Category: Syria

New statement from Jamā'at Ahadun Ahad: "First Statement"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

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In The Name of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful
We thank Allah swt for granting us this blessing of jihad.
We announce the formation of a new coalition, Jamaat Ahadun Ahad. To explain it shortly:
– We are not a new group. We have united some independent muhajireen groups here in Shaam.
– It is run by a shoura council, and only rules by what Allah swt has ordered.
– The shoura council consists of mujahideen with a great past on the lands of jihad in Chechnya and Afghanistan.
– Our group has never previously, and doesn’t currently belong to any fractions.
Ya Allah make our steps firm, accept our good deeds, protect us from showing off, arrogance and trials.
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al-Manārah al-Bayḍā’ Foundation for Media Production presents a new video message from Jabhat al-Nuṣrah's Shaykh Abū Firās al-Sūrī: "In Reality"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

UPDATE 8/17/14 10:03 PM: Here is an Arabic transcription of the below video message:

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Click the following link for a safe PDF copy: Shaykh Abū Firās al-Sūrī — “In Reality” (Ar)

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To inquire about a translation for this video message for a fee email: [email protected]

 

Check out my new article for the BBC: "Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: Islamic State's Driving Force"

Posted on by Aaron Y. Zelin

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On 5 July, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, known by his supporters as Caliph Ibrahim, left the shadows and showed his face for the first time, in a Friday sermon in Mosul, Iraq.

While previous pictures of him had been leaked, Baghdadi had not shown himself in the four years since he became leader of what was then the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq (forerunner of Isis, then the Islamic State).
Before April 2013, Baghdadi also did not release many audio messages.
His first written statement was a eulogy to Osama Bin Laden in May 2011.
His first audio message was released in July 2012 and predicted future victories for the Islamic State.
Since the group’s resurgence, which began 15 months ago, Baghdadi’s media output has risen. The amount of specific information about his background has also increased.
Click here to read the rest.