American aid worker
Peter Edward Kassig (February 19, 1988 –c. November 16, 2014), also known asAbdul-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 [ edit ] Kassig was born and raised inIndianapolis, Indiana .[ 3] [ 4] [ 5] North Central High School in Indianapolis, graduating in 2006. After his medical discharge from the Army in 2007, Kassig was a student atHanover College from 2007 to 2009 andButler University from 2011 to 2012.[ 6] [ 7] [ 8]
After graduating from high school, Kassig enlisted in the United States Army, becoming aU.S. Army Ranger , serving in the1st Battalion ,75th Ranger Regiment , aspecial operations unit, from June 2006 to September 2007. His service including training inFort Benning, Georgia , and a four-month deployment to Iraq, from April to July 2007, when he received amedical 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] 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] medical assistant .[ 13]
Kidnapping and death [ edit ] On October 1, 2013, as he was on his way toDeir Ezzour in eastern Syria to deliver food and medical supplies to refugees, Kassig was taken captive by ISIL.[ 7] [ 14] Nicolas Hénin and British journalistJohn Cantlie , and beaten regularly.[ 12] Methodist – converted to Islam and changed his name to Abdul-Rahman Kassig, sometime between October and December 2013.[ 6] [ 15] [ 6]
Kassig was named as the next victim to be beheaded in the video released by ISIL on October 3, 2014, that showedAlan Henning 's beheading.[ 16] [ 17] the leader of the Islamic State over Twitter, asking to communicate with him, and Kassig's parents maintained Facebook[ 18] [ 19] [ 20]
On November 16, 2014, ISIL posted a video showing "Jihadi John " standing over a severed human head.[ 21] White House later confirmed the person killed was Kassig.[ 22] The Daily Telegraph [ 23] al-Qaeda magazine interview, spokesmanAdam Yahiye Gadahn condemned the beheading.[ 24]
On December 2, 2018, theUS-led anti-ISIL Coalition killed Abu al-Umarayn, an ISIL leader involved in Kassig's beheading, in a drone strike in theSyrian Desert .[ 25] [ 26]
^ "Remembering Abdul-Rahman (Peter) Kassig" . Butler University. November 19, 2014. Archived fromthe original on September 21, 2020. RetrievedDecember 18, 2014 .^ "BBC News - Abdul-Rahman Kassig killing is pure evil, says Obama" .BBC News . November 16, 2014. RetrievedNovember 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 . RetrievedOctober 12, 2014 . ^ Eason, Brian; Wang, Stephanie; Adams, Michael Anthony (October 3, 2014)."Indianapolis native Peter Kassig named next ISIS target" .Indianapolis Star . RetrievedOctober 12, 2014 . Wagner, Meg (October 9, 2014)." .New York Daily News . RetrievedOctober 12, 2014 . "US hostage Kassig letter: 'I am scared to die' .BBC News . 6 October 2014. RetrievedOctober 7, 2014 .Brian Eason (November 20, 2014)."Peter Kassig's birth family breaks silence" .The Indianapolis Star . RetrievedNovember 24, 2014 .The Kassigs acknowledged on Thursday that they adopted Peter as an infant. ^a b "Parents of US hostage Peter Kassig appeal to Isis for his release" .The Guardian . RetrievedOctober 7, 2014 ."Peter Kassig's parents in video plea to ISIS: 'Show mercy' .Indianapolis Star . October 4, 2014. RetrievedOctober 7, 2014 .^a b c d "The back story of the former Ranger held captive by Islamic State" .Military Times . October 6, 2014. Archived fromthe original on October 6, 2014. RetrievedOctober 12, 2014 .^a b c Eason, Brian; Wang, Stephanie; Adams, Michael (October 3, 2014)."Indianapolis native Peter Kassig named next ISIS target" .IndyStar . RetrievedOctober 7, 2014 . ^ Bruck, Renee (4 October 2014)."ISIS threatens ex-Hanover student with beheading" .The Madison Courier . Archived fromthe original on October 7, 2014. RetrievedOctober 7, 2014 . "ISIS threatens life of central Indiana native, former Butler student in beheading video" .Fox 59 . 3 October 2014. Archived fromthe original on 11 December 2018. RetrievedOctober 7, 2014 .^ "Islamic State threatens Indiana-native Peter Kassig" .KHON-TV the original on October 12, 2017. RetrievedOctober 12, 2014 .Raya Jalabi (3 October 2014)."Peter Kassig: Isis hostage threatened with death was captured on aid mission" .The Guardian . RetrievedNovember 16, 2014 . ^ "SERA International" . Archived fromthe original on October 29, 2019. RetrievedNovember 17, 2014 .^ Schwellenbach, Nick (January 8, 2013)."An Army Ranger Helps Syrian Refugees" .Time . RetrievedOctober 3, 2014 . Eason, Brian (October 11, 2014)."Mother of ISIS captive Peter Kassig offers prayers of her own" .Indianapolis Star . RetrievedOctober 12, 2014 . ^a b 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. RetrievedOctober 12, 2014 . ^ "Peter Kassig, Indiana aid worker threatened by ISIS, wrote he was 'scared to die' in June letter: parents" .New York Daily News . Associated Press. October 6, 2014. RetrievedOctober 12, 2014 .^ Crilly, Rob (October 4, 2014)."Peter Kassig: Idealistic aid worker who converted to Islam in captivity" .Telegraph.co.uk . London. RetrievedOctober 7, 2014 . ^ Nelson, Steven (6 October 2014)."Peter Kassig's Conversion Unlikely to Halt ISIS Headsman, Experts Say" .U.S. News & World Report . RetrievedOctober 7, 2014 . ^ "ISIS Releases Two Videos, Including Beheading of Briton Alan Henning" .Vocativ . October 3, 2014. Archived fromthe original on December 12, 2021. RetrievedOctober 3, 2014 .^ "Islamic State Siege of Kobane Intensifies" .YouTube . 6 October 2014. RetrievedOctober 7, 2014 .Lim, Sara (October 4, 2014)."Former Ranger discusses latest ISIS captive Peter Kassig" . WTVM. RetrievedOctober 12, 2014 . ^ Mercy for Abdul Rahman onFacebook ^ Kassig Family onTwitter ^ McCoy, Terrence (October 9, 2014)."The agony of waiting for your son's beheading" .Washington Post . RetrievedOctober 12, 2014 . ^ "IS Beheads Peter Kassig, Challenges U.S. to Send Ground Troops" . SITE Monitoring Service. November 16, 2014.^ Hjelmgaard, Kim (November 16, 2014)."U.S. review of Islamic State video confirms American's death" .USA Today . RetrievedNovember 16, 2014 . ^ Farmer, Ben (November 16, 2014)."Peter Kassig may have defied captors over beheading video statement" .The Daily Telegraph . London. RetrievedNovember 16, 2014 . ^ "Archived copy" (PDF) . Archived fromthe original (PDF) on 2018-09-23. Retrieved2019-02-17 .{{cite web }}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link )^ AFP (3 December 2018)."Syria coalition says it killed IS leader linked to beheadings" .The Sun . Retrieved2025-05-11 . ^ Mroue, Bassem."US-led coalition strikes Islamic State figure involved in killing American Peter Kassig" .USA TODAY . Retrieved2025-05-11 .
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