200:(economic liberalization). Sadat's economic policies generally failed to provide job opportunities for graduates while simultaneously slashing subsidies and other state policies which benefited the poor. Meanwhile, a small westernised middle class enjoyed the bulk of the growth during Sadat's rule. Both of these factors contributed to a rise in popularity of Islamist politics which Sadat now began to repress as having marginalised the secular opposition, the Islamists now turned on Sadat. These actors created the environment in which Sadat's assassination was plotted and executed.
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251:. Two military jets were sent to flyover the occupied security building in the midafternoon and succeeded in convincing the insurgents to abandon the security HQ and regroup in a nearby vacant building which was used by various religious groups for their meetings. This building appeared to have been selected as a fallback position beforehand as it was found to be stocked with arms and ammunition.
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fighting coming to an end at 6 AM on the ninth, when three insurgent snipers were killed. Isolated shots were fired throughout the morning, but ended by noon. Although no further clashes were reported, security forces continued to conduct operations to flush out escaped attackers for at least two weeks after the battle.
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office, and a police unit guarding a mosque, with heavy casualties inflicted in the initial assault. At the security office the attackers were able to seize the building and released and armed prisoners from the jail. Fortifications were established around the security HQ, which the militants rallied
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The attack revealed the political and military limitations of the
Egyptian Islamists who were unable to mount attacks against any targets of real strategic value, and the naiveite of their belief that the Egyptian masses would revolt against the secular government if given a revolutionary spark. The
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published a more detailed account of the attack, including a significantly higher number of government casualties. 58 policemen were reported dead, while other sources cite a total of 68 dead, forces from the ministries of the interior and defence combined. In the weeks after the attack, dozens of
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After suffering casualties the insurgents retreated to a third building where they held out until nightfall, retreating into the working class districts that ringed the city center, Pursued by security forces, the insurgents fought running gunbattles throughout the night, with the last sustained
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By the 1970s Egypt's rapidly increasing youth population was also becoming rapidly educated and politically organised. During the early days of Sadat's rule, Islamic student groups like Gama'a al-Islamiyya were covertly promoted as a counterweight to nationalist and leftist student organisations
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of the same name, was the only of several operations which were intended to spark a popular uprising against the state. Although the attackers were able to inflict heavy casualties on security forces, they did not receive any significant popular support and were quickly crushed.
212:. The university meanwhile, was the site of frequent clashes on between militant Muslims and police. The reported leader of the attack, Assem Abdel Maged, was a former engineering student who was expelled from Asyut University in October 1980.
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attackers reportedly had planned for the uprising to have been larger in scale, expanding out from Asyut, but this did not come to pass due to heavy casualties and the failure of the
Islamist prediction that the people would join them.
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In the immediate aftermath of the attack, the interior ministry reported 20 policemen as having been killed. Interior
Minister Ismail invited reporters to see that city was under control and Foreign Minister Gen.
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Asyut
University had historically been a stronghold of Islamist student politics and as early as the late 1970s, members were conducting weapons training in the hills around the city, the arms likely provided by
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prayer a number of militants variously reported as between 75 and "hundred or more" commandeered 10 automobiles throughout the city. The attackers were organised into groups of 15 and armed with
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The attackers were able to repel several attempts by security forces, reinforced by
Military Police and Commandos from the Army. Faced with mounting casualties, Interior Minister
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pledged that the government was prepared to take "severe measures" to prevent any repeats of similar incidents. By Monday, Mayo, the weekly paper of the ruling
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According to residents of the town, officials turned down a request to hold a demonstration in honor of
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rifles, submachineguns and pistols. The four targets of the attack were two police stations, the main
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268:, termed the Asyut clash "not serious" at a press briefing on Thursday night. Deputy Prime Minister
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Whatever
Happened to the Islamists? Salafis, Heavy Metal Muslims, and the Lure of Consumerist Islam
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which opposed Sadat's policies of normalization of relations with Israel and
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Farrell, William E.; Times, Special To the New York (1981-10-19).
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was a failed military operation conducted two days after the
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Tanner, Henry; Times, Special To the New York (1981-10-22).
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men were arrested, initially accused of belonging to
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467:"EGYPT ARRESTS 230 IN A 'TERRORIST RELIGIOUS GROUP'"
319:"The Problem of the Political in Islamist Movements"
350:"NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE DAILY FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER 1981"
178:. The attack on government targets in the city of
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247:asked for assistance from Defense Minister Gen.
372:"Egypt Subdues Moslem Rebels In Violent Fight"
227:In the early morning of the eighth, following
126:75 - 100+ aided by several released prisoners
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405:"MUBARAK STRESSES EGYPT'S CONTINUITY"
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172:assassination of Anwar Sadat
29:Islamist Insurgency in Egypt
22:1981 Asyut Islamist Uprising
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370:Cody, Edward (1981-10-10).
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63:Egyptian Government victory
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328:. Hurst. pp. 36, 37.
274:National Democratic Party
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106:Assem Abdel Maged
16:Islamist revolt in Egypt
249:Abdel Halim Abu Ghazala
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176:al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya
96:Commanders and leaders
90:al-Jama'a al-Islamiyya
317:Meijer, Roel (2012).
131:Casualties and losses
168:1981 Asyut Uprising
530:Terrorism in Egypt
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184:governorate
142:90+ wounded
524:Categories
484:2023-12-26
446:2023-12-26
422:2023-12-26
389:2023-12-26
301:References
191:Background
479:0362-4331
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384:0190-8286
259:Aftermath
154:4 wounded
289:See also
240:around.
237:security
151:6 killed
118:Strength
47:Location
27:Part of
198:Infitah
110:†
54:, Egypt
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60:Result
322:(PDF)
210:Copts
180:Asyut
85:Egypt
52:Asyut
504:ISBN
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229:Fajr
166:The
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441:UPI
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