Tal'at Fu'ad Qasim
Encyclopedia
Tal'at Fu'ad Qasim (Arabic
: طلعت فؤاد قاسم) (executed 1995) was the leader of Egypt's militant Gama'a Islamiyya
organization until he obtained political asylum
in Denmark
. He was executed in secret in 1995, following the first modern "extraordinary rendition
" at the hands of U.S. authorities.
Qasim got his start in the Gama'a Islamiyya in the late 1970s, when he was head of the Student Union at Al-Minya University
in Upper Egypt; according to some sources, he was the immediate superior in the organization of Anwar Sadat
's killer, Khalid Islambouli
. He was arrested and imprisoned following the assassination, escaping after serving eight years in prison. He then joined the jihad
against the Soviets in Afghanistan
(actually operating from Peshawar
, Pakistan
); in 1989 he became head of the Gam'a Islamiyya. After being sentenced to death by an Egyptian security court, he obtained asylum in Denmark, despite his public espousal and embrace of terrorist
violence against civilians.
In September 1995, he was kidnapped in Croatia
during a trip to war-torn Bosnia. His capture was orchestrated by U.S. authorities, who had concluded that he posed a threat to U.S. interests. After questioning aboard a U.S. Navy
vessel, he was handed over to Egyptian authorities in international waters.
Qasim, who had been tried and convicted in absentia
by a military tribunal in 1992, was then executed by the Egyptian government, allegedly after torture. According to Human Rights Watch
, Qasim's was the first case of "extraordinary rendition"; predating by six years the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
: طلعت فؤاد قاسم) (executed 1995) was the leader of Egypt's militant Gama'a Islamiyya
Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya
Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya is an Egyptian Islamist movement, and is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union and Egyptian governments...
organization until he obtained political asylum
Right of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. He was executed in secret in 1995, following the first modern "extraordinary rendition
Extraordinary rendition
Extraordinary rendition is the abduction and illegal transfer of a person from one nation to another. "Torture by proxy" is used by some critics to describe situations in which the United States and the United Kingdom have transferred suspected terrorists to other countries in order to torture the...
" at the hands of U.S. authorities.
Qasim got his start in the Gama'a Islamiyya in the late 1970s, when he was head of the Student Union at Al-Minya University
Al-Minya University
Minia University was established in Minya, Egypt by virtue of Republican Decree No. of 1976. The University currently includes the following faculties:Faculty of AgricultureFaculty of EducationFaculty of ScienceFaculty of ArtsFaculty of Fine Arts...
in Upper Egypt; according to some sources, he was the immediate superior in the organization of 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...
's killer, Khalid Islambouli
Khalid Islambouli
Khalid Ahmed Showky Al-Islambouli was an Egyptian army officer who planned and participated in the assassination of Egypt's third president, Anwar Sadat, during the annual 6th October victory parade on 6 October 1981...
. He was arrested and imprisoned following the assassination, escaping after serving eight years in prison. He then joined the jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
against the Soviets in Afghanistan
Soviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
(actually operating from Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
); in 1989 he became head of the Gam'a Islamiyya. After being sentenced to death by an Egyptian security court, he obtained asylum in Denmark, despite his public espousal and embrace of terrorist
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
violence against civilians.
In September 1995, he was kidnapped in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
during a trip to war-torn Bosnia. His capture was orchestrated by U.S. authorities, who had concluded that he posed a threat to U.S. interests. After questioning aboard a U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
vessel, he was handed over to Egyptian authorities in international waters.
Qasim, who had been tried and convicted in absentia
In absentia
In absentia is Latin for "in the absence". In legal use, it usually means a trial at which the defendant is not physically present. The phrase is not ordinarily a mere observation, but suggests recognition of violation to a defendant's right to be present in court proceedings in a criminal trial.In...
by a military tribunal in 1992, was then executed by the Egyptian government, allegedly after torture. According to Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
, Qasim's was the first case of "extraordinary rendition"; predating by six years the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.