| Abu Azrael | |
|---|---|
 Abu Azrael at the Speicher military base, near the Northern Iraqi city of Tikrit, on March 14, 2015. | |
| Native name | أيوب فالح حسن الربيعي |
| Birth name | Ayyub Faleh Hassan al-Rubaiee |
| Nickname |
Abu Azrael Angel of Death[1] Rambo |
| Born | 1978 (age 46–47) |
| Allegiance |
 Iraq |
| Service/branch | Popular Mobilization Forces |
| Unit | Kataib al-Imam Ali |
| Battles/wars | |
Ayyub Faleh Hassan al-Rubaie (Arabic language: أيوب فالح حسن الربيعي born 1978), known by his nom de guerre Abu Azrael (Arabic language: أبو عزرائيل, literally "Father of Azrael"), also known as the "Angel of Death" (Arabic language: ملأك الموت), is a commander[3] of the Kataib al-Imam Ali, an Iraqi Shi'a militia group of the Popular Mobilization Forces that is fighting ISIS in Iraq. He has become a public icon of resisting ISIS in Iraq among Shia Iraqis with a large following on social media.[4] His motto and catchphrase is "Ella Tahin" (Arabic language: إلّا طحين), literally meaning "Until/into dust" interpreted to mean "Grind you to dust."
Abu Azrael was a former militia member in Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army[5] which fought against the United States during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.[6][7]
Personal life[]
Abu Azrael is described in various sources as a Shia Muslim who is a 40-year-old former university lecturer and a one-time Taekwondo champion.[8] According to an Iranian source, he has a master's degree in physical education.[9] Reports from March 2015 claimed that Azrael is a father of five, and lives an "ordinary life" when not on the battlefield.[10]
Following incidents where he was filmed desecrating the corpses of ISIS fighters,[11] 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".[12]
Public image[]
Abu Azrael is currently fighting against ISIS 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.[13]
He has received a medal of honor from the Representative of the Supreme Religious Authority Sayyid Ahmad al-Safi.[14]
In 2016, he was spotted on the battlefield in the Battle of Mosul.[15]
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ "Islamic State brutally executes 4 men in response to slaying by ‘Angel of Death’ - The Long War Journal". http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/08/islamic-state-brutally-executes-four-men-in-response-to-shiite-angel-of-death.php. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
- ↑ "Abu Azrael spotted during PMF’s Mosul operation". The Long War Journal. 4 November 2016. http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/11/abu-azrael-spotted-during-pmfs-mosul-operation.php. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
- ↑ 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. http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/kataib-al-imam-ali-portrait-of-an-iraqi-shiite-militant-group-fighting-isis. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
- ↑ "Iraqi fighter gains social media following in fight against ISIS". 12 March 2015. http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2015/03/12/Iraqi-fighter-gains-social-media-following-in-fight-against-ISIS.html. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
- ↑ "Abu Azrael: Iraq's Celebrity Anti-Islamic State Fighter". NDTV. March 17, 2015. http://m.ndtv.com/world-news/abu-azrael-iraqs-celebrity-anti-islamic-state-fighter-747242.
- ↑ "Mahdi Army". Stanford University. http://web.stanford.edu/group/mappingmilitants/cgi-bin/groups/view/57. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
- ↑ Varma, Aditya (2015-12-02). "Have You Heard Of Abu Azrael, The Iraqi Rambo Who Is ISIS’s Worst Nightmare?" (in English). http://www.scoopwhoop.com/inothernews/abu-azrael-isis-nightmare/.
- ↑ Jaber, Hala (15 March 2015). "Iraq's Rambo roars as Isis loses grip on Tikrit". http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/world_news/Middle_East/article1531030.ece. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
- ↑ http://fa.abna24.com/service/states/archive/2016/08/18/707508/story.html
- ↑ "'The Archangel of Death' fighting Islamic State". BBC News. March 17, 2015. https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-31913278.
- ↑ ""Iraq's Rambo" out of favour with his own militia after brutally violent videos" (in en). https://observers.france24.com/en/20170615-iraq-rambo-out-favour-own-militia-after-brutally-violent-videos.
- ↑ http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/the-times/shia-hero-abu-azrael-regrets-butchering-dead-daesh-prisoner/news-story/56df83bc7bda9b1e5c033209eafafa47
- ↑ "The Angel of Death is Coming For You, ISIL". Al Jazeera America. March 18, 2015. http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/03/angel-death-coming-isil-150318114637222.html.
- ↑ http://fa.abna24.com/service/middle/archive/2015/05/24/688572/story.html
- ↑ http://fa.abna24.com/service/middle/archive/2016/11/01/711026/story.html
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