Khalid Islambouli
Encyclopedia
Khalid Ahmed Showky Al-Islambouli (January 15, 1955 – April 15, 1982) was an Egyptian army officer who planned and participated in the assassination of Egypt's third president
President of Egypt
The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the head of state of Egypt.Under the Constitution of Egypt, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Egyptian government....

, Anwar Sadat
Anwar Sadat
Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981...

, during the annual 6th October victory parade on 6 October 1981. Islambouli stated that his primary motivation for the assassination was Sadat's signing of the Camp David Accords
Camp David Accords
The Camp David Accords were signed by Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on September 17, 1978, following thirteen days of secret negotiations at Camp David. The two framework agreements were signed at the White House, and were witnessed by United States...

 with the State of Israel. He was tried by a military tribunal, found guilty, and sentenced to death. Following his execution, Islambouli was declared a martyr by many radicals in the Islamic world, and became an inspirational symbol for radical Islamic movements as one of the first 'modern Shahids'.

Background

Islambouli's father was an Egyptian legal advisor and his mother was of Turkish
Turkish people
Turkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...

 descent. After graduating from the Egyptian Military Academy
Egyptian Military Academy
The Egyptian Military Academy is the oldest and most prominent military academy in Egypt and North Africa. Traditionally, graduates of the Military Academy are commissioned as officers in the Egyptian Army...

 with excellent grades, he was accepted as an officer in the Bombardment Forces of the Egyptian Army with the rank of Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...

. Sometime after this appointment, Islambouli joined the proscribed Egyptian Islamic Jihad movement.

Assassination of Sadat

Islambouli was not supposed to participate in the October parade, but was chosen by chance to replace an officer from the 333rd Artillery Brigade who was excused for being unable to participate.

Once his section of the parade began to approach the President's platform, Islambouli, Abdelhameed Abdul Salaam, Ata Tayel Hameeda Raheel, and Hussein Abbas leapt from their truck and ran towards the stand while lobbing grenades toward where the President was standing with other Egyptian, and foreign dignitaries. Islambouli entered the stands and emptied his assault rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...

 into Sadat's body.

Execution and Iranian Martyrdom

Islambouli was captured immediately after the assassination. He and twenty-three conspirators were tried. Found guilty, 27 year old Islambouli and three other conspirators were publicly executed by firing squad on 15 April 1982.

The Iranian Government, in response to Sadat's peace treaty with Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

, and his provision of asylum to the deposed Shah
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Rezā Shāh Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, Shah of Persia , ruled Iran from 16 September 1941 until his overthrow by the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 1979...

 of Iran, severed relations with Egypt and named a street in Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...

 after Islambouli in 1981 in honor of his actions. Following Islambouli's execution, Iran's Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini
Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini was an Iranian religious leader and politician, and leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution which saw the overthrow of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran...

 declared him a martyr. In light of extensive public protest, in May 2001 the Tehran City Council renamed the street "intifada street" in an effort to improve these relations.

Relatives

Islambouli's younger brother Showqi Al-Islambouli
Showqi Al-Islambouli
An Egyptian militant overshadowed by the infamy of his older brother Khalid, who was the assassin of Anwar Sadat, Ahmed Showqi Al-Islambouli was one of the key members of the World Islamic Front for Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders and based in Peshawar during the 1990s.Islambouli organised the...

 came close to assassinating the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....

 on June 22, 1995 on the way from Addis Ababa International Airport to an African summit in the city
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...

. Showqi and his associates opened fire on the armor-plated limousine destroying most of the escort vehicles. However, Mubarak was saved by the skills of his chauffeur, who U-turned the damaged limousine and raced back to the airport where the presidential plane was waiting with running engines.

Legacy

Khalid Islambouli continues to serve as an inspirational symbol for Islamist movements throughout the world, including terrorist groups. On July 31, 2004 "The al-Islambouli Brigades of al-Qaeda" claimed responsibility for an assassination attempt on Shaukat Aziz
Shaukat Aziz
Shaukat Aziz is a world acclaimed Pakistani economist who was the 15th Prime Minister of Pakistan from May 20, 2004 to 15 November 2007 in a joint military government led by General Pervez Musharraf. A Citibank executive, Aziz returned to Pakistan from the United States to be became Finance...

, then a candidate for the post of Prime Minister of Pakistan
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...

. On August 24, 2004 a Chechen
Chechen people
Chechens constitute the largest native ethnic group originating in the North Caucasus region. They refer to themselves as Noxçi . Also known as Sadiks , Gargareans, Malkhs...

 group calling itself "The al-Islambouli Brigades" issued a statement claiming responsibility for the bombing of two Russian passenger aircraft.
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