Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was born in Samara, Iraq in 1971 to a religious family. Prior to US invasion to Iraq, Baghdadi received his master and doctorate degree from an Islamic university in Adhamiya, Baghdad. His study focused on Islamic culture, law, and jurisprudence. He has never received any degree from Sunni Education Institution like al-Azhar University Cairo or Islamic University of Madinah Saudi Arabia. Yet, he has more knowledge on traditional Islam compared to other al-Qaeda leaders such as Osama bin Laden and Aymen al-Zawahiri. He is an ulama in Hanbal Ahmad ibn Imam Mosque in Samarra during 20013 US invasion to Iraq.

According to Turki al-Binali (an ideology expert from Bahrain), Bahgdadi is the ancestry of Prophet Muhammad PBUH which becomes a key requirement to be a caliphate in the history of Islam. Baghdadi belongs to al-Bu Badri tribe in Samarra and Diyala, North and East Baghdad which has historically been known as the ancestry of Prophet Muhammad PBUH.

Abu Bakr al Baghdadi often uses his alias, Abu Dua and Dr Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai. Then, to show that he is the ancestry of Prophet Muhammad, he is now using Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi Al-Husseini Al-Qurashi and proclaims himself as the leader (Amir) of al-Mu’minin Khalifah Ibrahim. He was a jihadist during Saddam Hussein era. He was arrested by US army in 2005 and detained at US detention center, Bucca Campin Umm Qasr, a city port at the south of Iraq. It is believed that his 4 years prison life that made him radical. Bucca Camp is a large US prison compound in the South of Iraq nearby Kuwait dessert. According to Rodney Martin (Director of World View Foundations site) in Press TV (9/7/14), the US has arrested and detained al-Baghdadi, but then released him after CIA interviewed him and made a deal with him.

After US invasion in 2003, he became more active in al – Qaeda Iraq chapter under Abu Mushab al-Zargawi leadership. That was the first time he got involved in smuggling foreign fighters into Iraq. He was then appointed as the leader of Rawa, a small town nearby Syrian border. Baghdadi and some of his friends also created Jamaat Jaysh Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamaah (JJASJ), an arm forces from Sunni Group operated in Samarra, Diyala, and Baghdad in which Baghdadi became the leader of the Law council. As the result, Baghdadi became US fugitive with US$ 10 million rewards for those successfully apprehended him.
Forbes Magazine on 6 November 2015 wrote that IS leader, Abu Bakr al – Baghdadi was in the list of most influential people in the world. He ranked 57 in the list. He proclaimed himself as the caliphate of Islamic State of Iraq and Sham. He trades oil in the black market with total income of US$ 1 million per day.

His first written statement is his remarks on the death of Osama bin Laden in May 2011. His first audio message was released in July 2012 containing his foresight on Islamic State’s victory in the future.
            
Both Islamic State and Baghdadi cannot be trusted

The concept of Islamic State formulated by Abu Bakr al Baghdadi which is then manifested in the form of IS truly does not portray the real values of Islam. The terrorist groups reported by global media have been used to discredit Islam in this proxy war. Thus, the followers of IS and Baghdadi are fighting for nothing. Baghdadi himself is not even better than Hitler and other fascist leaders. Baghdadi as an individual also does not portray the character of a good Moslem. By looking at Baghdadi’s life, in which he earned money from the black market, there was possibility that he got the oil in an illegal way.

It is interesting, though, to consider what was written by Hillary Clinton in her book that IS was actually created by the US to destroy Middle East Countries. Similarly, Rodney Martin also suspect Baghdadi as an agent of CIA meaning that Baghdadi and the IS, just like Taliban in Afghanistan, are actually “the puppet” of the US who are now back-firing the US itself despite their success in helping the US chase away Soviet from Afghanistan 9in Taliban case) and bring disorder in the silk road and Middle East or even in Europe, Asia Pacific (in IS case) that eventually will preserve US hegemony over China and other BRICS countries.
          
*) The author is a terrorism observer residing in Bali.


Pewarta: By: Jelita Chantiqa *)

Editor : M. Tohamaksun


COPYRIGHT © ANTARA News Megapolitan 2016