Peter Kassig | |
---|---|
Born |
Peter Edward Kassig February 19, 1988 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
Disappeared |
October 1, 2013 Deir Ezzour, Syria |
Died |
c. November 16, 2014 Dabiq, Syria | (aged 26)
Cause of death | Murder by beheading |
Nationality | American |
Occupation | Aid worker |
Peter Edward Kassig (February 19, 1988 – c. November 16, 2014), also known as Abdul-Rahman Kassig, was an American aid worker who was beheaded by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.[1][2]
Early life and education[]
Kassig was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana.[3] As a child, he was adopted by Ed, a school teacher, and Paula Kassig, a nurse.[4][5] Kassig attended North Central High School in Indianapolis, graduating in 2006. After his medical discharge in 2007, Kassig was a student at Hanover College from 2007 to 2009 and Butler University from 2011 to 2012.[6][7][8]
Career[]
After graduating from high school, Kassig became a U.S. Army Ranger, with an army special operations unit, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, serving from June 2006 to September 2007. His service including training in Fort Benning, Georgia, and a four-month deployment to Iraq, from April to July 2007, when he received a medical discharge.[6][9] Kassig next worked in Syria and Lebanon as a humanitarian worker. He aided Syrian refugees through Special Emergency Response and Assistance (SERA),[10] a non-governmental organization he founded in the Fall of 2012 to provide refugees in Syria and Lebanon with medical assistance, supplies, clothing, and food.[5][7][11][12] Kassig was a trained medical assistant.[13]
Kidnapping and death[]
On October 1, 2013, as he was on his way to Deir Ezzour in eastern Syria to deliver food and medical supplies to refugees, Kassig was taken captive by ISIL.[7][14] He was kept in a cell with French journalist Nicolas Hénin and British journalist John Cantlie, and beaten regularly.[12] While in captivity, Kassig – formerly a Methodist – converted to Islam and changed his name to Abdul-Rahman Kassig, sometime between October and December 2013.[6][15] On October 3, 2014, his parents released a video in which they stressed that his conversion to Islam was not forced, and that his path to conversion began before he was taken captive.[6]
Kassig was named as the next victim to be beheaded in the video released by ISIL on October 3, 2014, that showed Alan Henning's beheading.[16] On October 3, his family sent a video message to the Islamic State, asking for mercy for their son.[17] Kassig's mother later tweeted an entreaty to the leader of the Islamic State over Twitter, asking to communicate with him, and Kassig's parents maintain Facebook[18] and Twitter[19] accounts.[20]
On November 16, 2014, ISIL posted a video showing "Jihadi John" standing over a severed human head.[21] The beheading itself was not shown in the video. The White House later confirmed the person killed was Kassig.[22] The Daily Telegraph and the security expert Will Geddes speculated that Kassig may have defied his captors, and refused to provide a beheading video statement.[23] In an al-Qaeda magazine interview, spokesman Adam Yahiye Gadahn condemned the beheading.[24]
On December 2, 2018, The US-led anti-ISIL Coalition killed Abu al-Umarayn, an ISIL leader involved in Kassig's beheading, in a drone strike in the Syrian Desert.[25][26]
See also[]
- Killing of captives by ISIL
- Beheading in Islam
References[]
- ↑ "Remembering Abdul-Rahman (Peter) Kassig". Butler University. November 19, 2014. http://news.butler.edu/blog/2014/11/kassig-memorial/. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
- ↑ "BBC News - Abdul-Rahman Kassig killing is pure evil, says Obama". BBC News. November 16, 2014. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-30076629. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ↑ Schuster, Shawn (October 6, 2014). "Conversion to Islam Doesn't Save American Aid Worker Peter Kassig from Being Next Target of ISIS Beheading". The Gospel Herald. http://www.gospelherald.com/articles/52763/20141006/conversion-to-islam-doesnt-save-american-aid-worker-from-being-next-target-of-isis-beheading.htm. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- ↑ Eason, Brian; Wang, Stephanie; Adams, Michael Anthony (October 3, 2014). "Indianapolis native Peter Kassig named next ISIS target". Indianapolis Star. http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2014/10/03/reports-indianapolis-man-named-next-isis-target/16667489/. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- Wagner, Meg (October 9, 2014). "'On our own, with no help from the government': Peter Kassig's mom claims U.S. won't help kidnapped son, tweets to ISIS for his release". New York Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/peter-kassig-mom-tweets-isis-article-1.1968467. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- "US hostage Kassig letter: 'I am scared to die'". BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29501837. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
- Brian Eason (November 20, 2014). "Peter Kassig's birth family breaks silence". http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2014/11/20/peter-kassigs-birth-family-breaks-silence/70021094/. Retrieved November 24, 2014. "The Kassigs acknowledged on Thursday that they adopted Peter as an infant." - ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Parents of US hostage Peter Kassig appeal to Isis for his release". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/04/parents-us-hostage-peter-kassig-appeal-isis. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
- "Peter Kassig's parents in video plea to ISIS: 'Show mercy'". Indianapolis Star. October 4, 2014. http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2014/10/04/parents-isis-captive-abdul-rahman-peter-kassig-release-video-message/16712829. Retrieved October 7, 2014. - ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "The back story of the former Ranger held captive by Islamic State". Military Times. October 6, 2014. http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20141006/NEWS08/310060045/The-back-story-former-Ranger-held-captive-by-Islamic-State. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Indianapolis native Peter Kassig named next ISIS target". October 3, 2014. http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2014/10/03/reports-indianapolis-man-named-next-isis-target/16667489. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
- ↑ "ISIS threatens ex-Hanover student with beheading". The Madison Courier. http://madisoncourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=178&SubSectionID=961&ArticleID=86159. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
- "ISIS threatens life of central Indiana native, former Butler student in beheading video". Fox 59. http://fox59.com/2014/10/03/isis-video-claims-to-show-beheading-of-british-aid-worker/. Retrieved October 7, 2014. - ↑ "Islamic State threatens Indiana-native Peter Kassig". KHON-TV. October 3, 2014. http://khon2.com/2014/10/03/islamic-state-threatens-indiana-native-peter-kassig. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- Raya Jalabi. "Peter Kassig: Isis hostage threatened with death was captured on aid mission". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/03/isis-militants-threaten-kill-american-peter-kassig. Retrieved November 16, 2014. - ↑ "SERA International". SERA International. http://seramedic.org. Retrieved November 17, 2014.
- ↑ "An Army Ranger Helps Syrian Refugees". Time. January 8, 2013. http://nation.time.com/2013/01/08/an-army-ranger-turned-refugee-helper. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- Eason, Brian (October 11, 2014). "Mother of ISIS captive Peter Kassig offers prayers of her own". Indianapolis Star. http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2014/10/10/islamic-prayer-service-set-isis-captive-abdul-rahman-kassig/17027075. Retrieved October 12, 2014. - ↑ 12.0 12.1 Sherlock, Ruth (October 8, 2014). "Isil hostage Peter Kassig 'is now devout Muslim who prays five times a day', says ex-captive". The Telegraph. London. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11149947/Isil-hostage-Peter-Kassig-is-now-devout-Muslim-who-prays-five-times-a-day-says-ex-captive.html. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- ↑ "Peter Kassig, Indiana aid worker threatened by ISIS, wrote he was 'scared to die' in June letter: parents". New York Daily News. October 6, 2014. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/peter-kassig-iss-hostage-wrote-scared-die-june-parents-article-1.1964513. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- ↑ Crilly, Rob (October 4, 2014). "Peter Kassig: Idealistic aid worker who converted to Islam in captivity". Telegraph.co.uk. London. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11140973/Peter-Kassig-Idealistic-aid-worker-who-converted-to-Islam-in-captivity.html. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
- ↑ "Peter Kassig's Conversion Unlikely to Halt ISIS Headsman, Experts Say". US News & World Report. https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/10/06/peter-kassig-conversion-islamic-state-beheading. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
- ↑ "ISIS Releases Two Videos, Including Beheading of Briton Alan Henning". Vocativ. October 3, 2014. http://www.vocativ.com/world/isis-2/british-isis-fighter-challenges-u-k-prime-minister-ground-fight/. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
- ↑ "Islamic State Siege of Kobane Intensifies". YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLk4yxc9aks. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
- Lim, Sara (October 4, 2014). "Former Ranger discusses latest ISIS captive Peter Kassig". WTVM. http://www.wtvm.com/story/26705478/former-ranger-discusses-latest-isis-captive-peter-kassig. Retrieved October 12, 2014. - ↑ Mercy for Abdul Rahman on Facebook
- ↑ Kassig Family on Twitter
- ↑ McCoy, Terrence (October 9, 2014). "The agony of waiting for your son's beheading". Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/10/09/waiting-for-the-beheading-of-an-american-hostage-with-no-help-from-the-government. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
- ↑ "IS Beheads Peter Kassig, Challenges U.S. to Send Ground Troops". SITE Monitoring Service. November 16, 2014. https://news.siteintelgroup.com/Jihadist-News/is-beheads-peter-kassig-challenges-u-s-to-send-ground-troops.html. (transcript of the video, largely based on the original English subtitles)
- ↑ Hjelmgaard, Kim (November 16, 2014). "U.S. review of Islamic State video confirms American's death". USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/11/16/peter-kassig-islamic-state-claims-beheading-syria/19128067/. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
- ↑ Farmer, Ben (November 16, 2014). "Peter Kassig may have defied captors over beheading video statement". The Daily Telegraph. London. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11234241/Peter-Kassig-may-have-defied-captors-over-beheading-video-statement.html. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
- ↑ "Archived copy". https://azelin.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/al-qc481_idah-e2809cresurgence-2e280b3.pdf.
- ↑ Syria coalition says it killed IS leader linked to beheadings
- ↑ US-led coalition strikes ISIS figure involved in killing American Peter Kassig
The original article can be found at Peter Kassig and the edit history here.