What is a caliph? The Islamic State tries to boost its legitimacy by hijacking a historic institution
- Written by Ken Chitwood, Journalist-fellow, University of Southern California's Center for Religion and Civic Culture / Lecturer, Concordia College New York, University of Florida
An image of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who died on Oct. 26, 2019..Department of Defense via APJust days after the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on Oct. 27, the Islamic State named Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi as the new “caliph.”
In 2014, IS conquered vast swaths of Iraq and Syria and declared itself to be the...