Abu Omar al-Saif
Encyclopedia
Abu Omar al-Saif was an informal name or nom de guerre of a Saudi
Islamist and fighter operating first in Afghanistan
(1986–1988) and later in the North Caucasus
(1996–2005) as the mufti
of Arab
fighters in Chechnya
, allegedly with close ties to al-Qaeda
. His full name was Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Saif al-Tamimi (محمد بن عبد الله بن سيف التميمي). He sometimes also used the name, or was addressed as, al-Jaber. He was born in 1968 or 1969 in Saudi Arabia
, and was killed in Dagestan
in December 2005.
Al-Saif seems to have been the trustee of Arab financiers, receiving money from them through some institution in Dagestan (likely the Makhachkala
office of Benevolence International Foundation
, a KSA
-based Islamic charity, now banned) and distributing it to the Islamic insurgent forces across southern Russia
. His predecessor in this role was Ibn al-Khattab
, who was also a Saudi and was also killed in Dagestan. It is unclear whether al-Saif took command of Abu al-Walid al-Ghamdi
’s forces in Chechnya after the latter's death in 2004. It is possible that, after al-Saif's death, the Jordanian or Saudi known as Abu Hafs al-Urduni
took over al-Saif's function, or tried to take it over (al-Urduni was killed 11 months after al-Saif, again in Dagestan). Al-Saif was suspected in Russia in connection with the 1999 apartment bombings
in Moscow
and Volgodonsk
, as well as suspected by them of financing the 2004 Beslan school hostage crisis
.
Abu Omar al-Saif was known to a small extent as an ideologue and spiritual leader. In the Chechen government of Zelimkhan Yandarbiev in 1996, he held the title of chairman of the Sharia
judges and was responsible for implementation of the Islamic courts in the republic. He also wrote several articles and books, especially related to the issues of Iraq
and democracy
which he considered un-Islamic and idolatrous, and the conflict in the Caucasus
which he believed could only be solved through armed Islamic Jihad
.
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
Islamist and fighter operating first in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
(1986–1988) and later in the North Caucasus
North Caucasus
The North Caucasus is the northern part of the Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian Seas and within European Russia. The term is also used as a synonym for the North Caucasus economic region of Russia....
(1996–2005) as the mufti
Mufti
A mufti is a Sunni Islamic scholar who is an interpreter or expounder of Islamic law . In religious administrative terms, a mufti is roughly equivalent to a deacon to a Sunni population...
of Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
fighters in Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
, allegedly with close ties to al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
. His full name was Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Saif al-Tamimi (محمد بن عبد الله بن سيف التميمي). He sometimes also used the name, or was addressed as, al-Jaber. He was born in 1968 or 1969 in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, and was killed in Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
in December 2005.
Al-Saif seems to have been the trustee of Arab financiers, receiving money from them through some institution in Dagestan (likely the Makhachkala
Makhachkala
-Twin towns/sister cities:Makhachkala is twinned with: Sfax, Tunisia Siping, China Spokane, United States Vladikavkaz, Russia Yalova, Turkey Ndola, Zambia-See also:*...
office of Benevolence International Foundation
Benevolence International Foundation
The Benevolence International Foundation was a purported nonprofit charitable trust based in Saudi Arabia. It was a front for al-Qaeda and is now banned worldwide by the United Nations Security Council Committee 1267...
, a KSA
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
-based Islamic charity, now banned) and distributing it to the Islamic insurgent forces across southern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. His predecessor in this role was Ibn al-Khattab
Ibn al-Khattab
Samir Saleh Abdullah Al-Suwailem , more commonly known as Emir Khattab meaning Commander Khattab, or Leader Khattab, and also known as Habib Abdul Rahman, was a Muslim guerilla fighter and financier working with Chechen Mujahideen in the First Chechen War...
, who was also a Saudi and was also killed in Dagestan. It is unclear whether al-Saif took command of Abu al-Walid al-Ghamdi
Abu al-Walid
Abu al-Walid , was a Saudi-born Arab of the Ghamid tribe who fought as a "mujahid" volunteer in Central Asia, the Balkans, and the North Caucasus...
Abu Hafs al-Urduni
Abu Hafs al-Urduni , also transliterated as Abu Hafs al-Urdani was a Mujahid Emir fighting in Chechnya. After Abu al-Walid’s death in April 2004, he assumed command of the Arab Mujahideen in Chechnya...
took over al-Saif's function, or tried to take it over (al-Urduni was killed 11 months after al-Saif, again in Dagestan). Al-Saif was suspected in Russia in connection with the 1999 apartment bombings
Russian apartment bombings
The Russian apartment bombings were a series of explosions that hit four apartment blocks in the Russian cities of Buynaksk, Moscow, and Volgodonsk in September 1999, killing 293 people and injuring 651. The explosions occurred in Buynaksk on 4 September, Moscow on 9 and 13 September, and...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Volgodonsk
Volgodonsk
Volgodonsk is a city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located in the eastern part of the oblast on the west bank of the Tsimlyansk Reservoir. Population: 28,000 .-History:...
, as well as suspected by them of financing the 2004 Beslan school hostage crisis
Beslan school hostage crisis
The Beslan school hostage crisis of early September 2004 was a three-day hostage-taking of over 1,100 people which ended in the deaths of over 380...
.
Abu Omar al-Saif was known to a small extent as an ideologue and spiritual leader. In the Chechen government of Zelimkhan Yandarbiev in 1996, he held the title of chairman of the Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
judges and was responsible for implementation of the Islamic courts in the republic. He also wrote several articles and books, especially related to the issues of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
which he considered un-Islamic and idolatrous, and the conflict in the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
which he believed could only be solved through armed Islamic Jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
.