New Message from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: The End of Saudi Rulers is Near

The Islamic State (ISIS) has released an audio file from its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in which he states that the rulers of Saudi Arabia have "lost their legitimacy" and that "their end is near." Reuters reported that this audio file was released on Thursday, May 24, although its authenticity has not been independently verified. In the audio, which was published by the Al-Furqan media group and circulated on various websites and social media, the voice attributed to the leader of ISIS says: "There is no excuse for any Muslim who does not migrate to the Islamic State. Joining {the fight} is the duty of all Muslims. We ask you to either join us or take up arms wherever you are." In this audio, the caliph of ISIS describes the rulers of Saudi Arabia as "enemies" and states that "their end is near," claiming that the rulers of the Gulf states feel threatened by the growth of his followers among Sunni Arabs. The voice attributed to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi says: "They {the rulers of Saudi Arabia} have lost their claimed legitimacy. When they felt that their masters, the Crusaders and Jews, had replaced them with the Rafidah, they launched their alleged war against the Rafidah in Yemen." "Rafidah" is a term used by some radical Muslims to refer to Shia Muslims, implying that they have left the religion of Islam. Saudi Arabia has been leading a coalition of Arab countries for months to attack the Houthi Shia in Yemen. The country is also part of the international coalition led by the United States against ISIS. However, the leader of ISIS severely criticizes the military intervention of Saudi Arabia and its allies in Yemen, stating: "They claim to defend Sunnis; they are lying. They are trying to prevent Muslims from joining us {because} this frightens the 'sons of the cell.'" The "sons of the cell" refers to the descendants of Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul, a ruler of Medina in early Islam, whom many Muslims never accepted as a convert to Islam and called him the "leader of the hypocrites." This is the first message attributed to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the caliph of ISIS, following reports of his injury due to a U.S. operation and the succession of another individual in his place. AFP reports that the voice in this audio file appears to match the voice of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi that was released in mid-November of last year. The caliph of ISIS states in this audio addressed to Muslims: "Islam has never been a religion of peace, even for a day. Islam is a religion of war."