Jihadi John
Kuwaiti-British terrorist and ISIS executioner (1988–2015)
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Key Takeaways
- A group of his hostages nicknamed him "John" since he was part of a four-person terrorist cell with English accents whom they called 'The Beatles'; the press later began calling him " Jihadi John ".
- His death was confirmed by IS in January 2016.
- The family, who were Bidoon of Iraqi origin, lived in the Taima area of the town of Al Jahra, which was known as a "slumtown" where stateless people were ghettoized by the Kuwaiti government.
- The family moved to the United Kingdom in 1994 when he was six.
- Emwazi attended St Mary Magdalene Church of England primary school, and later Quintin Kynaston School.
Mohammed Emwazi (born Muhammad Jassim Abdulkarim Olayan al-Dhafiri; Arabic: محمد جاسم عبد الكريم عليان الظفيري; 17 August 1988 – 12 November 2015) was a British militant of Kuwaiti origin seen in several videos produced by the Islamist extremist group Islamic State (IS) showing the beheadings of a number of captives in 2014 and 2015. A group of his hostages nicknamed him "John" since he was part of a four-person terrorist cell with English accents whom they called 'The Beatles'; the press later began calling him "Jihadi John".
On 12 November 2015, US officials reported that he had been hit by a drone strike in Raqqa, Syria. His death was confirmed by IS in January 2016.
Early life
Emwazi was born Muhammad Jassim Abdulkarim Olayan al-Dhafiri on 17 August 1988 in Kuwait as the eldest of five children to Jassem and Ghaneyah Emwazi. The family, who were Bidoon of Iraqi origin, lived in the Taima area of the town of Al Jahra, which was known as a "slumtown" where stateless people were ghettoized by the Kuwaiti government. They were undocumented, considered stateless and without Kuwaiti citizenship status. The family moved to the United Kingdom in 1994 when he was six. They settled in inner west London, moving between several properties in Maida Vale, including subsidised accommodation, later living in St John's Wood and finally in Queen's Park. Emwazi attended St Mary Magdalene Church of England primary school, and later Quintin Kynaston School. According to his former headteacher, Emwazi experienced some bullying at school.
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