Abu Azrael

Abu Azrael
ابو عزرائيل

Abu Azrael at the Speicher military base, near the northern Iraqi city of Tikrit, on March 14, 2015.
Native name ابو عزرائيل
Birth name Ayyub Faleh al-Rubaie
Nickname(s) Angel of Death
Born c. 1978 (age 3738)
Allegiance  Iraq
Service/branch Popular Mobilization Force
Rank Commander
Unit Kataib al-Imam Ali
Battles/wars

Iraq War (2014–present)

Ayyub Faleh al-Rubaie, known by his nom de guerre Abu Azrael (Arabic: ابو عزرائيل, literally "Father of Azrael"), also known as the "Angel of Death", is a commander[1] of the Kataib al-Imam Ali, an Iraqi Shi'a militia group of the Popular Mobilization Forces that is fighting ISIL/ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) in Iraq.[2] He has become a public icon of resisting ISIL in Iraq among Shia Iraqis with a large following on social media.[3] His motto and catchphrase is "illa tahin" (إلى طحين), meaning "Grind you to dust", that is, he would pulverize ISIL militants until nothing remains of them but powder.

He was a former militia member in Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army[4] which fought against the United States during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.[5]


Personal life

Abu Azrael is described in various sources as a Shia who is a 40-year-old former university lecturer and a one-time Taekwondo champion,[6] although other sources dispute that and suggest that this back-story may be fabricated.[7]

Reports from March 2015 claimed that Azrael is a father of five, and lives an "ordinary life" when not on the battlefield.[8]

Criticism

Following the viral video showing Abu Azrael striking the burnt corpse of a dead ISIL fighter with a sword, Ali Khedery was quoted as saying "War crimes are never justifiable. Horrific video featuring a war crime by Iraq's Abu Azrael".[9]

Abu Azrael stated that he had been told by a senior imam in Najaf that he should pray for penance and "never do such a thing again".[10]

According to Amnesty International, Kata'ib al-Imam Ali the militia group he is leading has been accused of war crimes, including executions of Sunni civilians, kidnappings and torture murders.[11]

Public image

Abu Azrael is currently fighting against ISIL although he has also fought against other militant groups. He has attracted attention in the Middle East, but by the spring of 2015, he had also made front-page appearances on international news websites in England, France and the United States.[12]

He has become a popular public figure, some believe, because his methods and appearance match the brutality associated with ISIL. For example, he has been shown wielding both axes and swords, in addition to modern military rifles. Moreover, some say that his being a private citizen, his bald head, and his thick black beard give him an aggressive, "dashing" appearance.[13][14]

See also

References

  1. Levitt, Matthew; Smyth, Phillip (5 January 2015). "Kataib al-Imam Ali: Portrait of an Iraqi Shiite Militant Group Fighting IS". Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  2. Wyke, Tom (13 March 2015). "The university lecturer who became an axe-wielding Iraqi soldier known as the 'Angel of Death': Fearsome warrior has become a living legend among those fighting ISIS". Mail Online. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  3. "Iraqi fighter gains social media following in fight against ISIS". Al Arabiya News. 12 March 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  4. "Abu Azrael: Iraq's Celebrity Anti-Islamic State Fighter". NDTV. March 17, 2015.
  5. "Mahdi Army". Stanford University. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  6. Jaber, Hala (15 March 2015). "Iraq's Rambo roars as Isis loses grip on Tikrit". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  7. Wenig, Erica (13 March 2015). "Hatchet-Wielding Lunatic Kills ISIS, Thrills Iran". The Daily Caller. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  8. "'The Archangel of Death' fighting Islamic State". BBC News. March 17, 2015.
  9. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3214167/We-cut-like-shawarma-Gruesome-video-shows-Angel-Death-Iraqi-fighter-carving-flesh-charred-body-ISIS-fighter-burned-death.html
  10. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/the-times/shia-hero-abu-azrael-regrets-butchering-dead-daesh-prisoner/news-story/56df83bc7bda9b1e5c033209eafafa47
  11. "Amnesty International" (PDF). Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NAvTEQ9eXQ&ebc=ANyPxKpP63HLT7XTZltthISWUxFJ6dcx6-EfwZJIveAguY3rH-ij6rkHQgN2UUps36rBVHcqLMQ-
  13. "Liveleak: Abu Azrael". LiveLeak.com.
  14. "The Angel of Death is Coming For You, ISIL". Al Jazeera America. March 18, 2015.

External links


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