Excerpt: On May 21, 2016 a 31-minute audio file by Islamic State Organization (ISO) chief spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani (real name: Taha Sobhi Falaha) was uploaded by the ISO’s Al Furqan Media outlet onto the internet.

Excerpt: On May 14, 2015 a 34-minute audio message was released by the self-proclaimed Islamic State’s media arm al-Furqan.

When considering the available sources for Islamic history between the seventh and eighth centuries CE, there are few which have greater importance than al-Balādhurī's (d. ca. 892 CE/279 AH) Kitāb Futūḥ al-Buldān (The Book of the Conquest of Lands). While the text and its author are recognized for their importance as a historical source for the early Islamic period, there has previously been no in-depth study of either. This dissertation works to correct these gaps in knowledge of the author and his text by investigating the construction, form, content, and early reception history of al-Balādhurī's book. This research begins by providing a manuscript tradition of Futūḥ al-Buldān, including a discussion of a previously unpublished manuscript. It thereafter illuminates the background of al-Balādhurī, bringing together much of the previous scholarship on the author while augmenting that information with an analysis of biographical sources and the text itself. It situates the author and his text in its ninth/third century milieu, a period of history where the early Arabic historical tradition was still in its infancy and only just being committed to writing. It suggests the text was likely completed at the end of the "anarchy at Sāmarrā'" in the late 860s CE, and highlights the author's role at the court of several 'Abbāsid Caliphs. After this, it discusses a number of al-Balādhurī's most important (and, in some cases, previously understudied) sources of information, and argues that the author chose to differentiate when he was learning information directly from a teacher and when he had access to written sources. It then analyzes the content and themes of the text, placing special attention on the unique form of Futūḥ al-Buldān and its importance in providing modern scholars with information on the conquest, settlement, and building projects of the early Islamic world. In considering these key themes, this research then argues that Futūḥ al-Buldān defies traditional modern genre classification by borrowing form and content from several different Arabic genres including conquest literature (futūḥ), legal texts, and administrative geographies. It contends that both the text's content and form suggest that it was written to be read by courtly administrators in the service of the state as both a site of memory (lieu de mémoire) and as an "administrator's handbook" during a time of upheaval in the 'Abbāsid realm. Finally, it considers the legacy of Futūḥ al-Buldān and the popularity of al-Balādhurī's book throughout the medieval period through an analysis of textual reuse.

I deal in master thesis with reflection of audiovisual media in the Czech Republic and their work with events of terroristic attacks of Islamic State. I focused on main broadcasting which are the most representative material for the form of image of approaches of particular media. In theoretic part I deal with organization Islamic state and symbiotic relation between terrorism and media. We encouter a new phenomena of terrorism which can adapt for new media, social sites and which can work also with audiovisual agenda. I try to get closer and try to set the ethics of west media and I am looking for answers which are underlay of chosen literature or contemporary codified standards (f.e. BBC Editorial Guidelines). I compare new phenomena of terrorism and media reflection with current sociological trends and create terrorism and his work in media in "liquid times". In practical part I deal with specific events of terroristic attacks of ISIS in Europe and I search ethical questionable aspects in content of czech AV media. I am looking for specific points on the relief of terroristic attacks which broadcasters do. Based on the theoretical part I focus next to primary also on secondary ethically questionable aspects which are result of symbiotic relation between media and terrorism.

This Master Thesis aims to present the current existential threats to Israeli security. Israel is a Jewish country in the middle of the Muslim region and her demise is wished by many involved parties. The Author describes sophisticated security systems of Israel, their efficiency and its unofficial nuclear program. From the state actors, it is Iran that has become the number one perceived threat in Israel thanks to its officials' rhetoric, its support towards terrorist organizations and its nuclear program. Israel is often involved in asymmetrical conflicts against non-state actors like Hamas and Hezbollah. The new extremist group Islamic State can also potentially pose a threat. Has Israel got reasons to worry about her existence? Has the Arab Spring brought about positives, negatives, or new possibilities? The Author aims to answer these questions.

The diploma thesis presents comparison of security and strategic culture's approaches of the European Union and the United States of America towards the threat of Islamic state. Comparison is based on two separated analyses of complex strategy and particular steps of both subjects from different methodological points of view. Each analysis consists of security and strategic culture in the light of historical milestones, factors of engagement in fight against Islamic state, complex counter-terrorism strategy and particular steps taken against the Islamic state. Based on comparative analysis both approaches will be compared and the thesis aims to answer the questions, how did both the USA and the EU challenged the threat of Islamic state, how these approaches differ and also what exactly stands behind these concrete steps.

This thesis represents a comprehensive analysis of the geographical and geopolitical position of the Kurdistan regional government (KRG) as an official political institution of the Kurdistan region of Iraq (KRI). Firstly, it focuses on the internal issues of this institution and its division between two main Iraqi Kurdish political parties: KDP and PUK. Secondly, it examines the form of the relationships between the KRG and central government in Baghdad. The regional position of the KRG is explained by capturing the relationships among the KRG, the governments of the key regional countries (Turkey, Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Israel) and important Kurdish political parties operating in this area (PKK, PYD, PJAK, HDP, ENKS and KDPI). Thirdly, the global actors (United States of America, Russian Federation and China) and their position towards the Iraqi Kurds, is also included. And finally, this thesis deals with the problematics of the Kurdish referendum of independence in 2017 and the role of ISIS as an "game changing" actor in the regional dynamics. This thesis builds on extensive search of scientific literature (about 70 titles), field research in the Kurdistan region of Iraq in the form of the interviews with 20 respondents and media reports on this topic and region. Additionally, this thesis...

This diploma thesis deals with the influence of changing nature of the terrorist threat on the foreign policy of the United States during the presidency of Barack Obama in the region of Middle East, together with the impact of changes in this foreign policy on the cooperation and relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia. The changing nature of the terrorist threat is analyzed primarily on the example of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and analyzed are also the circumstances of its rise, the events of the Arab Spring. The course of these events is shown in the cases of countries important for the current U.S. foreign policy in the region, therefore in the cases of Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Yemen and the U.S. foreign policy is analyzed in relation with its reaction on these events. Shown is the shift in this foreign policy, tied with the changes in the counterterrorism policy due to the changes in the nature of the terrorist threat. Resulting foreign policy is analyzed using the Foreign Policy Analysis and its models, which helps to explain the apparent rift in the Obama administration in relation to Middle East. The last chapter focuses primarily on the cooperation of the United States with Saudi Arabia and the Saudi relation with terrorism. Shown are Saudi counterterrorism...

The main aim of this Master's thesis is to analyse how children are recruited and abused as soldiers in armed conflicts, and how international humanitarian law protects their rights. The thesis is divided in two main parts, theoretical and empirical. In theoretical part are introduced the most important documents of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, including international governmental and non-governmental organizations which promote these rights. In empirical part, the author focuses on case studies, namely the case of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the case of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The author was not interested in finding similarities in these two cases, but conversely, to point out on the uniqueness of each case. To precise, the thesis is analysing reasons for the recruitment and abuse of children by the LRA and ISIS, and the legal responsibility of both groups. The author of this thesis chose as a methodology an instrumental case study which is useful for providing a general understanding of a phenomenon by using a particular case. In addition, this methodology is convenient for interpretation of legal documents, and two selected cases serve as instruments for interpreting the recruitment and abuse of children in armed conflicts. The...

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