The Islamic State’s self-published magazine, entitled Dabiq, is named after a seemingly uninspiring town in northern Syria. According to prophecy, the world will end in Dabiq when Muslim and infidel troops eventually meet for a final time. The first issue is a dramatic proclamation of the “return of khilafah,” a single ruler that controls state and religion. The immense quantity of graphic pictures aids the effectiveness of such propaganda. Each volume contained a plethora of pictures of dead soldiers, injured citizens, and the moments before a criminal is executed. These pictures either reveal US armed forces to be cruel murderers or present the Islamic State’s soldiers as creating justice. At first, I considered these pictures to be a fear tactic, showing the intense power this group had over others. With an understanding of the Islamic State, one can conclude that the pictures actually act as a means of building credibility for this new government. Graphic pictures of the “enemy” being punished reasonably shows a state that is working to protect their citizens. While outsiders, especially Americans, view this magazine as a proud declaration of violence and power, it was a strong form of propaganda for the people in Iraq and Syria.