Poulin was born inTimmins,Ontario,Canada, in 1990. He worked as a local streetjanitor and earned approximately 2,000Canadian dollars per month beforeconverting to Islam in 2008.[4] Before converting, Poulin showed interest in bothcommunism andanarchism.[5] After he followed a strict interpretation of Islam which radicalized him. He readThe Anarchist Cookbook to learn about explosives, became violent towards people he knew, and had an affair with a married woman also threatening her husband for not being religious enough which earned him a couple weeks in jail.[6] After his incarceration, Poulin spent significant time online, during which he made threats to bomb a local gas station.[7]
In late 2012 Poulin left Canada forSyria to join with theKatibat al-Muhajireen (Brigade of the Emigrants),[8][9] at the same timeMohammed Emwazi joined ISIS.[10] During Poulin's time in Syria, Poulin recruited 5 other Canadians to join ISIS. Poulin had met the recruits in 2011 and radicalized over the next few years, though 3 of his recruits were rescued by their families before crossing into Syria fromLebanon the rest stayed to join ISIS.[11] After Poulin arrived in Syria he married a woman, who then got pregnant before she passed.[12]
Poulin participated in thesiege of Menagh Air Base against bothFree Syrian Army militants and Ba'athist soldiers.[13] During this siege, on August 8, 2013, Poulin joined other militants in an attempt to seize the air base during the offensive. This caused him to be hit by arocket-propelled grenade and subsequently be killed.[14]
Approximately a year after Poulin's death on July 2014, the Islamic State's official media-wingal-Hayat Media Center produced a video entitled "The Chosen Few of Different Lands" which is 11-minutes long showing Poulin (shown under the alias Abu Muslim) making statements to potential recruits on how he was a regular Canadian and that they can join ISIS.[15] Poulin stated that ISIS needed more than just fighters for the so-calledmujahideen and ISIS needs engineers, doctors, et cetera.[16] The video was professionally edited and included stock footage fromNorth America, such as clips from officialAlberta tourism videos.[17]
