Islamic State's 'caliph' lauds Iraq rebellion

The newly elected leader of the Islamic State has made his first public appearance since proclaiming a caliphate, justfying the Sunni-led rebellion against the Iraqi government.

In a video posted on social media, the newly elected 'caliph', Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is seen delivering a Friday sermon and leading prayers in the grand mosque of Mosul.

Baghdadi, who delivers a 15-minute-long sermon wearing a black turban and robe, spoke on the blessings of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and the legitimacy of fighting in the path of God against oppression.

Quoting verses from the Quran on jihad, Baghdadi spoke on the need of establishing sharia rule and how God had helped the 'jihadists' in establishing the so-called caliphate.

'The establishment of a caliphate is an obligation,' he said. 'The religion cannot be in place unless the sharia is established.'

Baghdadi's purported descent from Prophet Muhammad's grandson was also mentioned in the video to comply with the requirement that a caliph be a member of Muhammad's Quraish tribe.

He also called on the people to obey him as long as he followed the 'commands of God' and said he would not treat his subjects as other kings and rulers do.

'If you see that I am wrong, advise me and put me on the right track, and obey me as long as I obey God in you,' he said.

Al Jazeera cannot independently verify the authenticity of the Baghdadi video.

Al Jazeera's Imran Khan, reporting from Baghdad, said it was a bold statement by Baghdadi, suggesting he was free to travel wherever he wanted in the territory of the self-declared caliphate.

The Islamic State, which has swept across much of northern and western Iraq, has tapped into the grievances among the country's Sunni community with Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq's prime minister, and his Shia-led government.

Since proclaiming the caliphate, the Islamic State has promised to sweep away with state borders and redraw the map of the Middle East.

The group dominates swathes of territory in an arc from Aleppo in Syria to towns close to Baghdad.

For his part, Maliki removed the chief of the army's ground forces and the head of the federal police from their posts on Saturday, according to Iraq's military spokesman.

Lieutenant-General Qassim al-Moussawi said Maliki signed the papers to retire Lieutenant-General Ali Ghaidan, commander of the army's ground forces, and Lieutenant-General Mohsen al-Kaabi, the federal police chief.

Qaradawi dismisses claims

Meanwhile, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the prominent Sunni religious leader, dismissed Baghdadi's caliphate announcement as violating Islamic law.

Qaradawi, an Egyptian, said in a statement on Saturday that the declaration was 'void under sharia'.

'The declaration issued by the Islamic State is void under sharia and has dangerous consequences for the Sunnis in Iraq and for the revolt in Syria,' he said.

'We look forward to the coming caliphate,' Qaradawi added.

Since proclaiming a caliphate, numerous figures from the Sunni community have dismissed the Islamic State's assertions.

Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, a Jordanian Salafist leader, called the groups 'deviant', while the pan-Islamist Hizb ut-Tahrir rejected the claims as 'empty speech without substance'.

Hizb ut-Tahrir said the Islamic State had no real 'authority' in implemeting Islamic rule.