Fedayeen (from the Arabic fidā'ī, plural fidā'īyun, فدائيون: "one who is ready to sacrifice his life", Armenian: Ֆէտայի) describes several distinct, primarily Arab groups at different times in history. Arabic redirects here. ... For other uses, see Arab (disambiguation). ...

Islamic history

A group known as the Fedayeen were active from the 8th to the 14th century, and were described by their enemies as hashshāshīn: "those who habitually use hashish" ( The name "assassin" is commonly believed to be a mutation of the Arabic "haššāšīn" (حشّاشين, "hashish-eaters" ^{[citation needed]}). However, there are those who dispute this etymology, arguing that it originates from Marco Polo's account of his visit to Alamut in 1273, in which he describes a drug whose effects are more like those of alcohol than of hashish.^{[citation needed]} It is suggested by some writers that assassin simply means 'followers of Al-Hassan' (or Hasan bin Sabbah, the Sheikh of Alamut (see below) ^{[citation needed]}. Others suggest that since hashish-eaters were generally ostracized in the middle ages the word "Hashshashin" had become a common synonym for the word "outlaws". So the attribution of Hassan's Ismaili sect with this term is not necessarily a clue for drug usage. Some common accounts of their connection with hashish are that these "assassins" would take hashish before missions in order to calm themselves; others say that it helped to boost their strength, and turned them into madmen in battle. Yet other accounts state it was used in their initiation rites in order to show the neophyte the sensual pleasures awaiting him in the afterlife.^{[citation needed]} The connection between their mysticism and that drug is not something subject to reliable or consistent historical accounts; this is not surprising given their secrecy and infamy. The Hashshashin (also Hashishin, Hashashiyyin or Assassins) was a religious sect of Ismaili Shia Muslims from the Nizari sub-sect originating from post-Islamic Persia. ... Confiscated hashish. ...

Palestinians

Main article: Fedayeen (Palestinian)

Armed Palestinian militias known as the Fedayeen, constituted from the refugees of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, made efforts to infiltrate and strike against Israeli towns, infrastructure and citizens. The Fedayeen were based in Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria. Fedayeen (from the Arabic fidāī, plural fidāīyun, فدائيون: one who is ready to sacrifice his life) of the Palestinians, constituted from the refugees of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, made efforts to infiltrate and strike against Israeli towns, infrastructure and citizens. ... The term Palestinian has other usages, for which see definitions of Palestinian. ... Combatants  Israel Haganah Irgun Lehi Palmach Foreign Volunteers Egypt, Syria, Transjordan,  Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Holy War Army, Arab Liberation Army Commanders Yaakov Dori, Yigael Yadin John Bagot Glubb, Abd al-Qadir al-Husayni, Hasan Salama, Fawzi Al-Qawuqji, Ahmed Ali al-Mwawi Strength  Israel: 29,677 initially rising...

At the time, the word has entered the Hebrew language as spoken in Israel, and was frequently used in newspaper articles and political speeches as a synonym for "terrorist". It was even given a Hebrew plural "Fadainim" (פדאינים). Since the mid-1960s, with the word no longer used by the Palestinians fighting against Israel, the word had dropped out of Hebrew and is only known by Israelis of an age to remember the 1950's. The word Hebrew most likely means to cross over, referring to the Semitic people crossing over the Euphrates River. ...

Iran

A Marxist-leaning activist group known as the Fedayeen (Fadayian in Persian language) was founded in 1971 and based in Tehran. Operating between 1971 and 1983, the Fedayeen carried out a number of political assassinations in the course of the struggle that culminated in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Marxism is both the theory and the political practice (that is, the praxis) derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ... For other uses, see Tehran (disambiguation). ... After Islamic Conquest  Modern SSR = Soviet Socialist Republic Afghanistan  Azerbaijan  Bahrain  Iran  Iraq  Tajikistan  Uzbekistan  This box:      The Iranian Revolution (also known as the Islamic Revolution,[1][2][3][4][5][6] Persian: انقلاب اسلامی, Enghelābe Eslāmi) was the revolution that transformed Iran from a monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza...

Iraq

Beginning in 1995, Iraq established a paramilitary group known as the Fedayeen Saddam, loyal to President Saddam Hussein and the Ba'athist government. The name was chosen to imply a connection with the Palestinian Fedayeen. In July 2003, the personnel records of the entire Fedayeen organization in Iraq was discovered in the basement of the former Fedayeen headquarters in east Baghdad near the Al-Rashid Airfield. At the time of the discovery, an Iraqi political party occupied the building. After an extensive cataloging process, dossiers of key Fedayeen members were made by First Armored Division troops and resulted in a sweeping operation in Baghdad that led to the arrest of several Fedayeen generals. [1]. Fedayeen Saddam (فدائيي صدام) was a paramilitary organization loyal to the former Baathist regime of Saddam Hussein. ... Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was the fifth President of Iraq and Chairman of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council from 1979 until his overthrow by US forces in 2003. ... Bath Party flag The Arab Socialist Bath Party (also spelled Baath or Baath; Arabic: حزب البعث العربي الاشتراكي) was founded in 1945 as a left-wing, secular Arab nationalist political party. ... Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... The 1st Armored Division —nicknamed “Old Ironsides”— is an armored division of the United States Army with base of operations in Wiesbaden, Germany. ...

Armenia

Main article: Armenian irregular units

The similar name "Fedayee", with the same etymology, was used by Armenian insurgents around 1990 when the dispute with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh was turning into the Nagorno-Karabakh war, although Armenia is solidly Christian. The term "fedayee" was also used by Armenian guerrillas in the Ottoman Empire before and during the First World War, who defended Armenians from persecution. The term was widely used and is still used to describe the volunteers, and can be found in literature and songs. Armenian irregular units (Armenian militia, Armenian partisans, or Armenian Chetes, Armenian: ), better known by Armenians as Fedayee, are Armenian guerrillas who voluntarily (thus, the naming kamavor (Õ¯Õ¡Õ´Õ¡Õ¾Õ¸Ö€), meaning volunteer) leave their families to fight for Armenians. ... Not to be confused with Entomology, the scientific study of insects. ... Nagorno-Karabakh (Azerbaijani: Dağlıq Qarabağ or Yuxarı Qarabağ, literally mountainous black garden or upper black garden; Russian: Нагорный Карабах, translit. ... Combatants Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh1 Republic of Armenia 2 CIS mercenaries Republic of Azerbaijan Afghan Mujahideen 3 Chechen Volunteers 4 CIS mercenaries Commanders Samvel Babayan, Hemayag Haroyan, Monte Melkonian, Vazgen Sargsyan, Arkady Ter-Tatevosyan Ä°sgandar Hamidov, Suret Huseynov, Rahim Gaziev, Shamil Basayev Casualties 6,000 dead, 25,000 wounded 17... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is... Ottoman redirects here. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... Armenian Revolutionary Songs (Armenian: ) are songs that promote Armenian patriotism. ...

Fictional references

In the popular science fiction novel Dune, the elite Fremen soldiers are known as the "Fedaykin," an allusion to the word "fedayeen." Dune is a science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert and published in 1965. ... Spoiler warning: The Fremen are a group of people in the Dune series of science fiction novels by Frank Herbert. ... Sandworm from the cover of Heretics of Dune. ...

In the novel Prayers for the Assassin, the main character Rakkim Epps is am ex-fedayeen soldier. Prayers for the Assassin is a political thriller, and a work of speculative fiction, written by American crime writer Robert Ferrigno. ...

The Camel Club by David Baldacci

Chapter 37, page 215

Assembled here were his bomb makers and engineers, his shooters, his snipers, his fedayeen, his mechanics, his inside people and his wheelmen.

See also

• Palestinian political violence

Palestinian terrorism refers to acts of violence committed for political reasons by Palestinians or Palestinian militant groups. ...

References

External links

Armenian Fidain

• Armenian History — see the heading "A New Political Climate"

Iraqi Fedayeen

• A U.S. soldier's account of capturing Iraqi Fedayeen generals in 2003