Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi (Arabic: أبو الحسين الحسيني القرشي, romanized: Abū al-Ḥusayn al-Husaynī al-Qurashī; died 29 April 2023) was the fourth caliph[a] of the Islamic State and allegedly the first Syrian to serve as caliph.[6] He took office on 30 November 2022.
Life
Rise to power
According to Turkish claims, Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini joined the Islamic State in 2013.[7] He took over leadership after the death of the previous leader Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi. He was announced as caliph by Islamic State's official spokesmen Abu Umar al-Muhajir in an audio message broadcast by Al-Furqan Media foundation (Islamic State's primary media).[8][9]
Abu al-Hussein was described as a veteran of Islamic State and a loyal member of the group.[10] In January 2023, a prominent dissident anti-IS leadership channel alleged that Abu al-Hussein was Iraqi like his predecessors and was appointed by a shura council led by Abdul Raouf al-Muhajir,[11][12] emir of Islamic State's administration.[13]
Leader of the Islamic State
Places from where pledges of allegiance have been documented by Islamic State official media to Abu al Hussein.[14]
By 19 January 2023, Abu al-Hussein had received pledges from all Islamic State provinces,[15][16] and also from Islamic State supporters in around 40 countries.[17] He also received some pledges of support from outside people who were not previously part of the group.[18][19]
As of April, according to an Iraqi security official, Iraqi, Turkish and American intelligence agencies were cooperating with each other to identify Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini.[20]
Alleged death reports
On 27 February 2023, Iraqi media reported the killing of Abu al-Hussein in an operation by the Iraqi Army in the desert of Anbar,[21] but these reports were not confirmed by Iraqi military officials.
In June 2023, British tabloid the Daily Mirror claimed that Abu al-Hussein was possibly among 5 IS leaders who were reportedly killed in an Iraqi/UK airstrike in the Hamrin region of Iraq, but the report was not confirmed by any other sources and the eventual confirmation of Abu al-Hussein's death said he was killed in Syria, not Iraq.[22]
Death
Pictures of house where Abu Al-Husayn was killed and his remains (blurred) after the alleged HTS raid
Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported that the operation occurred at Jindires, in a region controlled by Turkish-backed rebel groups, in which Abu al-Hussein detonated his suicide vest to avoid being captured.[7] The United States said it had no information to verify Turkey's claims.[25]
On 15 May 2023, a statement attributed to the Islamic State that denied the death of Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini in the Turkish operation was circulating in the Al-Hawl refugee camp, but the statement turned out to be a forgery.[26]
On 3 August 2023, the Islamic State's official spokesman Abu Huthaifa al-Ansari announced the death of Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Qurashi.[1] The spokesman claimed he was killed in direct clashes with the HTS group in Idlib province in rebel-held northwestern Syria and accused HTS of acting as agents of Turkish intelligence.[1][27]
On 4 August, HTS in an official statement denied that Islamic State's claim that they killed Abu al-Husseini.[28] However, United States officials agreed that HTS was behind the death of Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Quraishi.[29]
Notes
^The Islamic State describes itself as a caliphate[2] 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.[3][4][5]
^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.
^[g] A July 2023 report by the U.N. Monitoring Team tracking the global jihadi threat stated the following: “On 30 April, Türkiye reported killing ISIL leader, Abu al-Husain al-Husaini al-Qurashi, in Afrin, subsequently identifying him as a Syrian-born individual, holding the alias of Abdul-Latif. https://ctc.westpoint.edu/caliphs-of-the-shadows-the-islamic-states-leaders-post-mawla
