DUBAI - The leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, urged jihad in an audio tape on Tuesday, in his first statement since the group renamed itself the Islamic State and its leader the caliph of the Muslim world.
"There is no better effort in this blessed month or any other than jihad in God's path, so embrace this change and champion Allah's religion through jihad," Baghdadi purportedly said in an audio message posted online.