why I asked her what she knew of the old caliphates. And with classic susie style, she avoided answering. Thus she can claim she knows while not showing any knowledge. She always dodges or refuses to answer. Thus she proves to me that she really doesn’t know what the caliphates of old were all about.

          • Susie Sotar

            Skippy, you have a highly romantisized belief in what the old Caliphate was but I will give you some credit for understanding that ISIS is dangerous. Mohammad, like many other revolutionaries, started out with non-violent ideas. When he learned that non-violence didn’t move things as fast as he wanted them to move he turned to violence and terrorism. ISIS simply skipped the non-violent beginning.

          • Skip Moreland

            Tell me how the slave and territory stealing european countries were better than the caliphates? Who were living in the dark ages with fundamentalist religion taking hold, ignoring science, and thinking the world was flat. While at the same time the caliphates were practicing science and making discoveries that would take the europeans about a thousand years to discover.
            While europe was burning women as witches, the caliphates were allowing any to practice their own beliefs. Were the caliphates perfect, no, minorities were considered to be inferior, just like the US today still practices discrimination against its’ minorities and considers them inferior. They built empires, just like the US does. They practiced slavery just like the US does today.
            But then they at least weren’t hypocrites about the status of minorities or slaves like we are. With our declaration of equality and liberty for all, except if the christians hate you, then it doesn’t apply. Or if you live in a different country, then the US can install a dictator over you (all in the name of freedom) and keep you as slaves. And then we wonder why do people hate us when we make them slaves?
            I don’t agree with the tactics or fanaticism of ISIS, but we created them, armed them, and then turned them loose on our enemies. Only to find by enslaving their people, they hated us as much as they did our enemies.
            So It is not romanticism, but knowledge of what they were and what western culture has been. And considering what the europeans and the US (The US has worked very hard to make up for the lack of time they have had to do terrible things to people.) have done throughout history, they are the last people to be throwing stones at someone else. No culture is w/o sin. And as christ said, let ye who is without sin, cast the first stone. And we don’t even come close to having just a few sins. A country like ours that has practiced genocide and large wholesale slavery, has nothing to boast about.

          • Susie Sotar

            We now live in the 21st century while they continue to live in the 13th century. Our record was no better or worse that the rest of the world during the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. The entire world’s history is littered with stories of rape, murder, slavery, genocide, acquisition of territory, fratricide, subjugation of other peoples. Get over it! Move on!

          • Skip Moreland

            Yes, the 21st century and we still live like we did 2000 yrs ago. We still practice all of that you mentioned and more. The US still practices slavery, true it’s economic mostly in this country. But overseas we still put dictators into power to enslave their people. In the history of the US we have put over 30 dictators into power to enslave their people.
            Karzi and Maliki were suppose to be our puppets, we knew they were corrupt when we put them into power. But we thought they could control their people so the US could get what it wanted out of their countries.
            Do you know who finances ISIS? We help the dictators stay in power, the families in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar with our military and military aid to them. Saudi Arabia is listed in the top ten in the worst dictatorships every year, our best ally in the middle east. Saudi Arabia spends about 300 million every year to fund madras that teach the extreme fundamentalism to their youths. The youths that join al queda.
            And all three of those countries are funding ISIS, our best arab allies in the middle east. Our friends, who we keep in power. And now we have Iran and Russia helping the Iraqi government, along with us. After we helped armed ISIS in the 1st place, along with france and other european allies.
            Because we were warned that arming the rebels in Syria could have the effect of them turning those arms against us. Also the rebels in libya who we armed came to syria and now iraq.
            So we really haven’t learned anything, nor are we anymore civilized than the 13th century. Because we are still doing the things that our history is littered with. There is no moving on. I suppose that getting over not being civilized in anyway should be done. But I keep hoping that maybe we still might learn.
            But then again, I listen to you, who wishes to hate some minority and discriminate against them and think we will never have a chance to get over it or move on from the hate, greed, and anger that has fueled our history. Because you hate as much as ISIS does and would carry out your own pogrom against the minorities you hate, like they will. And yet you have the nerve to think you are better than them with all your hate.

          • Susie Sotar

            You already deny the earth’s climate history. Why would I believe that you could understand mankind’s history? You have nothing but false talking points.

          • Skip Moreland

            Move on. And this comes from a woman who uses a 2500 yr old bronze age book to hate and discriminate against minorities. I noticed how fast you dropped the bad old caliphate when presented with the truth about european history. False, then show me. You are clueless when it comes to knowledge. You don’t know more than a tidbit of history or facts in anything.
            Deny earth’s climate history? Are you really insane? I do no such thing. We have had 5 near extinctions because of climate change in the past. I could school you on the history of climate on this planet. You are a parrot who heard someone use this argument and thinks it is brilliant, when it is the stupidest argument ever made.
            As I have said before, of course climate changes and has before in the past. And those changes are pertinent in how and why our climate is changing now.
            1st. since you are so stupid and ignorant to use that argument, whenever the climate has changed rapidly in the past, it has been disastrous to life on the planet. They have caused near extinctions. So that means that with a rapidly changing climate as it is now occurring, it means danger to most of the life on this planet, inc. us.
            2nd. when the CO2 levels have reached the levels we have now, the temperature rises, the ice caps melt and water levels are much higher. Also warm water occupies more volume than colder water, which adds to the increase of water levels. Which means less land for those who dwelt there. When that has happened before, most of the middle of the country around the Mississippi river was under water. The same would happen to the lowlands of the rest of the world. Just a decrease of 10% of the amount of land would result in tens of millions forced to flee their homes.
            3rd. While there are stronger greenhouse gases like water vapor and methane, they wash out of the atmosphere much quicker than CO2. Which will be fortunate for life as increased CO2 leads to increases in other greenhouse gases. The unfortunate part is that CO2’s half life is far greater, hundreds of years. And as long as it remains, it will help keep the other greenhouses regenerating into the atmosphere.
            4th. This is the neat part about science. We know the molecular structure of carbon. We know the isotopes of carbon. I know this is all vow doo to you and incomprehensible. But we have tools that can examine carbon and know where it comes from. Volcanos have one isotope, some carbon found in the air have another. But the carbon that comes from burning coal, oil, and natural gas has it’s own isotope.
            We have these neat instruments that can capture air samples from around the world, we really do. It’s not just a matter of waving hands and reciting words from a holy book. And these instruments can tell us what the air is composed of. Inc. what isotopes of carbon are in the air. And because of other measuring techniques, we know what the atmosphere was millions of years ago.
            And what we learned is that the CO2 increase in the air now comes from the carbon we burned, because of it’s unique isotope. And we increased the amount of CO2 from 250 pre-industrial age to now 400 PPM. And the last time it was that high, bad things happened to the climate.
            And the CO2 level is still increasing. And because the climate changed in the past (amazing that it did) for the worst for life on the planet as that CO2 increased past 400 PPM, then going beyond 400PPM can be very bad for us too.
            So you see, it isn’t a matter of climate changing in the past. It is a matter of realizing what happened in the past when certain things occurred, could happen to us when the same conditions arise. It’s realizing that when climate has changed rapidly and badly in the past, then a rapidly changing climate that mirrors certain times in the past, could very well end up badly for us. It is being smart enough to say that if increasing levels of CO2 in the past have always resulted in higher temperatures, higher sea levels, and old species being replaced by new.
            We get 50% of our food from the ocean. 25% each of the coral reefs and wetlands have been destroyed so far, the nurseries for the oceans for about 25% of our ocean food. Drought on land reduced our land food production by 10%. So, we have lost about 30% of our food production.
            And this is just the start of feeling the effects. Good luck with that head in the sand. And good luck with trying to prove me wrong, you can’t. In fact you keep saying that mantra that everyone else is so wrong, but you never, never, never, ever show any proof or knowledge. That’s because an airhead like you can’t. You always run away.

          • Susie Sotar

            The only two types of people who would make such an ignorant statement, Skippy, are 1. A person who had read and believed only jihadist propaganda or 2. A person who believes that he stands to gain personally fom the institution of a worldwide Caliphate. In either case anyone who reads your comments should discount them completely.

          • Skip Moreland

            Yet once again, you show your ignorance of history. Congrats on your lack of knowledge. Sutard.

    • smb11

      Susie,

      You need to add Reading Comprehension to your Critical Thinking Skills coursework.

      Go back to the beginning of the blog. The focus of the blog is on NBC News reporting on this map as the ISIS five year expansion plan. The main focus of the rest of he blog is giving background information on the map itself.

      The focus of the blog was not on what a Caliphate is. In addition, the aims of a Caliphate has no relevance to this blog post at all.

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