Twitter personality JustMuhajirah is a propagandist for ISIS. Purportedly a young woman living in ISIS-held territory in Syria, JustMuhajirah uses Twitter as a platform to broadcast her life under ISIS’s rule.

When active on Twitter, JustMuhajirah posts tweets praising violent jihad and life in the Islamic State. In the past, she frequently propagated hate against kuffar (nonbelievers), purporting to do so in the name of Islam. JustMuhajirah also advocated a culture of death and martyrdom. In addition to marketing life in ISIS territory, JustMuhajirah frequently quoted extremist ideologues, including deceased al-Qaeda founders Osama bin Laden and Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman.

JustMuhajirah also tweeted about the supportive role women play in jihad. She called on women to “push” their men to carry out violent jihad in order to receive honor.

JustMuhajirah’s tweets appear to be aimed at conveying the sense that women in ISIS lead a social and idyllic lifestyle. JustMuhajirah’s Twitter feed was populated with pictures of desserts and snacks. She also frequently referenced female friends and members of ISIS, particularly Oum Haarith.Oum Haarith, Twitter, accessed June 15, 2015, https://twitter.com/OumHaarith. The two accounts often alluded to each other as they shared in activities such as eating and baking.Oum Haarith, Twitter post, June 11, 2015, 7:10 a.m., https://twitter.com/OumHaarith/status/608954330142633984.

While JustMuhajirah writes largely in English, she has occasionally posted in Dutch and referenced Holland, leading CEP to believe that Haarith may have immigrated to ISIS-held territory from Holland. On Twitter, Haarith claimed to operate out of ISIS-held Raqqa, Syria.

<p>&ldquo;Hallie Sheikh&rdquo; is a Twitter personality and propagandist for ISIS.<span class="footnote">Hallie sheikh, Twitter, accessed June 19, 2015, <a href="https://twitter.com/hallie_sheikh">https://twitter.com/hallie_sheikh</a…; She is purportedly a young woman living in ISIS-controlled territory.<span class="footnote">Hallie sheikh, Twitter, accessed June 19, 2015, <a href="https://twitter.com/hallie_sheikh">https://twitter.com/hallie_sheikh</a…; In her Twitter bio, she describes herself as &ldquo;Muslim, coffee addict, advocator 4 peace, propagator of islam, refuting western propaganda against islam!&rdquo;<span class="footnote">Hallie sheikh, Twitter, accessed June 19, 2015, <a href="https://twitter.com/hallie_sheikh">https://twitter.com/hallie_sheikh</a… has followed Hallie Sheikh as she uses Twitter to promote violent jihad and propagandize for ISIS.<span class="footnote">Hallie sheikh, Twitter post, June 17, 11:16 a.m., accessed June 19, 2015, <a href="https://twitter.com/hallie_sheikh/status/611236105787195392">https://tw…; Sheikh also espouses a sectarian ideology, tweeting that Shiites are not true Muslims.<span class="footnote">Hallie sheikh, Twitter post, June 16, 9:42 p.m., accessed June 19, 2015, <a href="https://twitter.com/hallie_sheikh/status/611031141924126720">https://tw…; &nbsp;Scattered throughout her Twitter feed are smatterings of her day-to-day life, as she tweets personal anecdotes such as, &ldquo;I am sooo sleepy I don&rsquo;t want to go to work.&rdquo;<span class="footnote">Hallie sheikh, Twitter post, June 17, 6:22 a.m., accessed June 19, 2015, <a href="https://twitter.com/hallie_sheikh/status/611161898067853312">https://tw…;

<p>CEP has tracked Hallie Sheikh under her various previous accounts. In response to the December 2014 Sydney hostage attack, Sheikh wrote under her @Haliisheikh account that she &ldquo;can[&rsquo;]t be bothered&rdquo; with Australians and that the attacks were &ldquo;[r]epurcussion&rdquo; for the Australian government&rsquo;s &ldquo;war against Islam.&rdquo;<span class="footnote">CEP, &ldquo;EXTREMIST REACTION TO #SYDNEYSIEGE,&rdquo; Storify, December 2014, <a href="https://storify.com/CEP/extremist-reaction-to-sydneysiege">https://stor…; She also said that Australia &ldquo;is a shit country I hear they are slaughtering pigs and putting it in front of masjids and writhing graffiti on masjids!&rdquo;<span class="footnote">CEP, &ldquo;EXTREMIST REACTION TO #SYDNEYSIEGE,&rdquo; Storify, December 2014, <a href="https://storify.com/CEP/extremist-reaction-to-sydneysiege">https://stor… align="center"><img height="127" src="http://www.counterextremism.com/sites/default/files/halliesheikh_1.png&…; width="508" /><br /><img height="129" src="http://www.counterextremism.com/sites/default/files/halliesheikh_5.png&…; width="506" /></p>

<p>In May 2015, Hallie Sheikh used Twitter in an attempt to exploit racial tensions in Baltimore, hijacking the #BaltimoreRiots discussion to propose the institution of sharia. <span class="footnote">CEP, &ldquo;Extremists Use #BaltimoreRiots To Spread Propaganda, Recruit New Members,&rdquo; Storify, May 2015, <a href="https://storify.com/CEP/isis-extremists-user-baltimoreriots-to-spread-p… align="center"><img height="127" src="http://www.counterextremism.com/sites/default/files/halliesheikh_3.png&…; width="509" /></p><p align="center"><img height="130" src="http://www.counterextremism.com/sites/default/files/halliesheikh_4.png&…; width="508" /></p>

<p>In June 2015, Hallie Sheikh was operating under the Twitter handle @hallie_sheikh.<span class="footnote">Hallie sheikh, Twitter, accessed June 19, 2015, <a href="https://twitter.com/hallie_sheikh">https://twitter.com/hallie_sheikh</a…; In her first post on this account, she bemoaned her previous suspensions.<span class="footnote">Hallie sheikh, Twitter post, June 10, 11:24 a.m., accessed June 19, 2015, <a href="https://twitter.com/hallie_sheikh/status/608882517517582336">https://tw…;

Raphael Hostey, known also by the alias Abu Qaqa al-Britani, was a British propagandist, recruiter, and facilitator for ISIS who boasted of smuggling “hundreds” of people into Syria to join the terrorist group.Neil Doyle, “EXCLUSIVE: Senior British ISIS recruiter 'is a sex pest who steals girls from fellow fighters and only helps the prettiest would-be jihadi brides who contact him on Skype to go to Syria,” Daily Mail (London), June 23, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3134678/Senior-British-jihadi-recruiter-sex-pest-forces-ISIS-brides-veil-Skype-choose-prettiest-ones-steals-girls-fellow-fighters.html. Hostey was reportedly killed in Syria in the last week of April 2016. His death, as of yet unconfirmed by the Foreign Office of the United Kingdom, was confirmed by witnesses in Syria.Josie Ensor, “British jihadi recruiter reported dead in Syria drone strike,” Telegraph (London), May 2, 2016, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/02/british-jihadi-reported-to-have-been-killed-in-syria/. Hostey used a number of social media platforms—including Twitter, Tumblr, Ask.fm and Askbook—to promote and recruit for ISIS.

Prior to Hostey’s alleged death, he was reportedly part of a five-strong online recruiting team for ISIS.Neil Doyle, “EXCLUSIVE: Senior British ISIS recruiter 'is a sex pest who steals girls from fellow fighters and only helps the prettiest would-be jihadi brides who contact him on Skype to go to Syria,” Daily Mail (London), June 23, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3134678/Senior-British-jihadi-recruiter-sex-pest-forces-ISIS-brides-veil-Skype-choose-prettiest-ones-steals-girls-fellow-fighters.html. On Hostey’s Twitter account, he would often refer to himself as a co-worker of Australian operative Neil Prakash—known in ISIS circles as Abu Khaled al-Cambodi—by linking to Prakash’s social media and messaging accounts. According to leaked ISIS documents detailing information on ISIS fighters, Hostey was listed as the “sponsor” for multiple ISIS recruits, responsible for vouching on behalf of a potential ISIS recruit.Samuel Osborne, “Isis documents leak: 64 people with British connections named,” Independent (London), March 14, 2016, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-documents-leak-64-people-with-british-connections-named-a6930171.html. Among the supposed hundreds that Hostey has recruited are some standout cases. One is Jamal al-Harith, a former Guantanamo detainee who carried out a suicide bomb attack in Mosul on February 19, 2017.Robert Mendick, Patrick Foster, Christopher Hope and Josie Ensor, “Guantanamo Bay detainee Jamal Al-Harith’s links to Isil recruiter raise fears that taxpayers funded Manchester terror cell,” Telegraph (London), February 23, 2017, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/23/guantanamo-bay-detainee-jamal-al-hariths-links-isil-recruiter/. Harith had been detained in Guantanamo Bay from 2002 to 2004 after being captured by U.S. forces alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan. Upon his repatriation to the United Kingdom, Harith claimed $1.2 million in compensation from the British government after arguing that the government knew or was complicit in mistreatment he had experienced at Guantanamo.Robert Mendick, Patrick Foster, Christopher Hope and Josie Ensor, “Guantanamo Bay detainee Jamal Al-Harith’s links to Isil recruiter raise fears that taxpayers funded Manchester terror cell,” Telegraph (London.), February 23, 2017, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/23/guantanamo-bay-detainee-jamal-al-hariths-links-isil-recruiter/. According to Harith’s wife—who confirmed Harith’s connection to Hostey—Harith had used what remained of his government dividend to travel to Syria and fund his extremist activities.Robert Mendick, Patrick Foster, Christopher Hope and Josie Ensor, “Guantanamo Bay detainee Jamal Al-Harith’s links to Isil recruiter raise fears that taxpayers funded Manchester terror cell,” Telegraph (London), February 23, 2017, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/23/guantanamo-bay-detainee-jamal-al-hariths-links-isil-recruiter/.

Hostey also reportedly recruited the so-called “terror twins,” Salma and Zahra Halane, who traveled to Syria at age 16 in June 2014 to marry ISIS fighters.Nazia Parveen, “Small part of Manchester that has been home to 16 jihadis,” Guardian, February 25, 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/feb/25/small-part-of-manchester-that-has-been-home-to-16-jihadis. Hostey is also reportedly tied to the May 2017 Manchester Arena bomber, Salman Abedi. Both Hostey and Abedi were originally from Manchester, England, and Abedi is said to have been a friend of Hostey.Martin Evans, Victoria Ward, Robert Mendick, Ben Farmer, Hayley Dixon and Danny Boyle, “Everything we know about Salman Abedi, the Manchester suicide bomber,” Telegraph (London), May 25, 2017, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/24/everything-know-salman-abedi-named-manchester-suicide-bomber/. Furthermore, Abedi is said to have lived within walking distance of where the Halane twins went to school before being recruited by Hostey.David Brown, Fiona Hamilton, Georgie Keate, John Simpson, and Duncan Gardham, “Salman Abedi was just a regular kid who liked cricket then it all changed,” Times (London), May 24, 2017, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/just-a-regular-kid-who-liked-cricket-then-it-all-changed-d0khjtpd6. According to reports, Hostey also recruited at least one ISIS member from the United States. On January 9, 2015, 19-year-old Mohammed Hamzah Khan of Chicago was indicted on charges of attempting to provide support to ISIS after being recruited by Hostey.imothy Williams, “Chicago Man Is Indicted on Charge of Trying to Aid ISIS,” New York Times, January 9, 2015, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/10/us/chicago-man-is-indicted-on-charge-of-trying-to-aid-isis.html;
Adam Goldman and Eric Schmitt, “One by One, ISIS Social Media Experts Are Killed as Result of F.B.I. Program,” New York Times, November 24, 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/24/world/middleeast/isis-recruiters-social-media.html.

Hostey attempted to recruit for ISIS using a variety of approaches, including by providing theological justifications for ISIS activity,Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Twitter, accessed June 29, 2015, https://twitter.com/an_Najdee rapping,Nazia Parveen, “Unmasked, jihadi chief who's a British rapper with an afro: Student revealed as 'senior commander' responsible for recruiting fellow Brits for ISIS,” Daily Mail (London), March 26, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2997904/Unmasked-jihadi-chief-s-British-rapper-afro-Student-named-senior-commander-responsible-recruiting-fellow-countrymen.html#ixzz3eSUyfmGX. appealing to video gamers,Tom Underhill and John Hall, “The rapping jihadist: 'Bad boy Abu Afro' claims he is an Isis poet with Twitter lyrics including 'Call of Duty, Drop the Fifa, and come give beyah to the Khalifah',” Mail Online, November 27, 2014, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2851938/The-rapping-jihadist-Bad-boy-Abu-Afro-claims-Isis-poet. addressing practical concerns about migration to ISIS territory,Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Askbook, June 25, 2015, http://ask-book.com/Butayn/answer/59677989;
Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Askbook, June 12, 2015, http://ask-book.com/Butayn/answer/59411883;
Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Askbook, June 12, 2015, http://ask-book.com/Butayn/answer/59411369. engaging in debates with supporters of ISIS’s former ally, the Nusra Front,Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Twitter post, June 6, 2015, 9:29 a.m., https://twitter.com/an_Najdee/status/607177421259997184. and even by appearing to flirt with potential female recruits to ISIS.Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Askbook, June 10, 2015, http://ask-book.com/Butayn/answer/59377295. In addition to recruiting ISIS members to perform hijrah (migration to ISIS-held territory), Hostey incited to violence through his social media accounts. On August 16, 2015, Hostey posted an image of Australian national security editor Paul Maley and asked whether anyone knew where Maley lived in Australia, saying that “[w]e’d like to pay him a friendly visit.”Qaqa al-Baritani, Twitter post, August 16, 2015, 12:52 a.m., https://twitter.com/Khattab10794099/status/632822343853846528. CEP flagged the account to Twitter, but the tweet in question remained active for over 24 hours. Through the two Twitter accounts, Hostey encouraged potential recruits to contact him privately on KikAbu Qaqa Britan Afro, Twitter, accessed July 8, 2015, https://twitter.com/QaqaAfro1. and Surespot,Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Twitter post, June 8, 2015, 1:11 p.m., https://twitter.com/an_Najdee/status/607958082556174336. two encrypted chat messenger services. He also used Twitter to promote his public Askbook account, where potential recruits could post anonymous questions and learn more about him.Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Twitter post, June 9, 2015, 7:44 a.m., https://twitter.com/an_Najdee/status/608238355294351361.

In February 2015, British schoolgirls Shamima Begum, Amira Abase, and Khadiza Sultana traveled from their homes in the United Kingdom to Turkey and then onto Syria to become ISIS brides. In Turkey, the girls were allegedly aided by a smuggler named Mohammed Al Rasheed. Hostey had previously charged Rasheed with transporting equipment and people into ISIS-held territory. Rasheed was also allegedly working as an informant for Canadian intelligence. According to the BBC, Rasheed had smuggled multiple Britons into Syria for at least eight months while sharing their passport information with Canadian authorities through the Canadian embassy in Jordan in exchange for asylum. Rasheed often photographed identification papers or filmed travelers on his phone. He reportedly mapped the locations of the homes of Western foreign fighters in Syria. He also collected IP addresses and the locations of Internet cafes in ISIS-held territory.Josh Baker, “Shamima Begum: Spy for Canada smuggled schoolgirl to Syria,” BBC News, August 31, 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-62726954.

On various platforms, “Abu Qaqa” has posted tweets that glorify acts of violence including, “We’re waiting in Raqqah to behead the PKK. We can smell their blood already. #IS ;)”Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Twitter post, June 23, 2015, 7:48 p.m., https://twitter.com/an_Najdee/status/613493982857924608. and “Do you realise the reward you get for beheading murtaddūn [apostates]?”Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Twitter post, June 24, 2015, 5:58 p.m., https://twitter.com/an_Najdee/status/613828493445591045.

When Islamists killed 12 in the January 2015 Charlie Hebdo attacks, CEP tracked Hostey’s account as he cheered on the attackers from his @Abu_Butayn account.CEP, “ISIS Supporters & Other Extremists Respond to Paris Terror Attack,” Storify, January 2015, https://storify.com/CEP/isis-supporters-respond-to-paris-terror-attack.

These violent ambitions were also depicted in rhyme through Hostey’s Abu Qaqa rapper account:

Hostey’s activity on his Twitter accounts appears to have been designed to cast a wide net to attract recruits and sympathizers. Hostey was above all a self-proclaimed facilitator who worked to bring foreign fighter to ISIS-held territory.Neil Doyle, “EXCLUSIVE: Senior British ISIS recruiter 'is a sex pest who steals girls from fellow fighters and only helps the prettiest would-be jihadi brides who contact him on Skype to go to Syria,” Daily Mail (London), June 23, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3134678/Senior-British-jihadi-recruiter-sex-pest-forces-ISIS-brides-veil-Skype-choose-prettiest-ones-steals-girls-fellow-fighters.html. On Askbook, Hostey would answer questions regarding his theological and political worldview, as well as the migration process to ISIS-held territory.Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Askbook, June 9, 2015, http://ask-book.com/Butayn/answer/59355280. As on Twitter, Hostey propagandized for the group and directed viewers to his private messaging accounts, including Surespot and Telegram.Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Askbook, June 27, 2015, http://ask-book.com/Butayn/answer/59713823;
Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Askbook, June 10, 2015, http://ask-book.com/Butayn/answer/59391512.

On Askbook, Hostey was often addressed by potential recruits interested in marriage.Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Askbook, June 10, 2015, http://ask-book.com/Butayn/answer/59377295;
Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Askbook, June 10, 2015, http://ask-book.com/Butayn/answer/59377497;
Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Askbook, June 12, 2015, http://ask-book.com/Butayn/answer/59411369;
Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Askbook, June 12, 2015, http://ask-book.com/Butayn/answer/59411883. At least once, Hostey appeared to flirt with an apparent recruit. In response to a post asking, “If I approach you for marriage will you take me seriously or judge a sister for approaching a brother…” Hostey alluded that he was receptive, replying, “Khadījah proposed to the Prophet (ص).”Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Askbook, June 10, 2015, http://ask-book.com/Butayn/answer/59377295.

In that vein, Hostey was allegedly accused by ISIS of stealing girls from fellow fighters and forcing female recruits to remove their veils so he could choose the prettiest ones. He was also accused of abandoning his wife and child in the United Kingdom when he came to ISIS-held territory. According to reports, Hostey had left behind his family, departing for Syria to join ISIS with two fellow students from Liverpool John Moore University after becoming radicalized by ISIS videos online. Hostey’s acquaintances, Mohammad Azzam Javeed and Anil Khalil Raoufi, were reportedly killed in 2014.Neil Doyle, “EXCLUSIVE: Senior British ISIS recruiter 'is a sex pest who steals girls from fellow fighters and only helps the prettiest would-be jihadi brides who contact him on Skype to go to Syria,” Daily Mail (London), June 23, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3134678/Senior-British-jihadi-recruiter-sex-pest-forces-ISIS-brides-veil-Skype-choose-prettiest-ones-steals-girls-fellow-fighters.html.

According to the Daily Mail, Hostey faced a punishment of flogging by ISIS officials for leaving behind his family. On one of his Twitter accounts, Hostey dismissed the Daily Mail article as inaccurate.Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Twitter post, June 23, 2015, 7:10 p.m., https://twitter.com/an_Najdee/status/613484313351462912. He also appeared grateful to his friend, Neil Prakash, a.k.a., Abu Khaled al-Cambodi, for tweeting in defense of his character.Qa’qa’ al-Baritani, Twitter post, June 23, 2015, 7:10 p.m., https://twitter.com/an_Najdee/status/613484313351462912.>

In April of 2016, Hostey was reportedly killed by a U.S. drone strike near Mosul, Iraq.W.J. Hennigan, “U.S. military says it has killed more than 120 Islamic State leaders,” Los Angeles Times, June 11, 2016, http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-isis-airstrikes-20160607-snap-story.html. His death was confirmed by Syrian rebel fighters on May 1, 2016, according to Amarnath Amarasingam, a post-doctoral researcher in Halifax, Nova Scotia.Josie Ensor, “British jihadi recruiter reported dead in Syria drone strike,” Telegraph (London), May 2, 2016, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/02/british-jihadi-reported-to-have-been-killed-in-syria. The drone strike that reportedly killed Hostey also killed three other Western foreign fighters who remain unidentified.Josie Ensor, “British jihadi recruiter reported dead in Syria drone strike,” Telegraph (London), May 2, 2016, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/02/british-jihadi-reported-to-have-been-killed-in-syria.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the U.S. Air Force had observed Hostey for days with infrared cameras and other drone-mounted sensors before receiving the kill order.W.J. Hennigan, “U.S. military says it has killed more than 120 Islamic State leaders,” Los Angeles Times, June 11, 2016, http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-isis-airstrikes-20160607-snap-story.html. The United States had reportedly located Hostey after being given intelligence from the Turkish government.W.J. Hennigan, “U.S. military says it has killed more than 120 Islamic State leaders,” Los Angeles Times, June 11, 2016, http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-isis-airstrikes-20160607-snap-story.html.

<p>Twitter personality &ldquo;Abu Jandal&rdquo; is a propagandist for <a href="http://www.counterextremism.com/threat/isis">ISIS</a&gt;. Jandal uses Twitter as a platform to advocate support for ISIS as well as promote other extremist accounts.<span class="footnote">Abu Jandal, Twitter, accessed June 23, 2015, <a href="https://twitter.com/Islamic_Proto">https://twitter.com/Islamic_Proto</a…; Under previous iterations of the account, Abu Jandal has condoned violence against civilians, including the victims of Paris&rsquo;s January 2015 <em>Charlie Hebdo</em> attacks.<span class="footnote"> CEP, “ISIS Supporters & Other Extremists Respond to Paris Terror Attack,” Storify, January 2015, <a href="https://storify.com/CEP/isis-supporters-respond-to-paris-terror-attack"… align="center"><img height="139" src="http://www.counterextremism.com/sites/default/files/abujandal_1.png&quot; width="517" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Abu Jandal has, in the past, maintained public and private accounts. From his private @Islamic_Proto account, Jandal has promoted his public @protocol_siyaam account.<span class="footnote">Abu Jandal, Twitter post, June 19, 2015, 3:08 p.m., <a href="https://twitter.com/Islamic_Proto/status/612019121132314624">https://tw…; Under both accounts, Abu Jandal frequently tweets in support of ISIS, publishing posts such as, &ldquo;#IslamicState looks after &amp; cares for the health of its residents!&rdquo;<span class="footnote">Abu Jandal, Twitter post, May 10, 2015, 4:01 a.m., <a href="https://twitter.com/Islamic_Proto/status/597355841382125569">https://tw…; and &ldquo;SubhanAllah Alhamdulilah a pledge of Allegiance to the Islamic State from the Caucasus! Kuffar drowning in rage!&rdquo;<span class="footnote">Abu Jandal, Twitter post, June 21, 2015, <a href="https://twitter.com/protocol_siyaam/status/612592359772176384">https://… align="center"></p>

<p>On August 28, 2015, Abu Jandal—under the handle @protocolaseer—tweeted out a trailer for what was then the newest video to come from ISIS’s Al Hayat media center. Following the post, Abu Jandal wrote, “Oh my new release just looks insanely good Alhamdulilah.. [praise Allah].”<span class="footnote">Abu Jandal, Twitter post, August 28, 2015, <a href="https://twitter.com/protocolaseer/status/637283637231243264">https://tw…;

<p align="center"><img src="http://www.counterextremism.com/sites/default/files/extremists_abu_jand…; /></p>

<p align="center"><small><em>Series of tweets posted on August 28, 2015.</em></small></p>

<p>Among a score of others, Abu Jandal has interacted with extremist propagandist <a href="http://www.counterextremism.com/extremists/hallie-sheikh">Hallie Sheikh</a>. Jandal has also promoted other extremist accounts, including that of <a href="http://www.counterextremism.com/extremists/mohammed-mizanur-rahman">Miz… Rahman</a>, known on Twitter as Abu Baraa.<span class="footnote">Abu Jandal, Twitter post, May 8, 2015, 6:35 a.m., <a href="https://twitter.com/Islamic_Proto/status/596669826850017281">https://tw… align="center"><img height="154" src="http://www.counterextremism.com/sites/default/files/abujandal_3.png&quot; width="555" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>While Abu Jandal does not disclose his/her location, the propagandist occasionally uses &ldquo;we&rdquo; when referring to ISIS, hinting that he/she may live in ISIS-controlled territory. CEP believes that Abu Jandal may have once operated out of the United Kingdom, based on the propagandist&rsquo;s writing style and references made to the U.K. police<span class="footnote">Abu Jandal, Twitter post, June 20, 2015, 8:52 p.m., <a href="https://twitter.com/protocol_siyaam/status/612422819268456448">https://…; and an event in Cambridge.<span class="footnote">Abu Jandal, Twitter post, June 21, 2015, 8:06 a.m., <a href="https://twitter.com/protocol_siyaam/status/612592359772176384">https://…;

Twitter personality “Persian Witness” is a propagandist for ISIS believed to operate out of ISIS-controlled territory. In July 2015, Persian Witness created a new account under the handle @AhleFars2 after his @AhleFars (active January 2010 - June 2015) was suspended.

Persian Witness’s tweets praise military actions and violent acts carried out by ISIS.Persian Witness, Twitter post, June 6, 2015, 11:15 p.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/607400351025602562. His tweets and retweets often reference public services in the self-proclaimed Islamic State. These include photos of Chinese restaurants, a midwifery class, and even a budget plan to help the disabled.Persian Witness, Twitter post, January 6, 2015, 12:22 p.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/552530624402444288. Witness also posts photos portraying what appears to be ISIS territory. Persian Witness, Twitter post, April 30, 2015, 1:05 p.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/593838664909631488.

While Persian Witness is predominantly pro-ISIS, he has shown some support for ISIS’s al-Qaeda competitor, the Nusra Front. On June 6, 2015, Witness tweeted, “If you’re Happy that #Nusra lost position to #Hezbollah in #Qalamoun or #IS lost positions in #Tikrit to Rawafed, you need to check ur heart!” Persian Witness, Twitter post, June 6, 2015, 11:23 p.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/607402441764536320.

Persian Witness has published over 4,500 tweets and has approximately 3,000 followers. On June 10, 2015, he tweeted, “How to create a twitter handle If I get suspended? Twitter isn’t allowing the same email & new email wants mobile number ! : ( : (.”Persian Witness, Twitter post, June 10, 2015, 7:55 p.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/608799692336431105.

Ahmed Halane is a Denmark-based extremist and suspected propagandist for ISIS.Duncan Crawford, “Manchester terror suspect ‘living freely in Denmark,’” BBC Newsbeat, May 20, 2015, http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/32405092/manchester-terror-suspect-living-freely-in-denmark. In 2013, Halane reportedly fled to Somalia to join al-Shabab,Duncan Crawford, “Manchester terror suspect ‘living freely in Denmark,’” BBC Newsbeat, May 20, 2015, http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/32405092/manchester-terror-suspect-living-freely-in-denmark. moving to Syria and joining ISIS later that year.Kimiko De Freytas-Tamura, “Double Blow for Parents of Jihadists: Losing Children, Then Their Community,” New York Times, December 27, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/28/world/double-blow-for-parents-of-jihadists-losing-children-then-their-community.html?_r=0. It is unknown how he transitioned from Somalia to Syria to Denmark. Authorities believe he is responsible for radicalizing his younger sisters, twins Salma and Zahra, who fled to Syria at age 16 in July 2014 to become jihadist brides.Richard Wheatstone, “Brother of twin schoolgirls who fled Chorlton to join him in Syria urged to come home with sisters,” Manchester Evening News, July 10, 2014, http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/watch-brother-twin-schoolgirls-who-7405593.

In December 2013, Salma Halane was caught downloading images of Syrian jihadi fighters at Connell Sixth Form College in Beswick. She told a teacher she was looking for her brother.Yakub Qureshi, “‘Jihadi bride’ Salma Halane accessed Isis picture on college computer SIX MONTHS before she disappeared in Syria,” Manchester Evening News, March 10, 2015, http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/jihadi-bride-salma-halane-isis-8811263. According to a source close to the family, Halane inspired his sisters but did not explicitly encourage them to go to Syria.Duncan Crawford, “Manchester terror suspect ‘living freely in Denmark,’” BBC Newsbeat, May 20, 2015, http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/32405092/manchester-terror-suspect-living-freely-in-denmark. The girls married ISIS fighters, both of whom were later killed.Duncan Crawford, “Manchester terror suspect ‘living freely in Denmark,’” BBC Newsbeat, May 20, 2015, http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/32405092/manchester-terror-suspect-living-freely-in-denmark.

The United Kingdom has reportedly banned Halane. He now lives in Aarhus, Denmark, and can travel freely across the continental EU.Duncan Crawford, “Manchester terror suspect ‘living freely in Denmark,’” BBC Newsbeat, May 20, 2015, http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/32405092/manchester-terror-suspect-living-freely-in-denmark.

Halane was born in Denmark and moved to Manchester, England with his family at the age of nine.Paul Britton, “Brother of ‘jihadi bride’ twin sisters from Chorlton who fled for ISIS in Syria reported to be in Denmark,” Manchester Evening News, May 21, 2015, http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/brother-jihadi-bride-twin-sisters-9307415. Throughout his childhood he won numerous Quran recitation contests across the United Kingdom and Dubai.Martin Robinson, “‘I started memorising the Koran when I was five’: Older brother of missing jihadi sisters reveals his devout religious beliefs in videos filmed before he fled to Syria to fight for ISIS,” Daily Mail, July 11, 2014, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2688572/Older-brother-missing-jihadi-sisters-filmed-just-fled-Syria.html. As a teenager, Halane led prayers at the Al Furqan Mosque in Moss Side, Manchester. According to Dr. Abdelaziz Belattar, co-organizer of the Muslim Association of Britain’s Quran competition, Halane studied Islam in Denmark and planned to continue at an Egyptian university.Martin Robinson, “‘I started memorising the Koran when I was five’: Older brother of missing jihadi sisters reveals his devout religious beliefs in videos filmed before he fled to Syria to fight for ISIS,” Daily Mail, July 11, 2014, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2688572/Older-brother-missing-jihadi-sisters-filmed-just-fled-Syria.html.

Halane was reportedly radicalized watching online videos of extremist preachers such as Anwar al-Awlaki.Duncan Crawford, “Manchester terror suspect ‘living freely in Denmark,’” BBC Newsbeat, May 20, 2015, http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/32405092/manchester-terror-suspect-living-freely-in-denmark. One person who knew Halane called him an “inciter” who was “brainwashed by listening to deviant men.”Duncan Crawford, “Manchester terror suspect ‘living freely in Denmark,’” BBC Newsbeat, May 20, 2015, http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/32405092/manchester-terror-suspect-living-freely-in-denmark. This anonymous source told the BBC that Halane “calls to ideologies which result in the killing of innocent people.” The source further called Halane “two-faced,” and said he reveals his extremism only to young people.Duncan Crawford, “Manchester terror suspect ‘living freely in Denmark,’” BBC Newsbeat, May 20, 2015, http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/32405092/manchester-terror-suspect-living-freely-in-denmark.

In May 2015, Halane began attending Grimhoj mosque, which has been accused of encouraging young people to become foreign fighters in Syria.Duncan Crawford, “Manchester terror suspect ‘living freely in Denmark,’” BBC Newsbeat, May 20, 2015, http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/32405092/manchester-terror-suspect-living-freely-in-denmark. Authorities identified 22 fighters in Syria who had attended the mosque.Duncan Crawford, “Manchester terror suspect ‘living freely in Denmark,’” BBC Newsbeat, May 20, 2015, http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/32405092/manchester-terror-suspect-living-freely-in-denmark. The mosque’s leaders say they now work with local authorities to de-radicalize returning foreign fighters and reintegrate them into society.Duncan Crawford, “Manchester terror suspect ‘living freely in Denmark,’” BBC Newsbeat, May 20, 2015, http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/32405092/manchester-terror-suspect-living-freely-in-denmark.

"Rawdah Abdisalaam" is an online recruiter for ISIS. She is believed to currently operate out of Raqqa, Syria. Before her departure to the self-proclaimed Islamic State in 2014, Abdisalaam resided in Seattle, Washington. Global media outlets have suggested that she is British or Dutch, although in a recent conversation with Channel 4 News, she claimed she was Finnish.“Senior female ISIS agent unmasked and traced to Seattle,” Channel 4 News, April 28, 2015, http://www.channel4.com/news/female-isis-women-girl-umm-waqqas-unmasked-seattle.

On her Twitter account, Abdisalaam (also known on Twitter as “Umm Waqqas”) has outlined the religious imperatives of waging jihad and encouraged Muslims to take up arms with ISIS. Abdisalaam has accumulated over 8,000 followers, and has instructed them to travel to Turkey and contact certain guides who would shepherd them across the Syrian border into ISIS-controlled territory. Abdisalaam has been in touch with numerous recruits on the eve of their departure.“Senior female ISIS agent unmasked and traced to Seattle,” Channel 4 News, April 28, 2015, http://www.channel4.com/news/female-isis-women-girl-umm-waqqas-unmasked-seattle.

Abdisalaam also reportedly helped to form a group of ISIS “police women” known as the Al Khansa Brigade.John Hall, “How 'up to 60' women rule ISIS's capital by fear,” Daily Mail, December 4, 2014, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2858819/Up-60-British-Jihadette-women-rule-ISIS-s-capital-fear.html.

Twitter personality “Umm Usamah” is a propagandist for ISIS. Usamah claims to have migrated first to Raqqa, Syria, and then to Mosul, Iraq.Umm Usamah, Twitter post, October 12, 2014, 7:34 p.m., https://twitter.com/ummmuawiyahh/status/521489116803125248. Usamah uses Twitter to highlight what she perceives to be the high quality of life in the self-proclaimed Islamic State. She also uses the platform to rally her Muslim “brothers and sisters” around the world to take the journey themselves.Umm Usamah, Twitter post, October 8, 2014, 5:05 a.m., https://twitter.com/ummmuawiyahh/status/519820985143664640. In October 2014, Usamah proclaimed her arrival in “Dar al-Islam” where she now lives “under the shade of the Sharia.”Umm Usamah, Twitter post, October 8, 2014, 5:05 a.m., https://twitter.com/ummmuawiyahh/status/519820985143664640.

Usamah regularly encourages Twitter followers to perform hijrah (migration), a term used by jihadists to encourage foreigners to join the “caliphate.”Umm Usamah, Twitter post, October 12, 2014, 11:35 p.m., https://twitter.com/ummmuawiyahh/status/521549666086035456. On January 3, 2015, Usamah claimed to stop using Twitter and has not made a post since.Umm Usamah, Twitter post, January 3, 2015, 11:50 a.m., https://twitter.com/ummmuawiyahh/status/551465551252713472. In the same tweet, Usamah suggested that her “sisters” interested in “hijrah” message her on the instant-messaging platform Kik.Umm Usamah, Twitter post, January 3, 2015, 11:50 a.m., https://twitter.com/ummmuawiyahh/status/551465551252713472.

Abdullah al-Faisal, born Trevor William Forrest in Jamaica, is U.S.-designated“Treasury Sanctions Jamaica-based ISIS Recruiter for Terror Support,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 5, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/sm0231.aspx?src=ilaw. Islamist propagandist and member of the Islamist propaganda group Authentic Tauheed.Jessica Stern and J.M. Berger, ISIS: the State of Terror (New York: Harper Collins, 2015), 183. Faisal previously served as the imam of south London’s Brixton mosque, where he reportedly delivered radical speeches for crowds of up to 500 attendants.Shiv Malik, “Radical Cleric Urges Islamic State to Release British Hostage Alan Henning,” Guardian (London), September 24, 2014, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/24/radical-cleric-islamic-state-release-british-hostage-alan-henning. The U.S. government has accused him of facilitating marriages of couples seeking to move to ISIS-controlled territory.“Treasury Sanctions Jamaica-based ISIS Recruiter for Terror Support,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 5, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/sm0231.aspx?src=ilaw. Faisal was extradited from Jamaica to the United States in August 2020 to face terrorism charges in New York City.Ellen Nakashima, “Suspected ISIS cleric accused of inspiring American terrorists to stand trial in New York,” Washington Post, August 14, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/abdullah-faisal-arraignment-islamic-state/2020/08/14/7eae9372-ddc6-11ea-809e-b8be57ba616e_story.html; “Sheikh Abdullah El-Faisal Extradited To US On Terrorism Charges,” Gleaner (Kingston), August 13, 2020, http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20200813/sheikh-abdullah-el-faisal-extradited-us-terrorism-charges. His trial began on November 28, 2022.Colin Moynihan, “Marriage Broker Faces Trial in New York,” New York Times, November 28, 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/28/nyregion/abdullah-el-faisal-isis-marriage-trial.html. He was convicted on January 26, 2022.“Jamaican cleric convicted in NY state terrorism trial,” Associated Press, January 27, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-group-crime-legal-proceedings-new-york-city-manhattan-2167f5a7e5d6dad20310bd85f67668f9. Nonetheless, Faisal’s sermons and propaganda remain online on various forums.Authentic Tauheed Paltalk channel, accessed December 1, 2022, https://www.paltalk.com/g2/group/1347249153/DisplayGroupDetails.wmt; Authentic Tauheed, accessed December 1, 2022, https://authentictawheed.wordpress.com/.

Faisal was born to Christian parents who worked for the Salvation Army. In 1979 at age 16, he left his native Jamaica for Saudi Arabia, where he converted to Islam. During his eight years in the country, Faisal reportedly earned a degree in Islamic studies.“Profile: Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal,” BBC News, May 25, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6692243.stm.

In the mid-1990s, Faisal set up Islamic study circles in east London.“Profile: Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal,” BBC News, May 25, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6692243.stm. Faisal served as the imam of London’s Brixton mosque, which included shoe bomber Richard Reid and convicted 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui among its members.Reuben Kyama, “Airlines Refuse to Transport Radical Cleric,” New York Times, January 10, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/world/africa/11kenya.html. Faisal claims Reid and Moussaoui both attended the mosque two years after he left and that he never met either one.“Profile: Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal,” BBC News, May 25, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6692243.stm. Prior to and after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, Faisal reportedly encouraged Britons to join terrorist training camps in Afghanistan.“Muslim Cleric Guilty of Soliciting Murder,” Guardian (London), February 24, 2003, http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/feb/24/race.world. Faisal also reportedly said that the use of chemical weapons on non-believers is permissible.Hate preaching cleric jailed,” BBC News, March 7, 2003, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2829059.stm.

In December 2001, London police arrested Richard Chinyoka on charges of raping and torturing teenage girls. Police found in Chinyoka’s car recordings of Faisal’s lectures calling for the murder of Jews, Hindus, and other so-called nonbelievers.“Cleric supporter jailed for rape,” BBC News, July 4, 2003, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/3045904.stm; “Muslim ‘called for holy war on non-believers,’” Yorkshire Post, January 22, 2003, https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/muslim-called-for-holy-war-on-non-believers-1-2447809. On February 23, 2003, a U.K. court convicted Faisal of soliciting murder, using threatening and insulting words, and using threatening and insulting recordings under the country’s 1861 “Offences Against the Person Act.”“Muslim Cleric Guilty of Soliciting Murder,” Guardian (London), February 24, 2003, http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/feb/24/race.world. The court found Faisal guilty of inciting hatred and soliciting murder against an array of religious and ethnic groups as well as nationalities, including Jews, Hindus, and Americans. It was the first trial of a Muslim cleric in the United Kingdom. Faisal’s conviction is the first under the 1861 act without a specific victim in more than 100 years in the United Kingdom.“Muslim Cleric Guilty of Soliciting Murder,” Guardian (London), February 24, 2003, http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/feb/24/race.world.

Faisal was sentenced to nine years in prison, but Old Bailey Judge Peter Beaumont recommended that he serve at least half that term and then face deportation.Hate preaching cleric jailed,” BBC News, March 7, 2003, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2829059.stm.

Faisal argued that his statements had originated from the Quran and had been misconstrued.Hate preaching cleric jailed,” BBC News, March 7, 2003, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2829059.stm. Following Faisal’s sentencing, his wife, Zubaida Khan, defended Faisal in an interview with the British Telegraph newspaper. Khan defended her husband’s remarks against Hindus, Jews, and others, telling the Telegraph that Faisal meant it is permitted to attack them during wartime. In what the Telegraph described as a twist of irony, Khan said that she could never work in a tall building after the 9/11 terror attacks.Rajeev Syal, “I wouldn't work in a tall building, says wife of jailed Islamic extremist,” Telegraph (London), March 16, 2003, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1424744/I-wouldnt-work-in-a-tall-building-says-wife-of-jailed-Islamic-extremist.html.

Following the U.K. conviction, Faisal served four years in prison. In May 2007, Faisal was deported to Jamaica and placed on an international terrorist watch list. Between 2007 and 2009, Faisal managed to travel by road through Angola, Malawi, Swaziland, Mozambique, and Tanzania, arriving in Kenya in late December of 2009.Associated Press, “Radical Jamaican Cleric Stuck in Kenya After Visa Denials,” Jamaica Observer (Kingston), January 5, 2010, http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/results/Radical-Jamaican-cleric-stuck-in-Kenya-after-visa-denials--. There, Kenyan authorities arrested him and attempted to deport Faisal. The attempt proved both difficult and costly, as South America, the United Kingdom, Tanzania, Gambia, and Nigeria denied Faisal transit visas that would enable him to return to Jamaica.Reuben Kyama, “Airlines Refuse to Transport Radical Cleric,” New York Times, January 10, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/world/africa/11kenya.html; Associated Press, “Radical Jamaican Cleric Stuck in Kenya After Visa Denials,” Jamaica Observer (Kingston), January 5, 2010, http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/results/Radical-Jamaican-cleric-stuck-in-Kenya-after-visa-denials--; Alan Boswell, “Kenya Unable to Rid Itself of Unwanted Muslim Cleric,” Voice of America, January 10, 2010, http://www.voanews.com/content/kenya-unable-to-rid-itself-of-unwanted-muslim-cleric-81160127/152787.html. Meanwhile, the Kenyan deportation attempt resulted in violent, pro-Faisal protests. At least five Faisal supporters were killed in January 2010 as Kenyan police released tear gas and opened fire on the protesters, some of whom had turned violent.“Kenya Police Shoot Hate Cleric Al-Faisal Supporters,” BBC News, January 15, 2010, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8461425.stm. Kenya successfully deported Faisal to Jamaica on January 22, 2010.“Faisal deportation ‘cost Kenya $500,000,’” BBC News, January 26, 2010, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8480639.stm.

Upon Faisal’s arrival in Jamaica, the Islamic Council of Jamaica banned him from preaching but said allowed him to visit any of the country’s 12 mosques. Jamaican police said they would monitor Faisal.Jamaica Observer, “Al-Faisal Welcome to Attend Mosque — Islamic Council,” Islamic Council of Jamaica, January 31, 2010, http://archive.li/E6s2N.

Faisal remained active on social media, where he is accused of helping to radicalize several extremists. Faisal is believed to have communicated with Jesse Morton, a U.S. citizen who worked alongside Zachary Chesser to solicit the murder of the writers of the South Park television show.“Leader of Revolution Muslim Pleads Guilty to Using Internet to Solicit Murder and Encourage Violent Extremism,” FBI, February 9, 2012, https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/washingtondc/press-releases/2012/leader-of-revolution-muslim-pleads-guilty-to-using-internet-to-solicit-murder-and-encourage-violent-extremism; Mark Hosenball, “US Islamist Militants Jailed For Internet Threats Are Now Posting From Prison,” International Business Times, June 1, 2013, http://www.businessinsider.com/islamist-militants-posting-from-prison-2013-6. According to then-U.K. Home Secretary John Reid, Faisal also radicalized Germaine Lindsay, one of the four British suicide bombers who killed 52 people in the July 7, 2005, bombings of the London underground.“Profile: Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal,” BBC News, May 25, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6692243.stm; “7 July Bombings,” BBC News, accessed June 2, 2015, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/uk/05/london_blasts/what_happened/html/. In September 2014, Faisal joined Mohammed Mizanur Rahman and other Islamist propagandists in an online news conference on the Paltalk platform, during which he encouraged his followers to join ISIS. Faisal called women captured by ISIS “spoils of war” and condemned those who “slander the mujahideen.”Shiv Malik, “Radical preachers praise Isis in online conference,” Guardian (London), September 8, 2014, https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/sep/08/radical-preachers-isis-islamic-state-online-conference. The U.S. government has also linked Faisal to underwear bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and several terror attacks, including the November 28, 2016, Ohio State University car ramming and stabbing attack, the May 3, 2015, attack at a Draw Mohammed contest in Garland, Texas, and the attempted Times Square bomber in New York City on May 1, 2010.“Treasury Sanctions Jamaica-based ISIS Recruiter for Terror Support,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 5, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/sm0231.aspx?src=ilaw.

Faisal is also a featured cleric on the Islamist website Authentic Tauheed, which maintained a Blogspot blog at www.authentictauheed.com and a Twitter account, @AuthenticTauhid. Online since 2010, the Twitter account had more than 1,000 followers as of December 2017. The account advertised a twice daily lecture by Faisal.Twitter account, Authentic Tauheed, accessed December 6, 2017, https://twitter.com/authentictauhid?lang=en. The site had blog posts dating back to 2008. The site also featured al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki and jailed British propagandist Omar Bakri Muhammad.Authentic Tauheed, accessed December 6, 2017, http://www.authentictauheed.com/2008/. Authentic Tauheed also maintained a Facebook page, which had more than 11,300 followers as of December 2017.Authentic Tauheed Facebook page, accessed December 6, 2017, https://www.facebook.com/authentictawheed.plc/; Authentic Tauheed Facebook page, accessed August 14, 2020, https://www.facebook.com/authentictawheed.plc/. The Authentic Tauheed channel on Paltalk had 1,749 followers as of December 6, 2017.Authentic Tauheed Paltalk channel, accessed December 6, 2017, http://www.paltalk.com/g2/group/1347249153/DisplayGroupDetails.wmt. Authentic Tauheed’s YouTube channel, ATmovement2000, hosts 48 videos mostly featuring Faisal.Authentic Tauheed YouTube channel, accessed December 6, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/user/ATmovement2000/videos. The Authentic Tauheed Blogspot site and accounts on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter have since been suspended, but Authentic Tauheed remains online on a WordPress site hosting its archive.Authentic Tauheed, accessed August 14, 2020, https://authentictawheed.wordpress.com/. The Paltalk channel remains active and had 1,745 followers as of August 14, 2020.Authentic Tauheed Paltalk channel, accessed August 14, 2020, http://www.paltalk.com/g2/group/1347249153/DisplayGroupDetails.wmt. By December 1, 2022, the Paltalk channel’s followers had decreased slightly to 1,743.Authentic Tauheed Paltalk channel, accessed December 1, 2022, http://www.paltalk.com/g2/group/1347249153/DisplayGroupDetails.wmt. The WordPress archive remained online as of that date.

While living in Jamaica, Faisal began communicating online and through text messages with an undercover New York Police Department officer. According to the New York County District Attorney’s Office, Faisal began sending the undercover officer propaganda from an ISIS news agency and offered to help send the officer to the Middle East to support foreign fighters. Faisal also allegedly offered to arrange a marriage with somebody in ISIS for the undercover officer. In early 2017, members of the NYPD intelligence traveled to Raqqa, Syria, and met with an ISIS contact whom Faisal had referred.“Radical Cleric Shaikh Faisal Indicted For Recruiting Supporters and Facilitating Efforts To Join Islamic State,” New York County District Attorney’s Office, August 25, 2017, http://manhattanda.org/press-release/radical-cleric-shaikh-faisal-indicted-recruiting-supporters-and-facilitating-efforts-j.

On August 25, 2017, the New York County District Attorney’s Office charged Faisal with five counts of recruiting and providing support to those seeking to commit acts of violence and terrorism in connection with ISIS. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. accused Faisal of using his lectures, website, and videos to incite “untold numbers of people around the world to take up the cause of jihad.”“Radical Cleric Shaikh Faisal Indicted For Recruiting Supporters and Facilitating Efforts To Join Islamic State,” New York County District Attorney’s Office, August 25, 2017, http://manhattanda.org/press-release/radical-cleric-shaikh-faisal-indicted-recruiting-supporters-and-facilitating-efforts-j. Jamaican authorities subsequently arrested Faisal per a U.S. extradition warrant.“Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal arrested in Kingston,” RJR News, August 25, 2017, http://rjrnewsonline.com/local/sheikh-abdullah-al-faisal-arrested-in-kingston. Two days after Faisal’s arrest, a Facebook group called “Committee for the Defense of Sheikh Abdullah el Faisal on Facebook” formed to call for his release.“Social Media Group Formed In Defense Of Radical Jamaican Cleric – A NAN First,” News Americas, August 29, 2017, http://www.newsamericasnow.com/social-media-group-formed-in-defense-of-radical-jamaican-cleric-a-nan-first/. By December 2017, the group appeared to have been deleted.Facebook search, December 6, 2017.

On December 5, 2017, the U.S Department of the Treasury sanction-designated Faisal as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.“Counter Terrorism Designation,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, December 5, 2017, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20171205.aspx. Faisal fought extradition with legal filings arguing that his rights to a fair trial and due process had been breached.Nickoy Wilson, “El-Faisal To Be Extradited,” Gleaner (Kingston), June 7, 2019, http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20190607/el-faisal-be-extradited. In July 2020, Jamaica’s Court of Appeal ruled the extradition could proceed.“Sheikh Abdullah El-Faisal Extradited To US On Terrorism Charges,” Gleaner (Kingston), August 13, 2020, http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20200813/sheikh-abdullah-el-faisal-extradited-us-terrorism-charges; Livern Barrett, “Appeal Court Strikes Out El-Faisal Case, Way Now Clear For Extradition,” Gleaner (Kingston), July 29, 2020, http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20200729/appeal-court-strikes-out-el-faisal-case-way-now-clear-extradition. The United States successfully extradited Faisal on August 13, 2020. The New York City district attorney assumed prosecution of the case.Ellen Nakashima, “Suspected ISIS cleric accused of inspiring American terrorists to stand trial in New York,” Washington Post, August 14, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/abdullah-faisal-arraignment-islamic-state/2020/08/14/7eae9372-ddc6-11ea-809e-b8be57ba616e_story.html; “Sheikh Abdullah El-Faisal Extradited To US On Terrorism Charges,” Gleaner (Kingston), August 13, 2020, http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20200813/sheikh-abdullah-el-faisal-extradited-us-terrorism-charges. The following day, Faisal appeared in a New York City court for his arraignment and pleaded not guilty to charges of supporting terrorism.Ellen Nakashima, “Suspected ISIS cleric accused of inspiring American terrorists to stand trial in New York,” Washington Post, August 14, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/abdullah-faisal-arraignment-islamic-state/2020/08/14/7eae9372-ddc6-11ea-809e-b8be57ba616e_story.html.

Faisal’s trial in New York State Supreme Court began in Manhattan on November 28, 2022. Faisal faced five charges, including conspiracy and supporting ISIS terrorism. His attorneys argued the jury should judge Faisal by his actions and not his beliefs.Colin Moynihan, “Marriage Broker Faces Trial in New York,” New York Times, November 28, 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/28/nyregion/abdullah-el-faisal-isis-marriage-trial.html. The prosecution accused Faisal of “far reaching crimes of terrorism,” labeling him an ISIS recruiter and marriage broker.Elizabeth Rosner and Emily Crane, “Radical Islamic cleric Shaikh Abdullah Faisal stands trial for trying to recruit ‘NYPD cop’ to ISIS,” New York Post, November 28, 2022, https://nypost.com/2022/11/28/radical-islamic-cleric-shaikh-abdullah-faisal-on-trial-in-manhattan/. Assistant District Attorney Gary Galperin accused Faisal of aiding ISIS while working to “inflict terror.”Elizabeth Rosner and Emily Crane, “Radical Islamic cleric Shaikh Abdullah Faisal stands trial for trying to recruit ‘NYPD cop’ to ISIS,” New York Post, November 28, 2022, https://nypost.com/2022/11/28/radical-islamic-cleric-shaikh-abdullah-faisal-on-trial-in-manhattan/. The trial was New York’s first state-level trial on terrorism charges. Faisal was convicted on January 26, 2023.“Jamaican cleric convicted in NY state terrorism trial,” Associated Press, January 27, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-group-crime-legal-proceedings-new-york-city-manhattan-2167f5a7e5d6dad20310bd85f67668f9. On March 23, 2023, Faisal was sentenced to 18 years in state prison, followed by five years of supervised release.“D.A. Bragg, P.C. Sewell: Radical Cleric Shaikh Faisal Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Recruiting Supporters and Facilitating Efforts to Join ISIS,” Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, March 23, 2023, https://www.manhattanda.org/d-a-bragg-announces-all-count-trial-conviction-of-radical-cleric-shaikh-faisal-for-recruiting-supporters-and-facilitating-efforts-to-join-isis-2/.

Adnan al-Sahrawi was the U.S.-designated leader of the ISIS-affiliated Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS).“State Department Terrorist Designations of ISIS in the Greater Sahara (ISIS-GS) and Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi,” U.S. Department of State, May 16, 2018, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2018/05/282168.htm. He was the former senior spokesman for and self-proclaimed emir (leader) of the Sahara-based, al-Qaeda-linked group al-Mourabitoun (“The Sentinels”).Associated Press, “Sahara’s al-Mourabitoun pledges allegiance to Islamic State: report,” New York Times, May 14, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/05/14/world/middleeast/ap-ml-north-africa-islamic-state.html. In May of 2015, Sahrawi pledged al-Mourabitoun’s allegiance to ISIS and its caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, urging “other jihadi groups to do likewise.”Associated Press, “Sahara’s al-Mourabitoun pledges allegiance to Islamic State: report,” New York Times, May 14, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/05/14/world/middleeast/ap-ml-north-africa-islamic-state.html. Sahrawi then split from al-Mourabitoun to form ISGS.Thomas Joscelyn and Caleb Weiss, “Islamic State recognizes oath of allegiance from jihadists in Mali,” Long War Journal, October 31, 2016, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/10/islamic-state-recognizes-oath-of-allegiance-from-jihadists-in-west-africa.php; “Ambush of US forces in Niger reveals rise of jihadist splinter groups,” France24, October 19, 2017, http://www.france24.com/en/20171019-jihadist-ambush-usa-forces-niger-danger-sahel-islamic-state-jihadi-terrorism. France announced on September 15, 2021, that French forces killed Sahrawi in August.Baba Ahmed and Krista Larson, “France says head of Islamic State in Sahara has been killed,” Associated Press, September 16, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/europe-africa-france-niger-emmanuel-macron-145327db93f72ddf1d0d4b223dfd2de0.

Sahrawi was a member of the Sahrawi people, who are spread across southern Morocco, Mauritania, and parts of Algeria.“Ambush of US forces in Niger reveals rise of jihadist splinter groups,” France24, October 19, 2017, http://www.france24.com/en/20171019-jihadist-ambush-usa-forces-niger-danger-sahel-islamic-state-jihadi-terrorism. He was the former spokesman of Mali’s Movement for Unity and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO), formed in 2011 as an offshoot of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). In August 2013, MUJAO merged with Moktar Belmokhtar’s al-Mulathamun (“The Masked Men”) Battalion—another AQIM offshoot—to form al-Mourabitoun. The group released a statement that the region’s jihadist movement was “stronger than ever,” and al-Mourabitoun would “rout” France and its allies in the region.“Belmohktar’s militants ‘merge’ with Mali’s Mujao,” BBC News, August 22, 2013, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-23796920; “Sahara jihadist groups merge, threaten French interests – report,” Reuters, August 22, 2013, http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/22/northafrica-islamists-idUSL6N0GN2OQ20130822.

Also in May of 2015, Sahrawi issued a statement addressed to the Romanian government, one month after his group abducted Romanian national Iulian Ghergut in Burkina Faso. Sahrawi stated that the life of Ghergut, who was seized while working for the Tambao manganese mining project near the Malian border, was entirely in the hands of the government of Romania.“Islamist group says holding Romanian hostage seized in Burkina,” Reuters, May 19, 2015, http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKBN0O41GF20150519. In a video dated November 3, 2016, Ghergut begged the Romanian government to negotiate with AQIM to secure his release.“AQIM releases video of Romanian hostage in Burkina Faso,” IHS Jane’s Terrorism Watch Report, November 3, 2016, http://www.janes.com/article/65239/aqim-releases-video-of-romanian-hostage-in-burkina-faso.

In April 2015, al-Mourabitoun abducted Romanian national Iulian Ghergut in Burkina Faso while he was working for the Tambao manganese mining project near the Malian border. A month later, Sahrawi issued a statement on behalf of al-Mourabitoun to the Romanian government that Ghergut’s life was entirely in the hands of the Romanian government.“Islamist group says holding Romanian hostage seized in Burkina,” Reuters, May 19, 2015, http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKBN0O41GF20150519.

Also in May 2015, Sahrawi declared al-Mourabitoun’s allegiance to ISIS. Belmokhtar dismissed the pledge, however, and maintained the group’s allegiance to AQIM.“Sahara Islamist leader Belmokhtar dismisses Islamic State pledge: report,” Reuters, May 17, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-sahara-militants/sahara-islamist-leader-belmokhtar-dismisses-islamic-state-pledge-report-idUSKBN0O20R020150517. Belmokhtar reportedly stated that Sahrawi “was not elected by the Shura Council of al-Mourabitoun. He declared himself ‘Emir.’”Ashitha Nagesh, “Mali attack: Al Mourabitoun has claimed responsibility, but who are they?” Metro, November 21, 2015, http://metro.co.uk/2015/11/21/mali-attack-al-mourabitoun-has-claimed-responsibility-but-who-are-they-5516613/. There have been some reports that Sahrawi was speaking on behalf of MUJAO, not al-Mourabitoun.Thomas Joscelyn, “Confusion surrounds West African jihadists’ loyalty to Islamic State,” Long War Journal, May 14, 2015, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/05/confusion-surrounds-west-african-jihadists-loyalty-to-islamic-state.php. According to U.S. officials, Belmokhtar’s followers attempted to assassinate Sahrawi after the latter’s pledge to ISIS.Caleb Weiss, “Islamic State’s Sahara branch claims first attack in Burkina Faso,” Long War Journal, September 4, 2016, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/09/islamic-states-sahara-branch-claims-attack-in-burkina-faso.php.

After the fallout with Belmokhtar, Sahrawi left al-Mourabitoun to create ISIS’s affiliate in the Sahara, ISGS.Thomas Joscelyn and Caleb Weiss, “Islamic State recognizes oath of allegiance from jihadists in Mali,” Long War Journal, October 31, 2016, https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/10/islamic-state-recognizes-oath-of-allegiance-from-jihadists-in-west-africa.php. One year later, in May of 2016, a man claiming to be Sahrawi released an audio message calling for attacks on Morocco’s Western tourists, Moroccan security, the United Nations mission in the Western Sahara, and on foreign companies.Thomas Joscelyn and Caleb Weiss, “Report: Head of the Islamic State’s Sahara branch threatens Morocco,” Long War Journal, May 6, 2016, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/05/report-head-of-the-islamic-states-sahara-branch-threatens-morocco.php. In September of 2016, Sahrawi claimed credit on behalf of ISIS for an attack in Burkina Faso that killed two people.Caleb Weiss, “Islamic State’s Sahara branch claims first attack in Burkina Faso,” Long War Journal, September 4, 2016, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/09/islamic-states-sahara-branch-claims-attack-in-burkina-faso.php.

ISIS’s first public recognition of Sahrawi’s pledge came on October 30, 2016, with a post on Telegram in Arabic by ISIS’s Amaq News Agency.“Mali: 1st ‘official’ announcement by Amaq that segment of al-Mourabitoune (MUJAO) led by Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi joined ‘Islamic State’,” Live UAMap, October 30, 2016, http://isis.liveuamap.com/en/2016/30-october-mali-1st-official-announcement-by-amaq-that-segment. ISIS referred to Sahrawi’s group as its battalion in Mali.Thomas Joscelyn and Caleb Weiss, “Islamic State recognizes oath of allegiance from jihadists in Mali,” Long War Journal, October 31, 2016, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2016/10/islamic-state-recognizes-oath-of-allegiance-from-jihadists-in-west-africa.php. The post was accompanied by a short video clip of Sahrawi’s pledge.Tiemoko Diallo, “French air strikes kill wanted Islamist militant ‘Red Beard’ in Mali,” Reuters, March 14, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/14/us-mali-islamists-idUSBREA2D13Z20140314. 

The ISGS reportedly includes members of the Peul ethnic group from the Mali-Niger border region. Sahrawi and the ISGS have reportedly carried out several attacks on military targets in Niger.“Ambush of US forces in Niger reveals rise of jihadist splinter groups,” France24, October 19, 2017, http://www.france24.com/en/20171019-jihadist-ambush-usa-forces-niger-danger-sahel-islamic-state-jihadi-terrorism. Authorities suspected the ISGS of carrying out the October 4, 2017, ambush of U.S. soldiers near Tongo Tongo, Niger, close to the Mali-Niger border. The attack killed four U.S. soldiers and four Nigerien soldiers.“Ambush of US forces in Niger reveals rise of jihadist splinter groups,” France24, October 19, 2017, http://www.france24.com/en/20171019-jihadist-ambush-usa-forces-niger-danger-sahel-islamic-state-jihadi-terrorism. Sahrawi claimed responsibility on behalf of ISGS in January 2018.“CORRECTED-Islamic State affiliate claims deadly attack on U.S. troops in Niger,” Reuters, January 13, 2018, https://af.reuters.com/article/africaTech/idAFL8N1P80EK. According to Ibrahim Maiga of the Institute for Security Studies in Bamako, Mali, Sahrawi had succeeded in “creating links with local people despite the fact that he is a stranger to the area.”“Ambush of US forces in Niger reveals rise of jihadist splinter groups,” France24, October 19, 2017, http://www.france24.com/en/20171019-jihadist-ambush-usa-forces-niger-danger-sahel-islamic-state-jihadi-terrorism.

The ISGS is primarily based in Mali.“Ambush of US forces in Niger reveals rise of jihadist splinter groups,” France24, October 19, 2017, http://www.france24.com/en/20171019-jihadist-ambush-usa-forces-niger-danger-sahel-islamic-state-jihadi-terrorism. The U.S. government sanctioned Sahrawi and ISGS in May 2018.“State Department Terrorist Designations of ISIS in the Greater Sahara (ISIS-GS) and Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi,” U.S. Department of State, May 16, 2018, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2018/05/282168.htm. During a meeting of G5 Sahel leaders in January 2020, France declared Sahrawi a “major enemy.”Tom Wheeldon, “Sahrawi: The top Sahel jihadist killed in French ‘opportunistic hit,’” France 24, September 16, 2021, https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20210916-the-assassinated-abou-walid-al-sahrawi-france-s-major-enemy-in-the-sahel. On August 9, 2020, gunmen ambushed and killed six French charity workers and their Nigerian driver and guide at a nature reserve in Niger.Tom Wheeldon, “Sahrawi: The top Sahel jihadist killed in French ‘opportunistic hit,’” France 24, September 16, 2021, https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20210916-the-assassinated-abou-walid-al-sahrawi-france-s-major-enemy-in-the-sahel. A month later, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack and credited its West Africa Province (ISWAP) affiliate.“Islamic State claims killing of French aid workers in Niger,” Reuters, September 17, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-niger-security/islamic-state-claims-killing-of-french-aid-workers-in-niger-idUSKBN2682JX. According to French President Emmanuel Macron, however, Sahrawi personally ordered the attack.“Head of Islamic State in Sahara killed by French troops – Macron,” BBC News, September 16, 2021, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-58581122.

In August 2021, unconfirmed rumors circulated in Mali of Sahrawi’s death. On September 15, 2021, French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted French forces had killed Sahrawi. Macron provided no further details of the operation.Baba Ahmed and Krista Larson, “France says head of Islamic State in Sahara has been killed,” Associated Press, September 16, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/europe-africa-france-niger-emmanuel-macron-145327db93f72ddf1d0d4b223dfd2de0. French Defense Minister Florence Parly elaborated French forces used a drone to kill Sahrawi on his motorbike on the border between Mali and Niger that August. Calling the strike an “opportunistic hit,” Parly said the drone observed two armed individuals on the motorbike and eliminated them.Tom Wheeldon, “Sahrawi: The top Sahel jihadist killed in French ‘opportunistic hit,’” France 24, September 16, 2021, https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20210916-the-assassinated-abou-walid-al-sahrawi-france-s-major-enemy-in-the-sahel.