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Abu Rumaysah
Born
Siddhartha Dhar

(1983-06-24) 24 June 1983 (age 41)[1]
Edmonton, London, England
Disappeared3 January 2016 (aged 32)
Raqqa, Syria
Status (MIA)
Other names"Abu Rumaysah al-Britani"
"Jihadi Sid"
"Saiful Islam"[2]
CitizenshipBritish
Known forIslamism and being a British executioner in the Islamic State
SpouseAisha Tariq
Children5[3]
Criminal statusDesignated as a global terrorist by the United States.[4]
Military career
Allegiance Islamic State
Years of service2014–?
Battles / warsSyria

Abu Rumaysah al-Britani, born Siddhartha Dhar (24 June 1983) also known as Jihadi Sid,[5] is a British citizen who is an Islamic State (IS) militant. On 3 January 2016, he was named as the lead executioner in a film issued by IS from Raqqa, Syria that showed the execution of suspected British spies against the Islamic State.[6][2] Abu Rumaysah has been designated as a global terrorist by the United States.[7]

Dhar was born in London to a Bengali-speaking Hindu family of Indian origin and changed his name to Abu Rumaysah after his conversion to Islam.[8][9] He is believed to be in his late 30s as of 2022.[10] He acted as a spokesperson for the Islamist group Al-Muhajiroun, an organisation banned in the UK, and worked as an aide to Al-Muhajiroun's co-founder, Anjem Choudary.[11] Dhar also owned a bouncy castle rental company.[10] He lived in Walthamstow. He used social media to promote his Islamist views and attended demonstrations in Britain against the United States, Israel, and Arab governments. In a video he posted to YouTube, Dhar described IS's self declared caliphate as "...a dream for all Muslims worldwide ... We can finally have a sanctuary where we can practice our religion and live under the sharia. It is a big, big thing".[2]

He spoke of his desire for the United Kingdom to be governed under sharia law on the BBC's Sunday Morning Live programme, and said of himself that he didn't "...really identify myself with British values. I am Muslim first, second and last". In 2014, Dhar was under investigation by British authorities for allegedly encouraging terrorism, but subsequently disappeared after being released on bail. Although he had been banned from travelling, Dhar departed for Paris from Victoria Coach Station in London with his wife, Aisha Tariq,[3] and their at the time four children, later arriving at Syria.[2]

Dhar wrote a travel guide to the Islamic State in May 2015, called A Brief Guide to Islamic State, and wrote of it that "If you thought London or New York was cosmopolitan, then wait until you step foot in the Islamic State because it screams diversity. ... In my short time here I have met people from absolutely every walk of life, proof that the caliphate's pulling power is strong and tenacious".[2]

He appeared in the Channel 4 documentary The Jihadis Next Door.[12][13]

As of 2024, Dhar's current whereabouts are unknown. He is either still missing or presumed dead.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Counter Terrorism Designations".
  2. ^ a b c d e Casciani, Dominic (4 January 2016). "Who is Siddhartha Dhar?". BBC News. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  3. ^ a b "ISIS Executioner Siddhartha Dhar Seen as New 'Jihadi John'". Time Magazine. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Indian-origin 'New Jihadi John': All you need to know". The Times of India. 24 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Indian origin British citizen 'Jihadi Sid' on U.S. terrorist list". The Hindu. 22 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Islamic State video suspect thought to be Briton Siddhartha Dhar". BBC News. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  7. ^ "Indian-Origin ISIS Man, Dubbed "New Jihadi John", Designated Global Terrorist By US". NDTV. 24 January 2018.
  8. ^ Express News Service (14 November 2014). "Indian-origin jihadist flees UK for ISIS". Indian Express. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  9. ^ Roy, Amit (10 January 2016). "MI5 sounded Bengali boy: Report". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  10. ^ a b Flaig, Joseph (4 January 2016). "Speculation that ISIS executioner 'could be Walthamstow jihadi', report claims". East London & West Essex Guardian. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  11. ^ "Mother feared to have taken children to Syria linked with high ranking ISIS man". East London & West Essex Guardian. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  12. ^ O'Donovan, Gerard (20 January 2016). "The Jihadis Next Door, Channel 4, review: 'shocking and crucial'". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
  13. ^ "The Jihadis Next Door". Archived from the original on 5 June 2017.
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