Ahmed Abdul-Ghafur

Ahmed Abdul-Ghafur
Head of the Sunni Endowment Office
In office
July 2005 – November 2013
Preceded byAdnan al-Dulaimi
Succeeded byMahmud al-Sumaydai
Personal details
Born1955 (1955)
Samarra, Iraq
Died24 February 2024(2024-02-24) (aged 68–69)
Amman, Jordan
EducationArab History and Scientific Heritage Institute
OccupationJurist
Scholar

Ahmed Abdul-Ghafur (Arabic: أحمد عبد الغفور; 1955 – 24 February 2024) was an Iraqi jurist, Islamic scholar, and politician. He served as head of the Sunni Endowment Office from 2005 to 2013.[1]

Born in Samarra in 1955, Abdul-Ghafur studied Islamic law in Baghdad and earned advanced degrees in Islamic history, culminating in a Ph.D. in 2003 from the Institute of Arab History and Scientific Heritage. He became known for his sermons, particularly at the Imam Al-Ghazali Mosque in Samarra and later at the Umm Al-Qura Mosque in Baghdad.[1]

During his tenure at the Sunni Endowment, he was an outspoken critic of extremist violence. In one sermon he condemned attacks on civilians, stating, "The real resistance should only target the occupiers... Everybody should speak out against such inhumane acts."[2]

Her survived multiple threats to his life, including a suicide bombing attempt, which he publicly attributed to al-Qaeda.[3]

Abdul-Ghafur died in Amman on 24 February 2024 after suffering from terminal illness.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b "وفاة احمد عبد الغفور السامرائي عن عمر 69 عامًا". Buratha News Agency (in Arabic). 24 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Iraqis increasingly turn anger on insurgents". NBC News. 2005-03-04. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
  3. ^ "Deadly mosque attack". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
  4. ^ "وفاة رئيس ديوان الوقف السني الأسبق أحمد عبد الغفور السامرائي". NRT News (in Arabic). 24 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.