On the 8th of the current Islamic month of Rajab, ISIS released posters in various languages instructing their like-minded supporters to hand over financial contributions to officials appointed by ISIS.
These posters were created by an obscure media organization named Al-Basa’ir and were later translated by ISIS’s Fursan al-Tarjuma group into French, English, and other languages utilized in their official and unofficial propaganda.
The posters emphasize that supporting ISIS is mandatory for all Muslims; however, regrettably, a significant portion of the funds collected in the names of Mujahideen, prisoners, orphans, and widows does not reach the deserving individuals.
ISIS cautioned in these posters that individuals who gather donations and distribute them arbitrarily will be accountable soon, and appropriate measures will be taken against them.
Collecting money in the name of jihad and then using it for personal purposes is a common issue among ISIS’s financial officials. However, these recent warnings indicate that corruption has further infiltrated the group’s financial administration. In March 2022, ISIS declared that operators of an active media organization named Afaq, responsible for ISIS cyber security, had misused funds collected in ISIS’s name for their personal affairs and established their own company with it.
Following significant defeats in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and other regions, ISIS Kharijites have encountered substantial financial challenges. The publication of these posters seems to be part of a systematic endeavor to gather additional funds from the public.
During their period of authority, ISIS introduced an economic experiment, where each province under their control would allocate 25% of confiscated assets to the central organization. The central leadership would then utilize these funds to sustain themselves and aid other branches.
Nevertheless, following multiple defeats in different regions, this system faltered. Currently, ISIS primarily relies on donations from their supporters—through begging—and extortion from the general Muslim population as their primary sources of funding.
