Mohammed Khalifa
Template:Short description Template:For Template:Infobox criminal Mohammed Khalifa (born 10 July 1983), also known by his noms de guerre Abu Ridwan al-Kanadi and Abu Muthanna al-Muhajir, is a Canadian citizen who traveled to Islamic State-occupied territory, where he narrated various Islamic State videos.<ref name=nytimes2019-02-22/><ref name=globalnews2019-02-17/>
Observers had long speculated that two important Islamic State war videos, Flames of War and Flames of War 2, were narrated by a Canadian.<ref name=globalnews2018-10-16/> Khalifa was captured in a clash with the Syrian Democratic Forces in January 2019, and acknowledged that he was the narrator of both films.<ref name=nytimes2019-02-17/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Flames of War was described as one of the most influential Islamic State war videos.<ref name=nytimes2019-02-17/> It is 55 minutes long, much of the footage filmed with a GoPro style body-camera, worn by a fighter, who first digs in, then charges Syrian soldiers. Other footage records prisoners first being made to dig their own graves, then showing their brutal executions.
The New York Times hired three voice recognition experts, who had served as expert witnesses, Catalin Grigoras, Jeff M. Smith and Robert C. Maher, who all agreed recordings made when Rukmini Callimachi interviewed him matched the narration of the videos.<ref name=nytimes2019-02-17/>
According to Charlie Winter, a counter-terrorism specialist from the International Center for the Study of Radicalization, "His voice is the most recognizable English-speaking voice to have ever appeared in Islamic State propaganda."<ref name=nytimes2019-02-17/> Winter called The Flames of War
According to Amarnath Amarasingam, of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, "He is a symbol — the voice coming out of ISIS, speaking to the English-speaking world, for the better part of the last four to five years."<ref name=nytimes2019-02-17/>
In October 2021, Khalifa was flown to Virginia and arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Prosecutors charged him with "material terrorism support leading to death", alleging that he was responsible for publicising the infamous video of James Foley's beheading.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Raj Parekh, acting US attorney, described Khalifa as "the voice behind the violence".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On December 10, 2021, Khalifa pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organization, resulting in death.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was sentenced to life in prison on 29 July 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>