Muslims tweet why they're too busy to answer IS 'rise up' call

Muslim Twitter users have reacted with ridicule to a call from the Islamic State to rise up “urgently,” with many detailing their alternative plans and complaining that the call comes at an especially busy time of year.

The responses came after Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, self-styled “caliph” of the Islamic State, put out an audio recording on Saturday calling on Muslims to “join the fight”.

The unverified recording would be the first issued by Baghdadi in over seven months, a period during which Islamic State has been dealt several blows.

Baghdadi declared that jihad, which he defines as taking up arms although it has many other definitions, is "fard al-ayn," meaning it is incumbent on each individual Muslim.

Many believers on Twitter, however, rejected the demand, saying they were busy with a host of other activities: watching Star Wars, taking care of pets and following football.