British Jihadi, One Of EU's Most Wanted ISIS Fighters, Arrested In Spain This Week – 2014 MEMRI Report Gives Exclusive Look At His Early Social Media Activity

The following report is now a complimentary offering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information, click here.

On April 21, 2020, Spanish police arrested Abdel Majed Abdel Bary, a British-Egyptian jihadi who had joined the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria.[1] Bary, whom a police report called "one of the most wanted terrorists in Europe,"[2] was arrested in the city of Almeria in southern Spain with two other men as part of a counter-terrorism raid, and may have entered Spain shortly before via Algeria. Bary was known in London as the rapper "Jinny" before joining ISIS in 2013.

In 2014, MEMRI JTTM reported on Bary's activity on social media, where he discussed his support for jihad, the mujahideen, and the ISIS caliphate, his dissatisfaction with his wealthy upbringing in the West, and some of his experiences in Syria. The following MEMRI JTTM report, originally published on July 2, 2014, and later updated, gives an exclusive look at Bary's early social media activity.[3]

"Jinny" – A British ISIS Fighter Active In Syria

Abdel Majed Abdel Bary is now believed to be one of several British jihadis under investigation following the beheading of American photojournalist James Wright Foley on August 19, 2014.[4]

A British fighter named Abdel Majed Abdel Bary, who uses the names "Jinny" and "Abu AK47 Al-Britani" on Twitter, has been fighting with ISIS in Syria since late 2013. According to information he provided on his Twitter account, he comes from a wealthy family in London that apparently shares his extremist views, and he used to be a rapper[5] until he decided that such music was anathema to Islam.

The following are further details from his Twitter account:

Jinny writes that he lived in the upscale Maida Vale area in London. On March 17, 2014, he posted a photo of himself with his father, with the caption, "Miss my father, the realest, May Allah Free you & unite us in jannah [heaven] Inshallah [God willing]."

This post and some of the responses to it indicate that Jinny's father is in prison. On December 12 Jinny tweeted: "Lately I been having nuff [enough] dreams of my father getting released. Kheir Inshallah."

A March 13 tweet reveals that Jinny's younger brother is serving a life sentence. He wrote: "My lil brother ahmed got sentenced to life... 26 years minimum... love lil bro see you in the afterlife inshallah #Kasper".

In late 2013 he was already a jihad supporter, as evident from a September 2013 tweet: "Don't believe the media and government when they tamper and scar the image of the mujahideen, it's all lies... These kuffs [kuffar, disbelievers] are terrified of an Islamic state/Khalifa [caliphate] being established because they wont be able to oppress muslims anymore." However, at that time he was still a fan of popular music. On September 10 he tweeted the lyrics of the song "Pour It Up" by Rihanna, a provocative pop star: "All I see is signs all I see is dollar signs, money on ma [my] mind money money on my ma mind. When I touch down it's a madness".

Aware that his jihadi ideology conflicted with his musical ambitions, Jinny left the rap world and deleted all online traces of his former self. He reveals this in an October 9 tweet: "For everyone that still asks me about where my videos gone, like I said a while back I quit music & I took the vids I can down."

An October 6 tweet shows that he was already contemplating leaving the UK: "Imprisonment for me is a chance to be alone with my Lord. To be killed is martyrdom and to be exiled from my land is a spiritual journey."

His first tweets from Syria appear on December 8, 2014: "Alhamdulilah [thank God] for the blessing of islamd & jihad. Man think theyre livin in 'hell' in the uk, come out here n [and] youll appreciate what you got night & day lol [laugh out loud]."

After various British tabloids reported on Jinny's exploits in Syria, he lashed out at their descriptions of him as a terrorist and mocked what he called the errors in their reports. Responding to a Daily Mail reporter who claimed he had ties to the infamous British hate preacher Anjem Choudary,[6] Jinny tweeted: "& btw I aint got nothing to do with anjem choudry hes just a microphone jihadi so what you on about you deluded racist?"

On January 12 he commented on what he sees as a double standard in the West's view of those who fight in Syria: "Funny how the UK &US wanted so called intervention in Syria before yet anyone who goes there to fight is labeled a 'Terrorist.'"

On February 12th he wrote that he and a fellow mujahid had been kidnapped and robbed by fighters from a rival rebel group: "Me & Abu Hussein al britani got kidnapped/tortured by FSA [Free Syrian Army/IF [Islamic Front] scum they stole our 4 ak's and a 7mm, my vechile[sic] & our phones and cash."

Eleven days later he wrote about a close-call he had had: "huge car bomb went off right outside my place today, woke up to ceiling crashin[crashing] down lol. lots of shaheeds[martyrs]. Alhamdulilah all is blessed tho[though]."

Jinny is vocal in his condemnation of those who weigh in on the conflict from the comfort and safety of the West. On February 2014 he tweeted: "If you aint in syria you have no right to commentate about the actions and intentions of the mujahideen, hold your tongue mr. mufti. Chillin on your sofa tryna convince yourself jihad aint fard [obligatory] right now to make yourself feel better about neglecting your duty is weak akhi [my brother].

 

Refering to the rapid advances and victories of ISIS in Iraq on June 16, he posted a series of tweets mocking the West's policies vis-à-vis Iraq: "Look how much trillion $ you spent in iraq to try and prevent this and how many years wasted. Only to be disappointed we still coming strong how much wasted trying to train the Iraq army to combat 'terrorism' and how much billions spent on weapons. Only to fall in our hands now."

 

In a June 16 tweet he threatened the "scummy pagans" in the West: "Wallahi [I swear to God] the days of muslim silent oppression are over, the lions are coming for you filthy kuffs, beheadings in your own backyard soon. The black flag of tawheed [Islamic monotheism] will fly ontop of parliament and the whitehouse I swear to you, stay indoors and away the bombs you scummy pagans."