17 February 2015

By Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi

My recent series on IS administration in Ninawa province focused on education, public services and religious life using numerous specimen IS administrative documents from that province. This post aims to provide an archive of similar translated IS documents in other provinces, and will be continually updated.

Specimen A: Childbirth Operations in Deir az-Zor Province

Islamic State
State of the Caliphate
Wilayat al-Kheir
Medical Administration

In view of what the land is going through from difficult circumstances including the debilitation of souls from the exploitation of their Muslim brothers, in order to assist the believers from the sons of Islam who are working in the medical corps to support their brothers from the poor and others besides them from the Muslim populace, and with the desire to keep the course of medical work removed from arbitrary whim, the Diwan al-Siha [health administration/department], after consideration and examination of medical work in the field concerning women [gynaecology etc.] has decided on the following:

1. Fixing of the price of Caesarean childbirth operations to 15000 Syrian pounds.
2. Fixing of the price of normal childbirth operations to 10500 Syrian pounds.
3. This includes keeping the child in the hospital for 12 hours after birth only.

Note: This is to be considered as tantamount to a written order and all who contravene it will be held accountable in the Dar al-Qaḍa [IS judiciary] with attendant consquence.

2 Muharram 1436 AH
26 October 2014

General Medical Official

Specimen B: Landline Telephone Subscriptions in Deir az-Zor Province

Islamic State
Wilayat al-Kheir

Islamic Administration for Public Services

Phone connection: Number 035
[...]
Date: 14/11 [14 November 2014].

The sum receipt has been completed: 400 Syrian pounds [per month]*
And that is to meet support for connections' services.
Name of subscriber: ...
Subscriber's number: ...
Register's number

[Signatures]: Office official; Service official

NB: For comparison, landline subscriptions according to Northern Storm's spokesman [Azaz area] cost $2 a month (around 365 Syrian pounds). The landline subscription generally only works for local landline connections.

Specimen C: Fishing Regulations (Agricultural Department): Deir az-Zor Province

Decision

As a result of the lack of oversight over the abundance of fish, paucity of awareness, and the greed and ambition of some of the fishermen and their audacity in carrying out fishing in ways that are illegal and harmful to the life of the people, the fish and the river environment.

The Islamic State has decided on the following:

1. The use of electric current in hunting fish is forbidden because it leads to extermination of many river/water creatures as well as congenital disfigurement for small fish and other river creatures.

2. No fishing with use of explosive materials, dynamite and the like.

3. No fishing with use of toxins and other chemical substances because that leads to the death of all the creatures of fish and others besides them, as well as poisoning people who obtain food from them.

4. No fishing at a time of proliferation of the fish and river/water creatures because that leads to the prevention of the proliferation of the fish and the killing of their eggs, which constitutes a threat to the abundance of fish.

We ask all who come upon this decision to be bound by it for it is in the interest of the Islamic State and the Muslims in the totality.

Specimen D: Regulations for Pharmacies in Deir az-Zor Province (only preserved in indirect testimony)

Da3esh [IS] insists that all pharmacies operating in Deir az-Zor province must provide the medical administration in the province (Wilayat al-Kheir) with a number of statements including the provision of a degree for the pharmacist; further, it is required that anyone who works in the pharmacy must have a degree of a medical/health institute (pharmacy division) and he is responsible for any mistake that happens in the pharmacy with no provision of anaesthetics, menstrual drugs or prohibited medications except by doctor's prescription.

Further, it has been imposed on pharmacy owners that their profits cannot exceed 20%. They must also bring a document from the Diwan al-Zakat to indicate that payment has been fulfilled. Whoever does not possess those statements will have his pharmacy shut for a period of a month from the date of the decision. Whosoever contravenes will be held accountable in the Dar al-Qaḍa al-Shari'i with attendant consequence.

[5 November 2014]

Specimen E: Prayer Times in Deir az-Zor City (Diwan al-Awqaf wa al-Da'wa wa al-Masajid)

Islamic State
Wilayat al-Kheir
City area

(Diwan al-Awqaf wa al-Da'wa wa al-Masajid)

We remind the Muslims under the shadow of the Islamic State that the time standard authorized for the call to prayer, prayer and the rest of the proceedings is the old time standard ('summer') so please observe this directive by order of the general committee for the Islamic State.

[statement emerged in late November 2014].