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Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi

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Amir al-Mu'minin
Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi
أبي الحسن الهاشمي القرشي‎
3rd Caliph of the Islamic State
Reign
4 February 2022[1] – 15 October 2022[2]
Preceded byAbu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi
Succeeded byAbu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi[3]
Emir of Diwan al-Amn[4]
In office
2016-17 – c. 2019
Preceded byAbu Nasir Al-Mosuli[4]
Succeeded byNot known
Governor of Wilayat Al-Sham[4]
In office
2016[4]–2019[4]
Personal details
Born
Nour Karim Al-Mutni Al-Obaidi Al-Rifai[4][5]

Unknown date
Rawa, Iraq
Died15 October 2022[2]
Jasim, Syria[6]
ReligionSunni Islam
Nickname(s)Sayf al-Baghdad ('Sword of Baghdad')[7]
"Carrier of Banner of Jihad and Khilafah"[8]
"Commander of Battalions of Mujahidin"[9]
Military career
Allegiance
Battles / warsWar on Terror

Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (Arabic: أبو الحسن الهاشمي القرشي, romanized: Abū al-Ḥasan al-Hāshimī al-Qurashī), probably born Nour Karim al-Mutni Al-Obaidi Al-Rifai (نور بن عبد الكريم المطني العُبيدي الرِّفاعي;[4][5] died 15 October 2022[2]), was an Iraqi[10] militant and the third caliph[a] of the Islamic State. He was named as caliph on 10 March 2022, in an audio message by the new spokesperson of IS, Abu Umar al-Muhajir, whose announcement came more than a month after the death of his predecessor Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi.[14][15] The message said that Abu al-Hassan was given a pledge of allegiance in response to the will of the former caliph.[16] The Turkish government claimed that he was arrested in Istanbul on 26 May 2022.[17] Later, Islamic State sources denied news reports of his arrest in the 347th issue of their weekly newsletter Al-Naba.[18]

In November 2022, Islamic State spokesman Abu Umar al-Muhajir announced that Abu al-Hasan had been killed in combat. After confirmation by the Islamic State and the United States Central Command of his death in Syria, Abu Umar announced Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi as Abu al-Hasan's successor.

Identity

[edit]

Abu al-Hasan was his kunya. Al-Hashimi and al-Qurashi indicate that he belonged to the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe.[19]

Al Ain News reported in March 2022 that al-Qurashi's real name was Zaid, an Iraqi national and the former emir of the Diwan of Education.[20] A May 2022 United Nations Security Council (UNSC) report expanded on this, claiming that the most likely candidate as to his real identity was an Iraqi national by the name of Bashar Khattab Ghazal al-Sumaida'i, also known as Haji Zaid,[21] stating:[22]

Abu al-Hassan's identity is not yet established but has been much discussed among Member States, with Iraqi national Bashar Khattab Ghazal al-Sumaida'i cited as the most likely candidate. Some Member States suggested that al-Sumaida'i was arrested in Turkey near Istanbul in May; others maintain that he remains at large. IS has not yet commented.

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan initially agreed with this claim after al-Sumaida'i was arrested, claiming that he had been acting as the highest figure in the Islamic State since the death of former caliph Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi.[23] The Islamic State had never named their caliph to be al-Sumaida'i, and denied that he was imprisoned.[18][24] The group openly and repeatedly mocked the al-Sumaida'i identity theory in its media.[25]

From the start, there were also other theories as to his identity. According to two unnamed Iraqi security officials, al-Qurashi's real name was Juma Awad al-Badri, and he was the elder brother of former IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Research by Iraqi historian Hisham al-Hashimi published in 2020 stated that al-Badri was head of the five-member Shura Council.[26]

Ultimately, it was reported by IS-linked sources that Abu al-Hasan was actually Islamic State leader Abdur Rahman al-Iraqi (Sayf Baghdad), born in Rawa, Iraq and killed in mid-October 2022 in the city of Jasim in Daraa Governorate, Syria.[27][10] Later on, journalist Wa'il 'Isam claimed that the real birth name of Abu Al-Hassan/Abdur Rahman Iraqi was Nour Karim Al-Mutni.[25] By late 2023, it was confirmed by both the US coalition and the pro Islamic State sources.

Biography

[edit]

Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi, born Nour Karim al-Mutni,[28] belonged to the Albu 'Ubayd tribe of Rawa in western al Anbar Governorate and grew up there.[4] He studied computer engineering at the University of Baghdad but he abandoned these studies just before the Iraq War and joined the "Rawa Training camp" with Manaf Al-Rawi under the command of Al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) leaders Omar Hadid and Abu Muhammad Al-Lubnani. He participated in the Battle of Fallujah[when?] under the emirate of Al-Zarqawi and afterward went out with Manaf al-Rawi to do "security" work and was imprisoned in Buka camp and then transferred to Abu Ghraib prison he was freed in some months because the US was not able to identify him. After coming out of prison, he started seeking religious knowledge under various AQI leaders including Abu Anas Ash-Shami and Maysarah al-Gharib. He was again imprisoned, this time by Awakening fighters, and remained imprisoned for one and a half years. Later on, he was released again and he joined the "Al-Shaykhain training camp" in Al-Anbar desert.[4] Some additional details about his life stated that in 2005, his brother and seven of his relatives were kidnapped and killed by the mainly Shiite "Wolf Brigade" in Adhamiyah, Baghdad.

During 2013–14, he was sent by Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi to Syria where he was given command over Islamic State activities in Latakia and Al-Hasakah province, and later on he played an instrumental role in the formation of Jaysh Khalid ibn al-Walid .[4] Some of his relatives work in Al-Rawi Financial Network, subject to US sanctions. His brother, Firas, was detained in Idlib by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.[29] While operating in the administration of the IS "Baghdad Province", al-Mutni earned the nicknamed "Sword of Baghdad" (Sayf Baghdad).[30] He served as Emir of Diwan al-Amn after the killing of his predecessor Abu Nasir Al-Mosuli and became governor of Wilayat Al-Shaam after the demise of Abu Muhammad al-Furqan in 2016-17 period as well as becoming Emir of Shura Council.[4] According to an anti-Islamic State dissident source, by 2018, he worked under Abu Salem al-Iraqi (IS leader of Damascus in Yarmouk). In May of the same year, he left the Yarmouk camp and moved to Southern Syria where he was appointed supervisor over the Hawran Region. [31]

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi appointed him as a representative for some of Distant Wilayat and later on Hajji Abdullah assigned him Southern Syria, Palestine, and attacks on Jews.[4][32]

During his tenure, Islamic State's second leader Abdullah Qardash chose him to be his successor.[31]

In February, 2022 he was given allegiance as the "Caliph of Muslims", succeeding Abu Ibrahim Al-Hashimi.[33]

After becoming Caliph, he started moving between Iraq and Syria. He went to Anbar to establish camps with Abu Muslim Al-Isawi (Islamic State "governor" for Iraq) and then left for Syria to lead the battles of Badiyah and later on Dara'a.[4]

Alleged arrest

[edit]

On 26 May 2022, informed sources told Sky News Arabia that Abu al-Hasan had been arrested in Istanbul, and that security forces had reported the arrest to Erdoğan, who was expected to announce the news about the suspect.[34][35] Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency later claimed that Turkish intelligence had been tracking his movements in Syria for a long period of time, and arrested him promptly after he illegally entered Turkey.[36] In July, a UN Security Council report stated that there was no available clarification regarding the Turkish claim.[21] On 16 September 2022, Islamic State spokesperson Abu Umar al-Muhajir seemingly denied claims that their caliph had been arrested, calling on Muslims globally to pledge allegiance to him.[24]

Death

[edit]

In 2022, he arrived from Iraq to Daraa province and started working under aliases of Abdur Rahman al-Iraqi and Sayf Baghdad.[37] On 14 August 2022, "reconciled" rebels in Tafas were able to apprehend a Syrian member of the IS shura council whose confessions indicated prominent IS leaders, including Abu Abdul Rahman al-Iraqi (who turned out to be the "Caliph") are present in Jassem.[38] It is said that the intelligence from this arrested shura member eventually led to demise of Abu Hassan.[39]

On 30 November 2022, the Islamic State announced that Abu al-Hasan had been killed while fighting.[40] The spokesman of IS, Abu Umar, confirmed the news that same day.[3][41] The United States Central Command confirmed that Abu al-Hassan killed himself by detonating a suicide vest during an operation carried out by former Free Syrian Army rebels which had aligned with government forces in Daraa Governorate in mid-October.[42] In December, it was reported that the body of Abu Al-Hassan has been handed over to the US by reconciled rebels.[43]

A pro IS media group created a tribute video on reign of Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi and claimed that 1547 military operations were carried in his tenure as supreme leader of the Islamic State.[44][45]

In August 2023, Islamic State spokesman Abu Hudayfah Al-Ansari first time officially confirmed that Abu Hassan Al-Hashimi was personally leading Islamic State operations in southern Syria and was killed fighting there.[46]

In September 2023, a Pro Islamic State biography of Abu Al-Hassan stated that he fought a two-day clash against the "Nusayris", the Russians, and the "Sahwat", which ended with him killing dozens of them, then detonating his belt resulting in his death Rabi` al-Awwal of the year 1444H of the Islamic calendar.[4]

Succession

[edit]

He was replaced by Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi as the fourth Caliph of the Islamic State.[30] Based on the announcement of Abu al-Hussein's appointment, researcher Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi argued that he had probably not been designated as successor by Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi.[47]

Explanatory notes

[edit]
  1. ^ The Islamic State describes itself as a caliphate and its leader as a caliph, but this is not accepted by the vast majority of Muslims, and is disputed by multiple Muslim scholars and authors.[11][12][13]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (18 March 2022). "'On the Path of the First Rightly-Guided Ones' – Islamic State Editorial on the New Caliph and Allegiance Pledge". Aymenn's Monstrous Publications. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Mroue, Bassem (1 December 2022). "Syrian rebels didn't know jihadist they killed was Islamic State leader". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Islamic State leader Abu Hasan al-Qurashi killed, names successor". Hindustan Times. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (3 October 2023). "A Brief Biography of Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi: The Islamic State's Third Caliph". Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b Charles Lister [@Charles_Lister] (1 December 2022). "More info on deceased #ISIS leader Abu al-Hassan, via @WaelEssam77: [...]" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 December 2022 – via Twitter.
  6. ^ "Jihadi Casualty Database". International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR). Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  7. ^ Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (1 December 2022). "The Killing of the Islamic State's Leader in Deraa Province: Analysis and Resources for Context". Aymenn's Monstrous Publications. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  8. ^ He was referred to by this title by prominent Islamic State media group "Bayda al-Muwahidin"
  9. ^ This is one of titles given to every Islamic State caliph by their supporters and use among their publications along with titles like Amir al-Momineen and Caliph of Muslims
  10. ^ a b "ماذا يجري في منطقة جاسم؟ ثوار منطقة جاسم بريف درعا يؤكدون في بيان مرئي مقتل".
  11. ^ Yusuf al-Qaradawi stated: "[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", adding that the title of caliph can "only be given by the entire Muslim nation", not by a single group. Strange, Hannah (5 July 2014). "Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi addresses Muslims in Mosul". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  12. ^ Bunzel, Cole (27 November 2019). "Caliph Incognito: The Ridicule of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi". jihadica.com. Archived from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  13. ^ Hamid, Shadi (1 November 2016). "What a caliphate really is—and how the Islamic State is not one". Brookings. Archived from the original on 1 April 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  14. ^ "Islamic State names new leader, confirms death of predecessor". Beirut: France 24. Agence France-Presse. 10 March 2022. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  15. ^ Hubbard, Ben (10 March 2022). "ISIS Names a New Leader, but Says Little About Him". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  16. ^ "Islamic state confirms death of its leader, names new chief". Reuters. 10 March 2022. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  17. ^ Kozok, Firat (26 May 2022). "Turkey Has Detained Islamic State's New Leader, Officials Say". Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  18. ^ a b Zelin, Aaron Y. (14 July 2022). "New issue of The Islamic State's newsletter: 'al-Nabā' #347". jihadology.net. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  19. ^ Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (11 March 2022). "The Islamic State's Appointment of a New 'Caliph' (Old English Version)". Aymenn's Monstrous Publications. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  20. ^ "أبو الحسن الهاشمي.. من هو زعيم داعش الجديد؟" [Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi.. Who is the new leader of ISIS?]. Al Ain News. 10 March 2022. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  21. ^ a b Orton, Kyle (31 July 2022). "Reduced, but Rebuilding: United Nations Reports on Islamic State and Al-Qaeda". It Can Always Get Worse. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  22. ^ S/2022/547 (PDF) (Report). United Nations Security Council. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2022. Abu al-Hassan's identity is not yet established but has been much discussed among Member States, with Iraqi national Bashar Khattab Ghazal al-Sumaida'i (not listed) cited as the most likely candidate. Some Member States suggested that al-Sumaida'i was arrested in Turkey near Istanbul in May; others maintain that he remains at large. ISIL has not yet commented.
  23. ^ "Türkiye nabs senior Daesh terrorist in counterterror op". Daily Sabah. Istanbul. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  24. ^ a b Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (16 September 2022). "Islamic State Editorial on New Speech by Spokesman Abu Umar al-Muhajir: Translation and Analysis". Aymenn's Monstrous Publications. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  25. ^ a b Al-Tamimi 2023b, pp. 17–18.
  26. ^ "EXCLUSIVE New Islamic State leader is brother of slain caliph Baghdadi – sources". Reuters. 11 March 2022. Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  27. ^ Aaron Zelin [@azelin] (30 November 2022). "Pro-IS accounts online circulating this alleged picture of the now killed Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (aka 'Abd al-Rahman al-Iraqi and Sayf Baghdad). https://t.co/tM0XWCySvb" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022 – via Twitter.
  28. ^ @ajaltamimi (3 October 2023). "New post: unofficial pro-Islamic State bio of Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, the group's 3rd caliph who was killed in October 2022 in clashes in south Syria w/militiamen backed by Syrian govt" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  29. ^ Hassan Hassan [@hxhassan] (1 December 2022). "Exclusive details from @WaelEssam77 about the ISIS leader killed by Syrian rebels in Deraa [...]" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 December 2022 – via Twitter.
  30. ^ a b Al-Tamimi 2023b, p. 18.
  31. ^ a b "لمن لا يعرف سيف بغداد (أبو الحسن الهاشمي القرشي) عراقي الجنسية من راوة واسمه الحقيقي".
  32. ^ @Rafhaan24 (3 October 2023). "Twitter post" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  33. ^ @Rafhaan24 (3 October 2023). "Twitter post" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  34. ^ "أبو الحسن القرشي.. من هو زعيم "داعش" المعتقل؟". سكاي نيوز عربية (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  35. ^ "بعد أنباء عن اعتقاله في تركيا.. من هو زعيم تنظيم داعش الجديد؟". Al Ain News (in Arabic). 26 May 2022. Archived from the original on 5 June 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  36. ^ Guldogan, Diyar (8 September 2022). "Senior executive of Daesh/ISIS terror group captured in Türkiye". Ankara: Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  37. ^ Charles Lister [@Charles_Lister] (1 December 2022). "Little snippets of info coming out on #ISIS's recently killed leader, Abu al-Hassan. [...]" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 December 2022 – via Twitter.
  38. ^ Elizabeth Tsurkov [@Elizrael] (1 December 2022). "New details regarding killing of the ISIS "Caliph" in Jassem, Daraa announced yesterday, based on my sources who participated in the operation. The op was carried out by former rebels, mostly from Jassem, Tel Shehab, Tafas and Mzayrab" (Tweet). Retrieved 2 December 2022 – via Twitter.
  39. ^ @ghazalhashim3 (1 December 2022). "قبل نحو شهر ونصف تم نشر اعترافات عنصر التنظيم رامي محمد فالح الصلخدي في بلدة جاسم – درعا ، تكلم فيها عن تناغم بين التنظيم والنظام هناك ، بعدها تم تحييد"ابوعبد الرحمن العراقي أو سيف بغداد "وقتله مع عدد من مرافقيه ببلدة جاسم وفيما يبدو انه هو الهاشمي المقتولhttps://t.co/86QK37rgPL" [About a month and a half ago, the confessions of the organization's member, Rami Muhammad Faleh Al-Salkhadi, were published in the town of Jassim – Daraa, in which he spoke of harmony between the organization and the regime there. After that, "Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Iraqi or Saif Baghdad" was neutralized and killed with a number of his companions in the town of Jassim, and it appears that he is the murdered Hashemi.] (Tweet) (in Arabic). Retrieved 3 December 2022 – via Twitter.
  40. ^ Mina Al-Lami [@Minalami] (30 November 2022). "ISIS just released the message. announcing the death of its leader, Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, saying he died while fighting, without offering details https://t.co/xLFb4z90Ck" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 30 November 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022 – via Twitter.
  41. ^ Kourdi, Eyad (30 November 2022). "ISIS acknowledges the death of its leader, announces his successor". CNN. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  42. ^ "Death of ISIS Leader" (Press release). Tampa, Florida: United States Central Command. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  43. ^ "Body of Daesh/ISIS leader handed over to US forces".
  44. ^ @ToreRHamming (21 December 2022). "New Islamic State supporter video on the 8 months reign of Abu Al-Hassan Al-Hashimi" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  45. ^ Video titled أولئك أمرائي by مؤسسة الدرع السني
  46. ^ Al-Tamimi, Aymenn Jawad (4 August 2023). "New Speech by Islamic State Spokesman on Death of Caliph Abu al-Husayn al-Husayni al-Qurashi and Appointment of Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi".
  47. ^ Al-Tamimi 2023b, pp. 18–19.

Works cited

[edit]
Sunni Islam titles
Preceded by 3rd Caliph of the Islamic State
2022 		Succeeded by
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