Abu Abdul Bari a.k.a. Shifa al-Nima

Abu Abdul Bari is a top ISIS cleric who provided religious justification for ISIS’s enslavement and torture of Yazidi women and girls. He was known as the “mufti of Mosul” for his religious rulings supporting ISIS’s barbarity.Isabel Vincent, “‘Jabba the Jihadi’ played major role in enslaving Yazidi women,” New York Post, January 18, 2020, https://nypost.com/2020/01/18/jabba-the-jihadi-played-major-role-in-enslaving-yazidi-women/. Iraqi forces captured Abdul Bari in Mosul, Iraq, on January 16, 2020.Isabel Vincent, “‘Jabba the Jihadi’ played major role in enslaving Yazidi women,” New York Post, January 18, 2020, https://nypost.com/2020/01/18/jabba-the-jihadi-played-major-role-in-enslaving-yazidi-women/.

According to the Iraqi government, Abdul Bari was one of the main leaders of “ISIS gangs” who gave “provocative speeches against the security forces.”Chad Gardland, “Islamic State’s ‘very own Jabba the Hutt’ captured in Mosul,” Stars and Stripes, January 17, 2020, https://www.stripes.com/news/middle-east/islamic-state-s-very-own-jabba-the-hutt-captured-in-mosul-1.615184. In addition to justifying ISIS’s mistreatment of Yazidi women and girls, Abdul Bari also authorized the execution of scholars and clerics who refused to pledge allegiance to ISIS after it occupied Mosul.Yaron Steinbuch, “ISIS leader dubbed ‘Jabba the Jihadi’ captured in Iraq,” New York Post, January 17, 2020, https://nypost.com/2020/01/17/isis-leader-dubbed-jabba-the-jihadi-captured-in-iraq/. According to a confession Abdul Bari gave Iraqi authorities, he issued fatwas ordering the expulsion of Christians from Mosul, the killing of Yazidi men, and the killing of Shiites.Rowan Scarborough, “ISIS leader’s confession gives gruesome look into atrocities,” Washington Times, January 26, 2020, https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/26/shifa-al-nima-isis-leader-confessions-provide-look/. Abdul Bari also permitted ISIS fighters to blow up mosques in Mosul. He ordered ISIS’s destruction of Mosul’s Nabi Yunus mosque on July 25, 2014. The mosque was a shrine built on what is widely believed to be the burial site of the biblical prophet Jonah.Yaron Steinbuch, “ISIS leader dubbed ‘Jabba the Jihadi’ captured in Iraq,” New York Post, January 17, 2020, https://nypost.com/2020/01/17/isis-leader-dubbed-jabba-the-jihadi-captured-in-iraq/; Denver Nicks, “Islamist Militants Raze Ancient Shrine in Mosul,” Time, July 25, 2014, https://time.com/3033678/iraq-isis-jonah-tomb-mosul/.

After his capture, Abdul Bari confessed to Iraqi forces that he had issued religious rulings punishing Iraqis caught smoking or who did not go to mosques. One fatwa he issued ordered Iraqi security forces to surrender their weapons and receive a so-called repentant card. Abdul Bari admitted to issuing fatwas justifying the confiscation of houses of displaced people. Abdul Bari also issued a fatwa requiring Mosul storeowners to pay a zakat tax to ISIS.Rowan Scarborough, “ISIS leader’s confession gives gruesome look into atrocities,” Washington Times, January 26, 2020, https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/26/shifa-al-nima-isis-leader-confessions-provide-look/.

According to his confession, Abdul Bari worked as a teacher in the United Arab Emirates for three months in 1984 after graduating from Al-Monawarah University in Saudi Arabia. He then returned to Iraq and joined extremist networks opposed to former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. After the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, Abdul Bari began issuing fatwas permitting the assassination of Iraqi security forces.“Confession Of ISIS Mufti Shifa Al-Ni’ma: ‘I Issued Fatwas Permitting Expulsion Of Christians From Mosul, Enslavement, Selling of Yazidi Women,’” MEMRI, January 22, 2020, https://www.memri.org/jttm/confession-isis-mufti-shifa-al-nima-i-issued-fatwas-permitting-expulsion-christians-mosul.

In 2007, Abdul Bari traveled to London to meet with two jihadist financiers, a Mosul native named Abu Mustapha Al-Najmawi and a Saudi national named Abdallah Al-Ghonaiman. The two gave Abdul Bari $6,000 on the condition he use the money on armed groups. Later that year, Abdul Bari traveled to Saudi Arabia where he received $4,000 from a sheikh. Abdul Bari admitted to establishing the armed factions Al-Mujahideen Army, the Army of Muhammad, and the Islamic Army.“Confession Of ISIS Mufti Shifa Al-Ni’ma: ‘I Issued Fatwas Permitting Expulsion Of Christians From Mosul, Enslavement, Selling of Yazidi Women,’” MEMRI, January 22, 2020, https://www.memri.org/jttm/confession-isis-mufti-shifa-al-nima-i-issued-fatwas-permitting-expulsion-christians-mosul. British police reported after the confession they were unfamiliar with any suspected terrorists in the United Kingdom named Najmawi but would open an investigation.Abul Taher, “‘Jabba the Jihadi’ 40st cleric behind mass rapes of Yazidi girls by Islamic State claims he received funding from a terror financier in BRITAIN,” Daily Mail (London), January 25, 2020, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7929247/Jabba-Jihadi-40st-cleric-claims-received-funding-terror-financier-BRITAIN.html.

Abdul Bari also founded the Abdallah Al-Ni’ma’s school in Iraq. The school provided theological indoctrination to dozens of jihadist fighters. One of Abdul Bari’s students would become a bodyguard for deceased ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.“Confession Of ISIS Mufti Shifa Al-Ni’ma: ‘I Issued Fatwas Permitting Expulsion Of Christians From Mosul, Enslavement, Selling of Yazidi Women,’” MEMRI, January 22, 2020, https://www.memri.org/jttm/confession-isis-mufti-shifa-al-nima-i-issued-fatwas-permitting-expulsion-christians-mosul.

Abdul Bari admitted that he pledged allegiance to ISIS in front of two ISIS officials, a Saudi national named Al-Qahtani who was a senior ISIS cleric and judge, and another named Abu Mu’taz Al-Afari. Abdul Bari’s two sons, Abd Al-Bari and Abd Al-Hadi, also pledged allegiance to ISIS. One is serving a five-year sentence in Iraq while the other was sentenced to death.Rowan Scarborough, “ISIS leader’s confession gives gruesome look into atrocities,” Washington Times, January 26, 2020, https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jan/26/shifa-al-nima-isis-leader-confessions-provide-look/.

Abdul Bari hid at his daughter’s house in Mosul’s Al-Muhandiseen neighborhood for two months until Iraqi forces arrived in the neighborhood and he started moving around the city until his capture in the Al-Mansour neighborhood in January 2020.“Confession Of ISIS Mufti Shifa Al-Ni’ma: ‘I Issued Fatwas Permitting Expulsion Of Christians From Mosul, Enslavement, Selling of Yazidi Women,’” MEMRI, January 22, 2020, https://www.memri.org/jttm/confession-isis-mufti-shifa-al-nima-i-issued-fatwas-permitting-expulsion-christians-mosul. According to Iraqi authorities, Abdul Bari was well known for inciting against the police in and around Mosul’s mosques. The Jerusalem Post reported that Mosul residents had terrible memories of Abdul Bari. Iraqi forces and pundits nicknamed Abdul Bari “Jabba the Jihadi,” likening him to the Star Wars character Jabba the Hutt because of his obesity and criminal activities. Various outlets reported Abdul Bari’s weight between 300 and 560 pounds. Police had to load Abdul Bari onto a police pickup truck for transport. Abdul Bari’s massive weight gain reportedly happened while he was in hiding.Yaron Steinbuch, “ISIS leader dubbed ‘Jabba the Jihadi’ captured in Iraq,” New York Post, January 17, 2020, https://nypost.com/2020/01/17/isis-leader-dubbed-jabba-the-jihadi-captured-in-iraq/; Seth J. Frantzman, “ISIS ‘mufti’ weighing over 300 lbs captured by Iraqi SWAT,” Jerusalem Post, January 18, 2020, https://www.jpost.com/OMG/ISIS-mufti-weighing-300-lbs-captured-by-Iraqi-SWAT-614449.

Also Known As

Extremist entity
ISIS
Type(s) of Organization:
Insurgent, territory-controlling, religious, terrorist, violent
Ideologies and Affiliations:
Islamist, jihadist, pan-Islamist, Salafist, takfiri
Position(s):
Cleric

ISIS is a violent jihadist group based in Iraq and Syria. The group has declared wilayas (provinces) in Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the North Caucasus. ISIS has also waged attacks in Turkey, Lebanon, France, Belgium, Iraq, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Tunisia, and Kuwait.

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We reiterate once again that the brigades will directly target US bases across the region in case the US enemy commits a folly and decides to strike our resistance fighters and their camps [in Iraq].

Abu Ali al-Askari, Kata’ib Hezbollah (KH) Security Official Mar. 2023
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