Daesh (ISIS) has become well-known for its Hollywood-style production in its execution videos, and a big part of that is the music. There is one man said to be behind the songs, and no one in the English-speaking world has ever even heard about him.
Arabic reports said the man, Maher Mashaal, was killed Saturday in a raid by the Syrian army south of Hasakah. Daesh-affiliated accounts announced his death on Twitter after an attack on eastern Deir ez-Zor targeted a group of Daesh fighters.
انباء عن استشهاد المنشد ابو الزبير ماهر مشعل في #ولاية_البركة بقصف صليبي #استشهاد_ماهر_مشعل
— جمال المصرى 18 (@gamalahmed104) July 11, 2015
Translation: News about the death of our brother Abu al-Zubair al-Jazrawi (Maher Mashaal) with a crusade raid.
غفر الله لأخي #ماهر_مشعل نسأل الله له القبول .. ركل الدنيا وزخرفها وابتغى مرضاة الله #استشهاد_ماهر_مشعل pic.twitter.com/nJ8GDwCITp
— قحطاني مناصر (@ss_k_16) July 13, 2015Translation: May Allah rest his soul in peace, he left all the world's luxuries asking for God's heaven.
Mashaal was believed to be the singer for Daesh in the group's execution videos that use "nasheed," which is an Islamic tradition of singing a cappella or using percussion instruments in the background. Here's a sample.
Mashaal became famous and grew a fan base after he appeared on an Arabic TV program for a nasheed competition. But in April 2013 he announced on social media accounts that he's traveling to Syria and joining Daesh, outraging his fans who begged him to come back.
كنت من اشد متابعينه للحين ماني مستوعبه كيف صار مع داعش واليوم توفى..شي محزن إننا مانعلم هل تجوز الرحمه عليه أو لا #استشهاد_ماهر_مشعل
— حسناء (@Wwa_77) July 13, 2015Translation: I was one of his biggest fans. Now he is killed with Daesh, it is really sad. I don't know if I can ask god to forgive him.
Mashaal left the limelight and disappeared for a while, until he showed up singing in some Daesh videos. He's believed to be the one to have written and sung the Islamic songs the organization uses in their execution films.
By Hayat Norimine
