Anwar Sadat, the third President of Egypt, was assassinated on October 6, 1981, during a military parade commemorating Egypt’s crossing of the Suez Canal during the Yom Kippur War. The assassination was carried out by Lieutenant Khalid Islambouli and members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad group.

Islambouli and his accomplices opposed Sadat’s peace initiative with Israel and the United States, specifically the Camp David Accords, which led to the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty. This treaty was viewed as a betrayal by many Islamists and Arabs, who saw it as a surrender to Israel.

The assassination plot was orchestrated by Islambouli, who was a military officer, and other members of the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. They had been planning the attack for months, and on the day of the parade, Islambouli and his team opened fire on Sadat and his entourage, killing the president and several others.

Sadat’s death was a significant blow to Egypt and the region, and it marked a turning point in Egyptian politics. Vice President Hosni Mubarak succeeded Sadat as president and went on to rule Egypt for nearly 30 years.

Motivations behind the assassination

Opposition to the Camp David Accords:

Islambouli and his group saw Sadat’s peace treaty with Israel as a betrayal of Arab and Islamic values.

Desire for Islamic governance: The

Egyptian Islamic Jihad sought to establish an Islamic state in Egypt, and they saw Sadat’s government as an obstacle to this goal.

Anger over Sadat’s crackdown on Islamist groups:

Sadat had been cracking down on Islamist groups in Egypt, and Islambouli’s group saw the assassination as a way to avenge their comrades.