Name of leader Ahmed Yassin
​
Title Sheikh
​
Organization Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya (Hamas)
​
English Translation Islamic Resistance Movement
​
Conflict country Israel
Gender Male
Year of birth 1936 [1]
Place of birth al-Jura, Gaza, British Mandatory Palestine
Year of death 2004
Deceased
Yes; in 2004, the Israel Defense Forces assassinated him.
Birth order
He was one of seven children, but his birth order is unknown.
Age at start of rebel leadership
He was 51 when he began his leadership role.
Leader entry method
He was the founder.
Powersharing
No; there is no evidence of powersharing.
Education (also name universities attended, if any); note any relevant experiences while a student
He completed high school, and he attended Ain Shams University in Egypt.[2]
Ever married? If yes, age of first marriage
Yes; he was married, but at what age is unknown.
Children
Yes; he had 11 children.[3]
Religious identification
He practiced Sunni Islam.
Elite family background
No, he was not from an elite family background.
Political affiliations and intellectual circles; note any relevant social connections made
Yes; Yassin was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood at an early age.[4]
Physical and mental health
Yes; Yassin was paralyzed when he was 12.[5]
Pre-militant leader occupation
He was a teacher of Arabic and Islamic studies.[6]
Experience in a state military, and role; any relevant social ties
No; his paralysis precluded any military involvement.
Experience in a nonstate military, and role; any relevant social ties
Yes; Yassin was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood at an early age.[7]
Combat experience prior to assuming resistance organization leadership?
No; he did not have combat experience.
Held government position prior to assuming leadership?
No; there is no evidence he held a government position.
Lived in exile?
No; he did not experience in exile.
Study abroad?
Yes; Yassin studied for one year at Ain Shams University in Egypt.[8]
Did the leader receive military training abroad?
No; he did not receive military training abroad.
Did the leader have extensive work experience abroad?
No; there is no evidence he had extensive work experience abroad.
Serve time in prison? Social connections during that time?
Yes; he was arrested in 1965. “Ahmad Yassin's talents began to appear strongly, and with him the star began to shine among the Gaza advocates. This was noticed by the Egyptian intelligence, who [were] working there. In 1965 [Egypt] decided to arrest him as part of the campaign of arrests in the Egyptian political arena…. He remained in solitary confinement for about a month and was released after investigations proved that there was no organizational relationship between him and the Brotherhood. ‘It deepened the hatred of injustice and confirmed that the legitimacy of any authority based on justice and its belief in the human right to life is free,’ he said.”[9]
For his role in initiating terrorist attacks, Israel arrested and imprisoned him for eight years.[10]
​
Was there an assassination attempt on the leader by the state?
No; Israel did not launch a failed assassination attempt against Yassin.
Cause of Death?
He was assassinated.[11]
Primary language, and other languages spoken as adult
He spoke Arabic.
​
​
[1]Image Credit: https://www.paljourneys.org/sites/default/files/styles/media150/public/media/Ahmad_Yassin.jpg?itok=wKaZbbr9
(For non-commercial use, all credits belong to the original owners, please contact for removal)
“Sheikh Ahmed Yassin,” The Telegraph (23 March 2004): accessible at www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1457499/Sheikh-Ahmed-Yassin.html.
[2] “Sheikh Ahmed Yassin,” The Telegraph (23 March 2004): accessible at www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1457499/Sheikh-Ahmed-Yassin.html.
[3] “The Life and Death of Shaikh Yasin,” Al-Jazeera (25 March 2004).
[4] Ziad Abu-Amr, “Hamas: A Historical and Political Background,” Journal of Palestine Studies 22,
no. 4 (Summer 1993): 5-19.
[5] “The Life and Death of Shaikh Yasin,” Al-Jazeera (25 March 2004).
[6] “Sheikh Ahmed Yassin,” The Telegraph (23 March 2004): accessible at www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1457499/Sheikh-Ahmed-Yassin.html.
[7] Ziad Abu-Amr, “Hamas: A Historical and Political Background,” Journal of Palestine Studies 22,
no. 4 (Summer 1993): 5-19.
[8] “The Life and Death of Shaikh Yasin,” Al-Jazeera (25 March 2004).
[9] “Sheikh Ahmed Yassin,” Aljazeera, Accessed November 2018, http://www.aljazeera.net/specialfiles/pages/cb5e80bd-2b0c-438b-bb94-0f4022a1a0ee.
[10] James Bennet, “Leader of Hamas Killed by Missile in Israeli Strike,” New York Times (22 March 2004): Accessible at www.nytimes.com/2004/03/22/world/leader-of-hamas-killed-by-missile-in-israeli-strike.html.
[11] James Bennet, “Leader of Hamas Killed by Missile in Israeli Strike,” New York Times (22 March 2004): Accessible at www.nytimes.com/2004/03/22/world/leader-of-hamas-killed-by-missile-in-israeli-strike.html.