The world was alarmed after a map recently surfaced online, stating that the ISIS, which is currently waging a war in Syria and Iraq, plans to establish an Islamic state in countries as far as Spain and North Korea. However, it has now emerged that the whole thing could just be a hoax.
It was being speculated that through the map, the ISIS - which recently renamed itself as Islamic State - wants to to convey that the faction has jihadist plans for almost all countries in the world.
The map was widely shared on Twitter.
#ISIS Roadmap: The goal of a unified #Islamic #Caliphate. pic.twitter.com/21rEJM6xpV
— ThirdPosition (@Third_Position) June 16, 2014
The map tried to cash in on the fear factor, following the recent announcement by the ISIS about setting up an Islamic State.
But the map in question is certainly not from the ISIS. Instead, it's a mash-up, based on the Islamic borders during the Ottomon empire.
"It's an old image put out by fans of the group," Aaron Zelin, of Jihadology.net told Quartz. "There is nothing official about it nor is there some alleged 5-year plan."
The map showed parts of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe shaded in black, to represent the territories that the group wants to bring under as Islamic state.
The map obliterated the current names of all the countries and continents. According to Daily Mail, the westernmost territory of the map, labeled "Maghreb", is the Western Sahara, including Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and a host of other nations.
In Europe, the ISIS wants to establish its empire as far as Spain, renamed as "Andalus", which in the Middle Ages was controlled by Muslims, it is reported.
While the map may be a hoax, the ISIS does have expansion plans. Earlier on Wednesday, the ISIS leader and self-proclaimed Emir of Syria and Iraq, Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi - in his first audio message since the announcement of the caliphate - voiced plans of the group for several countries in the world.
In his translated message, Baghdadi notes that the rights of the Muslims have been violated in China, India, Palestine, Somalia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Caucasus, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Indonesia, Afghanistan, the Philippines, Ahvaz, Iran, Pakistan, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria and Morocco, in the East and in the West.
He also notes the atrocities against Muslims carried out Central Africa and Burma. The message in short is a clarion call for all Sunni Muslims the world over to take up jihad.
