UK Hostage John Cantlie Resurfaces in ISIS Propaganda Magazine

British hostage John Cantlie allegedly penned an article in the Islamic State’s (ISIS/ISIL) Dābiq magazine. It is his first appearance in over six months.

The article, “Paradigm Shift: Part II,” echoes previous Cantlie articles and videos, in which the terrorist group uses him to prop up its vicious Caliphate and way of life.

This piece is a follow-up to his article from March 31, which stated that ISIS is an actual state, not just an organization. Cantlie provides “proof” that shows life is better under ISIS:

This reality of the Caliphate is confirmed by many things, the people living under its governance, for one. For the first time in years, Muslims are living in security and their businesses are doing a touring trade. The zakāh system has been up and running, taking a percentage of peoples’ wealth and dispersing it to the poor. The gold dinar coins first mentioned a year ago are now being minted, in preparation for their circulation. Shari’ah courts are established in every city and are judging by the laws of Islam. Corruption, before an unavoidable fact of life in both Iraq and Syria, has been cut to virtually nil while crime rates have considerably tumbled.

It is unknown if Cantlie wrote the article or when the photographer took the picture of him featured in the article. Whoever wrote the article bragged about the supposed praise of ISIS in Western media, but failed to acknowledge that the same publications also report that those under ISIS rule are there against their will and militants slaughter anyone who dares to disagree with them.

The author insists that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad “is pretty much finished” while Iraq is “disjointed.” He claims the Caliphate “is a Muslim empire, a country in which there are no tribal or religious clashes. There is only one sect and only one creed.” He did not mention the fact that militants force people to convert and execute those who do not align with their evil ways.

The author ended his piece with this photo:

ISIS captured Cantlie in 2012, but freed him, and he returned to the UK. Following his release, he opted to travel back to Syria, where ISIS kidnapped him again. Since then, he has starred in numerous videos to “prove” to the world that life under ISIS is pleasant for Sunni Muslims. Just like this article, no one knows for sure if Cantlie hosts these videos by choice or force.

In his February video, he told the audience it was the “last in the series.” Many assumed it meant that ISIS was going to execute its prized prisoner. But an article credited to Cantlie was published in Dābiq a few days later. In it, the author told his family he would not return even if he could. An article a few months later stated that ISIS could purchase a nuclear weapon in Pakistan.