Difference between Al Qaeda and ISIS
ISIS (Daesh) was the sub-branch of Al Qaeda in Iraq. In 2014, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his own government in rebellion against al-Qaeda. There are many differences in the ideologies of ISIS (Daesh) and al-Qaeda.
| Al-Qeada | ISIS (Daesh) |
| 1: Al-Qaeda considers the democratic system to be blasphemy, but it does not declare everyone who participates in it to be blasphemous. | 1: ISIS considers the democratic system to be blasphemy and declares everyone who participates in and works within democracy to be takfir. |
| 2: Al-Qaeda does not declare other jihadist organizations to be takfir. | 2: ISIS has declared every jihadist organization in the world to be takfir. |
| 3: Al-Qaeda does not declare those who fight against it to be takfir (infidels) nor does it seek revenge against them. | 3: ISIS considers it obligatory to kill those who fight against it. |
| 4: Al-Qaeda has not fought or been involved with any jihadist organization to date. | 4: ISIS is fighting almost every jihadist organization in the world. |
| 5: Al-Qaeda does not declare all Shiites to be takfir. | 5: ISIS considers all Shiites to be infidels. |
| 6: Al-Qaeda does not attack Shiite places of worship. | 6: ISIS encourages attacks on Shia places of worship and continues to attack Shia places of worship to this day. |
| 7: Al-Qaeda does not target ordinary Shiites. It does not target the ordinary Shiite population. | 7: ISIS has been carrying out and continuing to carry out attacks on ordinary Shiites and on places inhabited by ordinary Shiites. |
| 8: Al-Qaeda supports other jihadist organizations around the world. | 8: ISIS does not support any jihadist organization other than itself; on the contrary, it is fighting them by declaring them apostates. |
| 9: Al-Qaeda engages in politics as well as fighting jihad. | 9: ISIS doesn’t believe in politics, it only believes in waging war. |
| 10: Al-Qaeda does not support the differences between the various sects of the Sunni sect, nor does it publish books that contradict their beliefs and ideologies. | 10: While ISIS has written and published books on every sect, be it Sunni or Shia. |
| 11: Al-Qaeda does not support a war between Shiites and Sunnis. | 11: ISIS supports and has been supporting the war between Shiites and Sunnis. |
| 12: Al-Qaeda does not support the war between Salafis and Hanafis; it forbids this sectarian war. | 12: ISIS supports the Salafi and Hanafi wars, which is why ISIS has declared various Hanafi sects as misguided and polytheistic and has killed their scholars. |
Content Warning & Disclaimer:
This article is for educational and informational purposes only. It discusses extremist organizations to explain historical and geopolitical differences. The content does not support, promote, or glorify violence or any extremist ideology.
