Khalid Ahmed Showky El-Islambouli arranged and carried out the assassination of the Egyptian president, Anwar Sadat, during the annual "6th October 1973 victory" parade on 6th October, 1981.
Islambouli came from an average family in northern Egypt. After graduating from the Egyptian Military Academy with excellent grades, he was accepted into the Bombardment Forces of the Egyptian army. Sometime after this appointment, Islambouli joined the Egyptian Islamic Jihad.
The Assassination of Sadat
Islambouli was not supposed to participate in the parade, but was chosen by chance to replace an officer who was excused for not being able to participate in the parade. Once his section of the parade began to approach the President's platform, Islambouli ran toward the stand where the President was standing and fired at Sadat with an assault rifle. Islambouli allegedly shouted "Death to the Pharaoh!" immediately prior to the assassination attempt or "I killed Pharoah!" immediately after he fired at Sadat. [citation needed] After assassinating the president, he was captured, tried and found guilty of his crimes. Islambouli was executed in April of 1982.
A Martyr in Iran
The Iranian government, known for its fierce criticism of Sadat, named a street in Tehran after Islambouli in 1981 in honor of his "martyrdom". To this day, Iran's public portrayal of Islambouli as a hero and martyr continues to plague Egyptian-Iranian diplomatic relations. [1]
Relatives
Islambouli's brother, Mohamed Ahmed Showky El-Islambouli, was arrested for having established active connections with religious groups in Assiut. This arrest is thought to be the main event which triggered Islambouli's desire to arrange and carry out the assassination.