Sami al-Oraydi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1973 (age 51–52) |
| Nationality | Jordanian |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  Al-Qaeda |
| Service |  Al-Nusra Front(2012–17)  Hurras al-Din(2018–25)[1] |
| Rank | Deputy leader of theal-Nusra Front |
| Battles / wars | Syria Lebanon |
Sami Mahmud Mohammed al-Oraydi orAbu Mahmoud al-Shami (also:al-Uraydi;Arabic:سامي محمود محمد العُرَيدي,romanized: Sāmī Maḩmūd Muḥammad al-ʿUraydī; born 1973) is a senior sharia official for theal-Qaeda affiliatedHurras al-Din[2][3] who was the chief religious authority foral-Nusra Front and the group's former second-in-command.[4][5]
Sami al-Oraydi was born inAmman, Jordan, in 1973, and received hisbachelor's degree in religious studies from theUniversity of Jordan. In 1997 he received amaster's degree from the same university inHadith studies and, in 2001, completed his PhD in the same subject. He has written a number of books about the 14th century scholarIbn Taymiyyah.[6]
Al-Oraydi was influenced by the teachings of Syrian jihadistAbu Musab al-Suri, who fought against the Syrian government in the 1970s and '80s.[4]
Al-Oraydi was a member of theal-Nusra Front. He acted as the group's chiefsharia authority and reportedly served as the group's second-in-command. He was previously al-Nusra's second highest sharia authority under former religious leader and military commanderAbu Maria Al-Qahtani. Al-Oraydi was promoted over al-Qahtani after theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) overran Nusra Front positions in eastern Syria in 2014.[4]
He had used social media to release sermons and declarations on behalf of theAl-Nusra Front. He maintained a Twitter account under the handle @sami_oride and reportedly tweeted that the "ideal" jihadist is a moral individual watched by God and the public. Al-Oraidi has also used social media to attackISIL, particularly after the group declared its caliphate in June 2014. Al-Oraydi said ISIL spokesmanAbu Mohammad al-Adnani "does not know what comes out of his head." He also referred to ISIL's leaders as "Muslim killers." He declared war on ISIL in a December 2014 sermon.[4]
Al-Oraydi has accused ISIL of beingKharijites and has denounced the group for being too extreme, saying in an audio released in 2014 that "Jihad has taught me that leniency in dealing with extremists and Kharijites is disregard for the blood of the Sunnis and the Mujaheddin. Every Jihad arena they enter, they shed the blood of the mujahideen."[7]
After the formation ofTahrir al-Sham, al-Oraydi left the group, along with another senior al-Nusra leader, and was later arrested by HTS with several other pro-al-Qaeda elements from the group; the arrests were condemned by ISIL.[8][9] His resignation was confirmed byAbu Muhammad al-Maqdisi.[5] al-Oraydi joined theshura council of theHurras al-Din in February 2018.[1]
The U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice Program is offering up to $5 million reward for information on his whereabouts.[10][11][12][13]
