Persian Witness a.k.a. @AhleFars

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.

Also Known As

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

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.

  • Rhetoric

Jun. 15, 2015

“by capturing #IS controlled town Tel Abyad #US coalition wanna tell all #IS supporters at the end of first,your #Caliphate is loosing (3/3).”Persian Witness, Twitter post, June 15, 2015, 10:52 p.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/610656228184723456.

Jun. 15, 2015

“I’ve seen no people such bad mouthed as #Kurds . They’ve surpassed nusayris [derogatory term for Alawites] in this.”Persian Witness, Twitter post, June 15, 2015, 11:38 p.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/610667787795738624.

June 11, 2015

“Well American people, here you go. This 1001 no. #ISIS killed by your brave air force.” (Tweet accompanied by picture of a purportedly dead child)Persian Witness, Twitter post, June 11, 2015, 6:05 p.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/609134268619436033.

Jun. 10, 2015

“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.

Jun. 6, 2015

“This week #IslamicState : 1-opened Two towns (Sawran in #Syria & Harawa in #Libya) 2-captured world’s largest irriga. project & one airbase.”Persian Witness, Twitter post, June 6, 2015, 11:15 p.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/607400351025602562.

Jun. 6, 2015

“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.

Jun. 4, 2015

“Guess which business is making most profit in #Iraq? = Its grave business ! =D.” (Tweet accompanied by screen shot of an article by Reuters titled “Iraq’s growing grave market”)Persian Witness, Twitter post, June 4, 2015, 9:51 a.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/606473364945829888.

May 31, 2015

“where #IS gets so much weapon to fight? Must be from #USA.”Persian Witness, Twitter post, May 31, 2015, 8:52 a.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/605009062040707073.

Apr. 28, 2015

“Now, If #IslamicState accept the allegiance & announce wilayat #Mindanao, then #IS will be a state stretching from #Philippines to #Algerie.”Persian Witness, Twitter post, April 28, 2015, 11:36 a.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/593091372086792194.

Apr. 3, 2015

“Oh #China ! Even in #IslamicState, they have a Chinese Restaurant.” (Tweet accompanied by a picture of the outside of a purported Chinese Restaurant) Persian Witness, Twitter post, April 3, 2015, 11:19 p.m., https://twitter.com/AhleFars/status/584208528845344768.

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On October 27, 2018, domestic terrorist Robert D. Bowers carried out an anti-Semitic attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. He fired on congregants as they gathered for worship, killing 11 people and wounding six others.

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