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Abu Azrael
Commander in the Islamic Movement of Iraq From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ayoub Falih Hasan Al-Rubayie (Arabic: أيوب فالح حسن الربيعي; born 1978), known by his nom de guerre Abu Azrael, is an Iraqi commander in the Kataib al-Imam Ali, an Iraqi Shi'a militia group of the Popular Mobilization Forces that fought against the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq. He has become a public icon among Shia Iraqis, gaining a large following on social media.
Abu Azrael was a member of Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army, which fought against the U.S.-led Coalition forces during the Iraqi insurgency.[3]
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Personal life
Abu Azrael is a Shi'a Muslim. He is a former university lecturer and a one-time Taekwondo champion.[4] According to an Iranian source,[5] reports from March 2015 claimed that Azrael is a father of five, and lives an ordinary life when not on the battlefield.[6]
Following incidents where he was filmed desecrating the corpses of IS militants,[7] 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.[8]
In October 2019, he was severely beaten unconscious by protesting Iraqis in Baghdad's Tahrir Square.[9]
In 2020, he was infected with COVID-19 and suffered lung damage.[10]
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Public image
Abu Azrael has fought directly against ISIS and is viewed as a symbol of resistance in Iraq. By the spring of 2015, he had made front-page appearances on international news websites in England, France and the United States.[11]
He has received a medal of honor from the Representative of the Supreme Religious Authority Sayyid Ahmad al-Safi.[12]
In 2016, he was spotted on the battlefield in the Battle of Mosul against IS.[13]
During the Gaza war, Abu Azrael claimed to have been near the Israel–Lebanon border, waiting for "any opportunity" to enter Israel.[14]
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See also
References
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