View source for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

== Early Life ==
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was born as Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim al-Badri on July 28, 1971 in Samarra, [[Iraq]]. He was raised in a religious Sunni family, with his father teaching at a local mosque. He completed his primary and secondary education in Samarra, showing a keen interest in [[Islamic studies]] and Arabic literature.

== Education ==
Al-Baghdadi pursued higher education at the University of Baghdad, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Islamic studies in 1996. He furthered his studies at the Islamic University of Baghdad, now known as the Islamic University in Adhamiya, where he obtained a master's degree in 1999 and a doctorate in 2007, both in Quranic studies.

== Religious and Political Involvement ==
In the early 2000s, al-Baghdadi became involved with [[Salafi]] groups in Iraq, which were growing in response to the U.S. invasion. He was arrested by U.S. forces in 2004 and detained at Camp Bucca, a detention center in southern Iraq. It was during this time that he became involved with the extremist group al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI).

[[Image:Detail-48061.jpg|thumb|center|Aerial view of a large detention facility in a desert environment.|class=only_on_mobile]]
[[Image:Detail-48062.jpg|thumb|center|Aerial view of a large detention facility in a desert environment.|class=only_on_desktop]]

== Rise to Power ==
After his release in 2004, al-Baghdadi resumed his involvement with AQI and quickly rose through its ranks. When the group's leaders were killed in 2010, al-Baghdadi was appointed as the new leader. Under his leadership, AQI expanded into Syria and became known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

== Leadership of ISIS ==
As the leader of ISIS, al-Baghdadi oversaw the group's expansion and the implementation of its extreme interpretation of Islamic law in the territories it controlled. He declared the establishment of a caliphate in 2014 and named himself as the caliph, or leader of all Muslims. His leadership was marked by brutal violence, including mass killings, abductions, and the destruction of cultural heritage sites.

== Death ==
Al-Baghdadi died on October 26, 2019 during a U.S. military raid in Idlib, Syria. His death marked the end of his decade-long reign as the leader of ISIS.

== Legacy ==
Al-Baghdadi's legacy is marked by his role in the rise of ISIS and the establishment of its caliphate. His leadership resulted in widespread violence and instability in the Middle East, with lasting impacts on the region and its people.

== See Also ==
* [[Islamic State of Iraq and Syria]]
* [[Salafi movement]]
* [[Caliphate]]

[[Category:Terrorism]]
[[Category:Islamic extremism]]
[[Category:History of Iraq]]