Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis
 | |
| Full Name | Jamal Ja'far al-Tamimi |
|---|---|
| Epithet | al-Muhandis |
| Well-known As | Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis |
| Religious Affiliation | Shia Islam |
| Birth | 1954 |
| Place of Birth | Basra |
| Martyrdom | January 3, 2020 |
| Cause of Martyrdom | US drone attack near Baghdad Airport |
| Burial Place | Wadi al-Salam cemetery in Najaf. |
| Notable roles | Deputy of the commander of Popular Mobilization Forces |
Jamāl Jaʿfar Muḥammad ʿAlī Āl Ibrāhīm, well-known as Abū Mahdī al-Muhandis (Arabic: أبو مهدي المهندس), was deputy of the commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces of Iraq (al-Hashd al-Sha'bi). He was a member of Islamic Da'wa Party and Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq. He was one of the founders of Kata'ib Hizb Allah and Popular Mobilization Forces and was one of the most influential Iraqi commanders in ousting ISIS from Iraq. Abu Mahdi was assassinated along with Qasem Soleimani on January 3, 2020, by a US drone near Baghdad Airport.
Biography
Jamal Ja'far Muhammad Ali Al Ibrahim al-Tamimi, known by his teknonym and epithet Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, was born in Basra in 1954[1] to an Iraqi father and an Iranian mother.[2] He entered the University of Technology in Baghdad in 1973 and received his bachelor's degree in civil engineering.[3] He continued his education in political sciences and later received his Ph.D. Additionally, he studied elementary hawza lessons in Basra at the school of Ayatollah Sayyid Muhsin al-Hakim.
Assassination and Martyrdom
The US had placed Abu Mahdi on its list of terrorists since 2009. On January 3, 2020, he was martyred in a US drone attack alongside Qasem Soleimani and several others near Baghdad Airport. Their bodies were taken to Kadhimiyya, Karbala, Najaf, Ahwaz, Mashad, Tehran and Qom. Abu Mahdi had a funeral procession in Basra, his birthplace, and was then buried in Wadi al-Salam Cemetery in Najaf.
Public demonstrations were held in several countries, including Bahrain, Yemen and Pakistan, to condemn the assassination of Abu Mahdi and Soleimani.
Political and Military Activities
Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis joined the Islamic Dawa Party in the early 1970s. When he became a wanted man, he had no choice but to leave Iraq. He first went to Kuwait and then entered Iran. In 1985, he became a member of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq.
Abu Mahdi joined the Badr Army in 1983 and was appointed its commander in 2002. He was involved in an assassination attempt on Tariq Aziz, Iraq's foreign minister under Saddam Hussein. Abu Mahdi was one of the founders of Kata'ib Hezbollah in Iraq. Following the establishment of Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq, he was appointed as the deputy commander. However, experts state that he was considered the leading commander of Popular Mobilization Forces on the battlefield. He played a crucial role in planning and executing the operation to oust ISIS from Iraq.
Al-Muhandis was known for his opposition to the presence of American forces in Iraq, stating that one of his key goals was to expel American soldiers from the country. He is said to have been involved in the attack on the American embassy in Baghdad in 2019. According to his son, he aimed to punish America and end its presence in Iraq during this incident.
Abu Mahdi's Will
According to his will, published in a video file, he urged his family and young Iraqi fighters to remain steadfast in jihad and to fight against the enemies of Islam. He also taught them religious principles regarding jihad and its rulings, including how to treat prisoners of war. He emphasized the importance of respecting people's property and honor from a religious perspective during jihad. Furthermore, he considered the goal of himself and his comrades to be jihad and struggle, seeking to gain God's satisfaction and serve the people regardless of their religious affiliations, while also aiming to end the presence of enemies and terrorism in the region. In another part, he highlighted securing Iraq, establishing peace, and promoting stability in the region as additional goals of the struggle.
The Documentary: Selfie with Abu Mahdi
Salafi with Abu Mahdi is the title of a film that narrates Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis's role as the commander of Popular Mobilization Forces on the resistance front. This forty-minute documentary, produced by Sayyid Hashim Musawi in 2015, depicts Saladin's operations and the recapture of Jurf al-Sakhr.
See Also
Notes
References
- Who was Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (Arabic). Accessed: 2-24/10/10.
- About Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis (Persian). Accessed: 2-24/10/10.
- Revealing the real name of the leader 'Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis' who was martyred with Soleimani (Arabic). Accessed: 2-24/10/10.
- The material for this article is mainly taken from ابومهدی المهندس in Farsi Wikishia.