Photos surfaced online of a celebration held by European Muslims in honor of a Tunisian youth who was killed while fighting in Syria. The celebration, held in an undisclosed location in Europe – according to one report, in France – was in the form of a "martyr's wedding," symbolizing the deceased's wedding to the virgins of paradise. For more on this phenomenon, see: MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No. 926, Salafi-Jihadis In Jordan Stage 'Martyrs' Weddings' To Attract Youth To Jihad, February 8, 2013.
The Tunisian, Ayman Al-Hakiri, AKA Abu Maria Al-Tunsi, was an active member of Ansar Al-Shari'a in Tunisia. He recently joined Jabhat Al-Nusra in Syria and was appointed a commander in Aleppo, and was reportedly killed in the Aleppo area on February 24. Al-Hakiri was likewise an active member of jihadi forums, using the nickname Matlub fi Al-Jannah ("Wanted in Paradise").
Ayman Al-Hakiri
Source: Shamikh1.info, February 26, 2013; Tanitpress.net, February 27, 2013.
