Abu Hamza Al-Qurashi
Spokesman for the Islamic State (died 2021)
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Hussam al-Sayid (Arabic: حسام السيد), known by his nom de guerre Abu Hamza al-Qurashi (Arabic: أبو حمزة القرشي),[1][2][3] (died November 2021) was an Iraqi[4] who served as the third spokesman for the Islamic State (IS) from 2019 until his death in November 2021.
حسام السيد
Abu Hamza al-Qurashi | |
|---|---|
أبو حمزة القريشي | |
| Spokesman of the Islamic State | |
| In office 31 October 2019 – 7 November 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Abul-Hasan al-Muhajir |
| Succeeded by | Abu Omar al-Muhajir |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Hussam al-Sayid حسام السيد |
| Died | 7 November 2021 Jarabulus, Syria |
| Cause of death | Airstrike |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Islamic State |
Before becoming the spokesman for the Islamic State, Abu Hamza al-Qurashi served as a munshid ( religious singer) for the Islamic State's Ajnad media from 2015 to 2019,[5] operating under the hierarchy name Abu Ibrahim al-Baghdadi. His intro voice was used in speeches of Al-Furqan audios and he was also Arabic voice of some of Al-Hayat media videos. During this time, he also served under the previous Islamic State spokesman, Abul-Hasan al-Muhajir.[4][6]
Al-Qurashi's role as a spokesman gave him a prominent position within the Islamic State, allowing him to disseminate the group's propaganda messages and motivate fighters.[7] He was known for his fiery speeches and reportedly lived working in the spice market in an area near the Ayn al-Bayda camp in the Jarablus region, where he was known as Abu Abdo al-Hamwi among local Islamic State members.[8]
His speeches included:
- “And Whosoever Fulfills What He has Covenanted with Allah, He will Bestow on Him a Great Reward”; 31 October 2019
- “God brought destruction on them, and similar (fate) avails the disbelievers”; 27 January 2020
- “And the disbelievers will know for whom is the final home“; 28 May 2020
- “So Relate the Stories That Perhaps They Will Give Thought”; 18 October 2020
- “And you will be superior if you are indeed believers”; 22 June 2021
Death
On 7 November 2021, Syrian opposition Telegram channels circulated an image of a deceased individual, killed in Jarabulus by missile strike, claiming that local forces had recognized the body as Abu Hamza al-Qurashi.[9][10][11] While local sources and conflict monitoring websites speculated at the time that he had been killed in November 2021, Islamic State official media did not immediately acknowledge the loss.[8]
On 10 March 2022, ISIS officially announced the death of Abu Hamza al-Qurashi alongside its leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi,[12] stating that both had been killed "in recent days".[4] Analysts suggest the group delayed the announcement of his November 2021 death to maintain organizational stability until the caliph himself was killed.[8][11]