Abdullah Yusuf Azzam
Abdullah Yusuf Azzam (14 November 1941 – 24 November 1989) was a Palestinian jihadist and theologian. Belonging to the Salafi movement within Sunni Islam, he and his family fled from what had been the Jordanian-annexed West Bank after the 1967 Arab–Israeli War and pursued higher education in Jordan and Egypt before relocating to Saudi Arabia. In 1979, Azzam issued a fatwa advocating for "defensive jihad" in light of the outbreak of the Soviet–Afghan War, and subsequently moved to Pakistan to support the Afghan mujahideen.
Abdullah Yusuf Azzam | |
|---|---|
عبد الله يوسف عزام | |
| Personal | |
| Born | 14 November 1941 Silat al-Harithiya, British Mandate for Palestine |
| Died | 24 November 1989 (aged 48) Peshawar, Pakistan |
| Cause of death | Assassination via car bomb |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
| Citizenship | Jordanian (1948–1989) |
| Creed | Salafism |
| Movement | Muslim Brotherhood |
| Alma mater | Damascus University (BA) Al-Azhar University (PhD) |
| Known for | Mentoring Osama bin Laden in Saudi Arabia and co-founding Maktab al-Khidamat in Pakistan |
| Occupation | ʿAlim and theologian |
| Relations | Abdullah Anas (son-in-law) |
As a teacher and mentor to Saudi militant Osama bin Laden, he was one of the key figures who persuaded bin Laden to go to Afghanistan and personally oversee the mujahideen's efforts in that country. In 1984, Azzam and bin Laden co-founded Maktab al-Khidamat, an Islamic advocacy organization that sought to raise funds for the mujahideen while also recruiting non-Afghan fighters (known as Afghan Arabs) for their cause. Following the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989, he continued to promote jihadist militancy on behalf of other Muslims in other countries in an effort that led to him becoming known as the "father of global jihad" in many circles.
On 24 November 1989, Azzam was killed by a car bomb detonated by unknown assailants in Peshawar, Pakistan.