In the image, a map of Saudi Arabia is shown with a flag in its center displaying the shahada (Islamic testimony of faith holding that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is his messenger). This designates Saudi Arabia as an important theater for jihad, and implies a national obligation to join the struggle in order to establish a true Islamic state. At the same time, by depicting the broader region in the background, the image is attempting to show that Saudi Arabia is an integral part of a broader, global jihadi movement. The caption, which is written in large font and thus dominates the image, reads: “dawlat al-khilafa qadima li-tahkumu al-‘alam” (“the caliphate state is coming to rule the world”).
The flag resembles one of the flags associated with al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI)/ISI, with the text of the shahada written over a yellow circle against a black background. Here, however, the background of the flag contains thick light blue stripes that emanate from the yellow circle like rays of light, which is not typical of an AQI/ISI flag.
