Islamic State keeps getting more and more broke

ISIS continues to broadcast to the world that its caliphate is a socially-conscious, charity-minded, economically-thriving paradise where children play in amusement parks and friends go fishing together. The group has repeatedly pushed the "utopia" narrative in its propaganda, with much of it focused internally on the areas it attempts to assert control.

But the brutal reality for the terror group is that it is facing serious financial decline, forcing its administrators to look for new ways to bolster revenue and maintain cash flow, often by drastically cutting fighter pay, but now also imposing new fines for bizarre legal offenses, including failing spot quizzes on the Qu'ran.

Here are some of the new cost-cutting measures ISIS is meting out on those living in the caliphate:

Restricted access to electricity or water

The Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) released a report last week describing some of ISIS' penny-pinching methods, which includes cutting the electricity supply in fighters' homes in the Syrian city of Aleppo and saving it for military bases only. In its main Syrian stronghold in Raqqa, the caliphate's Services Department published a document ordering that access to water was to be cut off for a full day after every three days.

No more joyrides

The CTC report also referenced an ISIS document that admonishes Aleppo-based jihadis for using cars and vehicles for personal use, wasting treasury's resources and "reaching the point of forbidden excess." Fighters were then prohibited from using ISIS-affiliated vehicles without permission.

Paying for textbooks

It's not just American students who get saddled with textbook costs anymore. Students attending ISIS-approved higher education institutions must now pay to get their textbooks printed for the 2015-2016 academic year.

No sportswear

This latest restriction isn't related to finances, but ISIS militants have recently banned the selling and purchase of fake soccer jerseys, according to ARA News. Deriding sportswear as "a blind imitation of infidel Westerners," they ordered shop owners to sell swords and spears instead.

See more of the history of the Islamic State:

Pop quizzes

Better brush up on your holy text, because an ISIS militant might feel compelled to pull you over and quiz you on the Qu'ran. Any wrong answers means paying a fine.

Fines for smoking

"On the consideration that smoking harms general health and destroys it, it is among the evil things, and the evil things are forbidden according to the text of the Noble Qur'an," declared an official ISIS decree. Anyone caught smoking must pay two grams of 24 karat gold, around $78.

No Snickers bars

While ISIS does still provide food for its fighters, Raqqa fugitives say the jihadis were forced to give up privileges of free energy drinks and yes, Snickers candy bars after budgetary cuts.

The post Islamic State Keeps Getting More And More Broke appeared first on Vocativ.