mostwanted

n April 6, 2017, the Islamic State (ISIS) Al-Hayat Media center released the eighth issue of its monthly magazine Rumiyah. The cover article of the magazine is a eulogy for the American ISIS operative Ahmad Abousamra, aka Abu Sulayman Al-Shami, aka Abu Maysara Al-Shami, one of the main figures of the ISIS media apparatus. This article confirms the death of the operative in a coalition airstrike and sheds light on the creation of the ISIS media system.

Abousamra had dual U.S. and Syrian citizenship, and was one of the FBI's most wanted terrorists.[1] The article confirms the suspicions that he was one of ISIS's most important media operatives, involved in all aspects of the organization's media operations, and that under the name Abu Maysara he penned several important ideological pamphlets. Abousamra is credited in this article as being the man behind the ISIS magazines Dabiq and Rumiyah, and as leading the ISIS foreign language media team.

The six-page article, which has no byline, tells the story of Abousamra, from his time in the U.S. where he grew up to the time of his death near Tabqah, Syria in a coalition airstrike in January 2017. He is presented as a soldier, an Islamic scholar, a preacher, and a devout Muslim. The article is illustrated with several images of Al-Qaeda scholars and personalities, such as Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) leader Qassim Al-Rimi and Al-Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahiri, all with captions designating them as "Jews of jihad exposed by Sheikh Sulayman."[2] Abu Sulayman is believed to have been the first to introduce the expression "Jews of Jihad" to describe Al-Qaeda leaders, in a text released in January 2016.

Following is a complete review of the article:

Terror plot In The U.S. And Escape To Syria

The article explains that together with other jihadi militants, Abousamra had intended to carry out a terror attack in the U.S. After having finished his studies at the University of Massachusetts and obtained an engineering and programming degree, he traveled to Yemen, Pakistan, and Iraq searching for contacts to help carry out the terror attack. In 2006, the terror plan was thwarted, and Abousamra evaded arrest and fled to Syria. He was then placed on the FBI's most-wanted list.

The article states: "He didn't stay long until he decided to try and make America itself the frontlines for his jihad and the place for his martyrdom. So along with two of his companions he planned to carry out an operation that would target Americans in their own land. They drew up their plans for their desired operation, including the seizure of some weapons from the Crusaders, which they would then use for an attack behind enemy lines that they hoped would cause the killing of a large number of polytheists. However, Allah decreed otherwise, and He does what He wills. Their plot was discovered just days before the operation's appointed time. But Allah saved him from falling into captivity, allowing him to leave America before the FBI could gather sufficient information to release an order for his arrest at the borders and airports. So he returned to the birthplace of his fathers in Sham, staying in the city of Aleppo for a few years, seeking knowledge, calling his family and friends to tawhid, and anticipating his next chance to wage jihad. "

Jihad In Syria And Joining ISIS Media

According to the article, Abousamra joined the jihad in Syria at the start of the Syrian uprising. He is said to have joined Jabhat Al-Nusra before the beginning of the inner strife that led to the split between ISIS and Jabhat Al-Nusra. The article insists that Abousamra was loyal to ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi and that he denounced those who followed Abu Muhammad Al-Joulani, the Jabhat Al-Nusra leader, and that he was preaching for ISIS among the Syrian jihadis. Acting as a regular fighter on the frontline in the Aleppo area, the article states that Abousamra had long insisted that he should be allowed to carry out a suicide mission. However, according to the article, Abousamra was detected and recruited by ISIS media leader Abu Muhammad Al-Furqan, who was laying the groundwork for the growing ISIS media apparatus.[3]

The article stated: "So the plan was made for him to sneak into the middle of a gathering and detonate his explosive belt, thereby ripping apart those murtaddin. But no one dies before his time is due, and Allah ordained that Shaykh Abu Muhammad Al-Furqan would find him, meet with him, get to know him well, and thereafter order him to not proceed with the planned operation, sending another mujahid in his stead. It was then decided to bring him to the Media Department of the Islamic State, which Shaykh Abu Muhammad was striving to enhance by widening its activities and supporting it with cadres of qualified scholars and technicians."

ISIS magazine Dabiq, of which Abousamra was editor in chief.

ISIS Foreign Language Media Teams And Dabiq Magazine Chief Editor

The article then tells of Abousamra's work in the ISIS media department, describing him as as a loyal and close collaborator of Emir Abu Muhammad Al-Furqan, an "obedient soldier, who would not disobey him in any virtuous matter." Abousamra is credited with being one of the founders of the magazine Dabiq, writing many articles and being given the role of the magazine's editor-in-chief. The article sheds light on the direct involvement of the ISIS media emir in controlling the communication of the group in all languages.

"The practical beginning of activity by Abu Sulayman 'Al-Halabi' (as he was known to many mujahidin) in the Media Diwan was his work on organizing the foreign languages team, which was started by Shaykh Abu Muhammad Al-Furqan to inform Muslims in the East and West about the Islamic State and to urge them to perform hijrah [immigration] to it. [...] Shaykh Abu Muhammad kept close to them in the different aspects of their work, and due to his extra care that the message of the Islamic State be delivered to the world in the most glorious appearance, he would assess most of the material alongside Abu Sulayman, often even directing the team in matters of formatting and design, until Allah gave success to this magazine and made its published content the talk of the media. [...] Al-Hayat Media Center increased its output of content, translating published Arabic content into the main languages, as well as into other major world languages, until it became unlikely that there were any group of people on earth whom the content produced by the Islamic State and its publications did not reach in their language."

An Important ISIS Ideologue

The article reveals that Abousamra was entrusted by the leadership with the role of clarifying and spreading ISIS's ideological message, under the name Abou Maysara Al-Shami, notably in its fight against rival jihadi groups. Praising Abousamra's Islamic knowledge and his writings against Muslim scholars who oppose ISIS, the article said that Abousamra was said to have even personally been involved in the assassination attempt against the American Muslim scholar Hamza Yusuf during a trip to Turkey.

"Shaykh Abu Muhammad [Al-Furqan] relied on him greatly for drafting treatises and articles which would clarify the methodology of the Islamic State and expose its enemies. [...] He would incite his brothers and his amir to kill them and put a direct end to their fitnah, nominating himself to carry out this mission and achieve this goal, just as he would specifically call for the killing of the many evil scholars who are allied to the Crusaders. An example of this was that he took part in planning to kill the American apostate Hamza Yusuf during his last trip to Turkey. However, it was Allah's decree that he would escape the hands of the Islamic State cells operating there."

Al-Qaeda leaders, named "Jews of Jihad" by Abousamra

Rumiyah Magazine Founder And Martyrdom

The article concludes with the story of Abousamra's death. After having been involved in founding the Rumiyah magazine and following the death of Abu Muhammad Al-Furqan, with whom he is said to have been very close, the article states that Abousamra wanted to be sent to the front line and that his wish was granted. The article concludes by praising his role in ISIS's media warfare, preaching among the fighters and inciting Muslims around the world to join ISIS and carry out terror attacks against its enemies.

"With a few of his brothers, he went to one of the nearby villages that was under Crusader aerial bombardment, staying there until his appointed time came, and he was killed – in the second week of Rabi' al-Akhir in the year 1438 [January 2017] – by a missile that struck the house in which they were entrenched. [...] He departed, leaving his image imprinted in the minds of his brothers, sitting at his computer in the darkness of night and the early hours of morning, researching an issue, reviewing a book, or writing an article. He departed, having known that media is for calling people to Allah, guiding them to His cause, and inciting them to kill His enemies, and having worked according to that knowledge and proven himself well."