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Introduction
Following the Arab Spring, many Islamists and Salafi-jihadis who had been imprisoned under the toppled regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya were set free, and their voice, which had been harshly suppressed by those regimes, suddenly became an integral part of the political and social spheres. Social media, primarily Facebook and YouTube, became the Salafis' main outlets for conveying their messages and ideas. Such outlets have allowed them to actively participate, though at first only online, in the events unfolding in their countries.
This report focuses on two prominent Islamists who emerged in Tunisia following its Jasmine Revolution, the organization that they formed, and their messages and positions on several key events in post-revolution Tunisia.
The Tunisian Sheikhs
Sheikh Abu Iyadh Al-Tunisi
According to his Facebook fan page, Sheikh Abu Iyadh (also spelled Ayadh), aka Sayfullah bin Hussein, is a veteran of the jihad [against U.S. troops] in Afghanistan, and has studied with prominent radical Salafi-jihadi cleric Abu Qatada. Abu Iyadh was among the Arab mujahideen who fought alongside the Taliban in 2001; his final battle prior to leaving Afghanistan for Pakistan was in Jalalabad. At that time, according to his Facebook page, Abu Iyadh was wanted in several countries, including Tunisia, the U.K., and Turkey. He was arrested in Turkey [in 2003] and repatriated to Tunisia, where he was sentenced to 43 years in prison. Abu Iyadh was released from prison in early March 2011, after serving eight years of his sentence.
Abu Iyadh
Not much is known about Abu Iyadh prior to his emergence on the post-revolutionary Tunisian scene. Cageprisoners states that he was born in Tunisia in November 1965, that he was forced to flee his country in 1987 following a wave of arrests of militants in the students' movement, that he studied law in Oujda, Morocco, and that together with his wife, a Moroccan, he went to the U.K. and requested political asylum. It adds that Abu Iyadh has three children, Fida, Muhammad and Hanin.
Reports, presumably emanating from the interrogations of several Guantanamo detainees, give further information on the activities of Abu Iyadh (who is also referred to in them as Sayfullah bin Hussein). The reports describe him as the former leader of the terrorist Tunisian Combatant Group (TCG), aka Groupe Combattant Tunisien. Abu Iyadh was believed to be responsible for the so-called Jalalabad guesthouse, where Tunisians arriving to participate in the jihad alongside Al-Qaeda and the Taliban were hosted.
Abu Iyadh's Facebook makes no mention of his role as a founder and former leader of the TCG, which was formed in 2000 by Abu Iyadh/Sayfullah bin Hussein and Tarek Maaroufi. Maaroufi was involved in providing forged Belgian passports to the assassins of Ahmed Shah Massoud, leader of the Northern Alliance, who was killed two days before 9/11. The TCG became a designated terrorist group in 2002.
In 2001, several Tunisians were identified as belonging to an Al-Qaeda network in Europe. Italian authorities reported that a certain Sayfullah bin Hussein was the Tunisians' ringleader.
Abu Iyadh Eulogizes Bin Laden
After the killing of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Abu Iyadh eulogized him at a prayer service. He said that like the deaths of other Muslim leaders, bin Laden's death would not stop the cause for which he died: "Let the entire world celebrate the death of one of our Ummah's leaders…since the death and martyrdom of our leaders for the sake of this straight path… is an indication of the truthfulness of our way."
Abu Iyadh added that the death of bin Laden, as that of other "brothers and leaders" such as Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi and Abu Omar [Al-Baghdadi] should increase the steadfastness of the Muslim youth in supporting their religion. Calling upon Muslims to unite following bin Laden's death, Abu Iyadh said: "This is the allegiance, and that is the promise to Allah – do not regress after the death of your sheikh [i.e. bin Laden], or the deaths of your leaders. Remain steadfast – and die for [the same cause] for which the best among you died…"
Sheikh Abu Ayyoub Al-Tunisi
Not much is known about Abu Ayyoub's activity prior to the Tunisian revolution. According to one of his Facebook fan pages, the 30-year-old Sheikh Abu Ayyoub Al-Tunisi (aka Salim "Al-Qantari" Abu Ahmad Ayyoub) left Tunisia in 2008 for France, after being persecuted by the regime of president Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. However, he was later forced to leave France and return to Tunisia.
Abu Ayyoub
Abu Ayyoub voiced pro-jihadi rhetoric on several occasions. In a video posted online in October 2011, Abu Ayyoub is seen speaking to a group of men in a mosque, in what appears to be a spontaneous Q&A session. One person asks him to comment about the claim made against bin Laden [and Al-Qaeda as a whole] of killing innocent people, to which Abu Ayyoub says: "According to Islamic jurisprudence, there is no such thing as an innocent person… in jurisprudence books, there are no innocents, we have only a Muslim or an infidel… and we are obligated to fight the combatant infidel." He adds: "Osama bin Laden did not kill Muslims… [it was stated that he did so only because] today, the media is controlled by the Jews. What do the Jews do?" The group answered in unison, "They distort..."
The Sheikhs Join Forces
Following the revolution, Sheikhs Abu Iyadh Al-Tunisi and Abu Ayyoub Al-Tunisi apparently joined forces, forming what became known as the Ansar Al-Shari'a in Tunisia (AST). But a few months later, their merger was in question, when Abu Ayyoub apparently left the group.
The AST and the QMF
Ansar Al-Shari'a in Tunisia (AST)
Established following the Jasmine Revolution, the AST began as a Salafi group. The group, through its leaders Abu Iyadh and Abu Ayyoub, spread its message in mosques and streets throughout Tunisia, at public rallies and demonstrations (see below), and online, through its Facebook page. It also came to be associated with the Al-Qayrawan Media Foundation (QMF).
Left, the AST's initial emblem , right, its updated emblem
To read the full report, visit http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/6203.htm.
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