Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham announced its disavowal of Jordanian Issam al-Barqawi, nicknamed Abu Muhammad al-Maqdisi, who is considered one of the leading ideologues of the jihadist Salafi movement. This happened pursuant to a fatwa Maqdisi issued which prohibits joining Tahrir al-Sham’s security apparatus.
On Saturday, Tahrir al-Sham issued a lengthy statement, in which it considered Maqdisi “one of the figures who had a bad influence on Tahrir al-Sham,” and pronounced, “expressions of atonement, infiltration and betrayal, in harmony with the approach of the Kharijites.”
Tahrir al-Sham considered that Maqdisi, “is not a sheikh of jihad, nor a jihadist ideologue or reference, as some describe him,” and that he is characterized by, “immorality in his handling of quarrel and does not take into account the jurisprudence of dispute resolution or the literature.”
The statement came in response to a fatwa issued by Maqdisi about joining the security apparatus of Tahrir al-Sham. He accused the front of collaborating with Turkish intelligence.
This is one of the steps that Tahrir al-Sham has been taking to improve its image.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
