Latest Articles and Blog Posts

Liwa al-Tafuf of the Hashd: Interview

February 15, 2019 at 10:33 am

Liwa al-Tafuf, formed in August 2016, is the 13th brigade on the registers of the Hashd Sha'abi Commission and is formally affiliated with the Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala'. Below is an interview I conducted with Hussein Ahmad Jum'a of Liwa al-Tafuf. Born in Karbala' in 1995, Hussein was a student prior to the issuing of Sistani's fatwa to defend Iraq in June 2014. In light of the fatwa and the fact that the Islamic State had seized the town of Jurf al-Sakhr that is near Karbala, Hussein quit his studies and became a fighter. He was 17 years old at the time. Prior to joining Liwa al-Tafuf, Hussein was in Liwa Ali al-Akbar, the 11th brigade of the Hashd Sha'abi Commission and also affiliated with the Imam Hussein shrine.

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An Anglo-Saxon Riddle (Arabic Translation)

February 14, 2019 at 6:36 am

See the link for more.

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Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and al-Qaeda: Affiliates or Foes?

February 14, 2019  •  Fanack

Much debate about the Syrian insurgent group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the West revolves around the nature of its relations with al-Qaeda (AQ). Conventionally, HTS is classed as an AQ affiliate, based on the fact that HTS' core constituents evolved out of Jabhat al-Nusra, which was AQ's official affiliate in Syria. Critics, however, point to extensive disagreements between HTS and AQ that have emerged on social media. The question then arises as to the nature of these disagreements and why, despite them, the classification of HTS as an AQ affiliate remains.

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The Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham-al-Qaeda Dispute: Primary Texts (XIII)

February 10, 2019 at 10:06 am

For prior parts in this series, see here.

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A Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham Perspective on Democracy

February 9, 2019 at 9:24 am

Rejection of democracy is a common thread running through jihadist groups. The Syrian group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which evolved out of former al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, is no exception. Indeed, rejection of democracy is among the key principles of HTS. It is worth, however, exploring HTS' rejection of democracy in more detail. The commentary below was published on the channel of Abu Abdullah al-Shami (Abd al-Rahim Atoun: a leading figure in HTS) and shared on other channels of HTS leaders (e.g. al-Zubeir al-Ghazi and Abu Mariya al-Qahtani). It is a commentary on the mentioning of democracy in a recent civil society initiative in Idlib city (which is controlled by HTS) that featured participation from many associations and bodies, including those from the Turkish-occupied north Aleppo countryside- an area whose dynamics differ considerably from Idlib and its environs.

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