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Abu Nazir
Abu Nazir
Status: Deceased
Date of birth: 1955
Date of death: 2012
Cause of death: Shot dead by the FBI
Nationality: Flag of Palestine Palestinian
Profession: Terrorist, Leader of al-Qaeda
Sibling(s): Three brothers
Spouse(s): Wife: Nassrin Mughrabi
Children: Four children including Issa Nazir
Played by: Navid Negahban
Season(s): 1, 2, 3
First episode: "Pilot"
Last episode: "One Last Thing" (hallucination)
  • Abu Nazir : Really? With your pension plans and organic foods, your beach houses and sports clubs? Do you have the perseverance, the tenacity, the faith? Because we do. You can bomb us, starve us, occupy our holy places, but we will never lose our faith. We carry God in our hearts, our souls. To die is to join him. It may take a century, two centuries, three centuries, but we will exterminate you.
  • Carrie Mathison : Like I said... you're a terrorist.

Abu Nazir (1955 – 2012) is the main antagonist of the first two seasons of the award winning Showtime thriller series Homeland. He is a cunning and dangerous terrorist mastermind and a high-ranking leader in al-Qaeda of Iraq. (Carrie's Run) Nazir was a terrorist whom Carrie Mathison of the CIA suspects to have turned USMC Scout Sniper Sergeant Nick Brody against the USA. (Saul's Game)

Novels[]

The first mention of Abu Nazir's name came in the novel:

Abu Nazir is a character, who appears in the novel written by Andrew Kaplan:

Background[]

  • 1955 – Born in Palestine, the youngest of four brothers.
  • 1957 – Family moves to Kuwait. Nazir's father, an engineer in the oil business, becomes an Imam in Ahmadi.
  • 1963–1970 - Nazir goes to a secondary school for foreign workers where he is taught by Palestinians. During a political protest, he burns a Kuwati flag.
  • 1979 December – Nazir returns to the Middle East and makes contact with jihadists when the Ayatola assumes power.
  • 1980 Spring – Nazir goes to Afghanistan to fight the Soviet Union, and becomes a follower of Abdullah Azzam.
  • 1988 November – Nazir is an important part of the Peshawar Summit.
  • 2003 May – Nazir is coordinating attacks and suicide bombings against the American Coalition.
  • 2004 June 5 – Last confirmed sighting of Nazir is made by a CIA asset in Syria.
  • 2006 - Attempted simultaneous terrorist attacks in New York and Baghdad.
  • 2009 - Terrorist attack attempt to restart a civil war in Iraq. That year, his son is killed in a drone attack by order of William Walden.
  • 2010 - Period of mourning for Issa's death. Planning a revenge operation against William Walden and the US.
  • 2011 - In a plot devised by Nazir, two al-Qaeda agents prepare to assassinate Vice President William Walden, members of the government; intelligence chiefs and military leaders. (Season 1)
  • 2012 - The CIA coordinates a failed attempt to assassinate Abu Nazir in Beirut, Lebanon during a meeting with the Hezbollah leadership. Nazir enters the United States to assassinate the Vice President and to bomb the CIA. Death and burial at sea. (Season 2)
  • 2013 - Brief appearance as a hallucination. (Season 3: Only Last Thing)

Abu Nazir is one of the most wanted people. The Palestinian is a leading terrorist and has an extensive network and a lot of power. The CIA has information that Abu Nazir is planning an attack on the USA, but they hardly find any information and don't even know where Nazir is until Lynne Reed sights him by chance at a meeting with Prince Farid Bin Abbud. This meeting makes the CIA and especially Carrie Mathison work even harder.

Nazir was instrumental in the torture of Tom Walker and Nicholas Brody. He let Brody believe that Tom Walker was dead because he even had to dig his grave while he was in captivity. After a while, Nazir let Brody into his life, introduced him to his religion and had him convert to Islam. Nazir hired Brody to teach his son Issa the English language. After Issa's death in a bomb attack initiated by Vice President William Walden, he was able to convince Brody of his cause and get him to become part of his plan for revenge against Walden. When Brody wants to get out, he has him kidnapped again and reminds Brody of Issa and their friendship via video. Accordingly, he is very disappointed and angry when his plan is ultimately not implemented. He speaks to Brody on the phone via Tom Walker, who explains to him that he can have much more influence as a senator. Nazir wants to believe him and demands that Brody kill Walker as proof. He then pulls out all the stops to plan another attack using Brody's influence.

The CIA once again has no trace of Nazir, but Carrie's efforts ensure that he is caught. An attack on him planned by the CIA is thwarted at the last second because Brody tips him off via text message just in time and Nazir can get out of the line of fire. Through this rescue, he continues to trust Brody and finally grants his request for more information. Nazir basically has Brody kidnapped to talk to him. There he tells Brody that he is planning an attack on a homecoming party for numerous soldiers, at which Walden and Brody are present. Brody should just ensure that Roya Hammad is present as a journalist. He also indirectly threatens Brody's family if Nicholas turns against him. Since the attack failed and Brody has brought his family to safety, Nazir now wants to put Brody under different pressure. He has Carrie kidnapped and demands that Brody give him the number of Vice President Walden's pacemaker if Carrie is to stay alive. Nazir is convinced that Brody can get the number so that he can then issue the pacemaker remotely. When Carrie tells Nazir that he won't be leaving the country alive, he explains that he doesn't care. He won't escape. Nazir only asks whether he is really the terrorist if he has experienced so much suffering as a result of American attacks. His means are therefore justified. He also makes it clear to Carrie that he and his comrades-in-arms will never lose faith and that it will take centuries to defend themselves against them.

When Brody has the number, Nazir has no choice but to let Carrie go first. Since Brody swears on Issa's immortal soul to give him the number even when Carrie is gone, he trusts Brody and is not disappointed. A short time later he has Walden's pacemaker turned off. From the outside it looks like a functional error. Nazir realizes that he will soon be surrounded because Carrie would quickly get help. But he is able to hide well on site while all the agents think he is trying to escape. Only Carrie suspects that Nazir should still be there and is able to start the search again with a team just in time. But Nazir fights back and is able to isolate Carrie. When he can catch her from behind, an emergency team is there. But Nazir doesn't really flee. When he is surrounded by five men, he makes a threatening gesture and is immediately killed with five shots.

A few days later, Nazir receives a burial at sea in keeping with his faith. Almost simultaneously, a car bomb from Brody's car goes off in Langley, killing a number of high-ranking politicians and agents, including Finn and Cynthia Walden as well as David Estes.

Biography[]

Nazir was most notable for his status as an al-Qaeda commander, and proved an especially versatile and elusive target, with CIA receiving intelligence about his location ranging from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Lebanon. Unusually for a Sunni extremist, he was willing and able to cooperate with Shia extremists such as Hezbollah and its Iranian sponsors, making him a particularly high-priority target for the CIA and JSOC.

Nazir attracted the interest of the US intelligence community after he was identified by Nicholas Brody, who was captured by Nazir in Iraq. (Carrie's Run)

Nazir eventually moved Brody to Syria; here Nazir was targeted by a CIA drone strike in 2009. The death of Nazir's son and America's refusal to acknowledge the strike or its victims played a key role in radicalizing Brody. (Saul's Game)

Season 1[]

After Sergeant Nicholas Brody, who has been a captive of al-Qaeda for eight years, is freed by US soldiers, CIA agent Carrie Mathison believes him to be a sleeper sent by al-Qaeda leader Abu Nazir. Over the season, Nicholas' backstory reveals that this is in fact true. Brody, who had been captured together with his partner Tom Walker, had been tortured at first but Nazir then seemingly freed him from this torture. Nazir behaved friendly towards Brody and introduced him to his young son Issa. He asked Brody to teach Issa English and Brody did so, eventually coming to think of Issa as his own son. Over the course of his 'captivity' Brody also converted to Islam.

When Nazir's son was killed when his school was bombed in a strike ordered by the US Vice President, Nazir managed to convince Brody to take revenge. He smuggled Walker, who had also been turned, back into the United States and made it possible for the US marines to free Brody.

It is later reveals that Nazir plans for Brody to kill the Vice President and many of his close associates after they had been ushered into a safe bunker after a seemingly assassination attempt carried out by Walker. Nazir later focused his efforts on killing the American vice president; the plot was thwarted by a conscience attack by Brody.

After Nicholas fails to use his explosive vest, Nazir sends Walker after him to confront him. Walker confronts Brody under an abandoned bridge and hands him a mobile phone over which Nazir speaks to Brody. After Brody convinces Nazir that he is still his man, Nazir orders him to prove it by killing Walker. Brody does so and executes Walker.

Season 2[]

At the beginning of the season, Nazir is meeting with Hisbollah members in Beirut. The wife of one of the men, an old asset of Carrie, informs Carrie and the CIA sends a team to kill Nazir. When Nazir really shows up, he is warned just in time by Nicholas Brody who manages to send a text message in secret. Mere seconds before he can be shot, Nazir flees from the scene though the rest of the men are killed by the CIA team.

After shaving his beard, Nazir is able to enter the Unites States unnoticed. There, he meets with Nicholas Brody, who has been kidnapped by Nazir's men and is horrified to see him. Nazir thanks Brody for warning him of the assassination attempt and tells him about his new plan, to blow up a ceremony celebrating the homecoming of US soldiers the Vice President will also attend. He tells Brody that his role will be to make sure that one of Nazir's henchmen, a reporter Roya, will be able to attend the ceremony. Brody however warns the CIA and Nazir's men are killed or captured, his plan foiled. As a way of revenge, Nazir kidnaps Carrie. He later calls Brody and tells him to get a code from the Vice President's office. This code would allow Nazir to deactivate the Vice President's pacemaker. He threatens to kill Carrie should Brody refuse.

While waiting for Brody to get the number, Nazir talks to Carrie. She attempts to convince him that Brody will never get the number but Nazir is optimistic. He also tells Carrie that he does not intend to leave the Unites States alive and is amused when Carrie cannot believe such a thing. The two then discuss about their different beliefs about who is at fault and who is the terrorist.

When Brody gets the code, he calls Nazir. Nazir asks for the code but Nicholas demands that Carrie be released first - fully aware that Nazir would kill her once he had the code. Nazir in turn argues that Nicholas wouldn't text him the code should he release Carrie. Brody swears on the soul of Issa that he will keep his word. After a brief moment of distrust, Nazir agrees and cuts the ropes binding Carrie. Carrie is able to flee from the warehouse. In turn, he receives a number from Brody which he immediately sends to one of his men. The man manages to deactivate the pacemaker and the Vice President dies after a heated confrontation with Brody.

Meanwhile, the escaped Carrie calls her colleagues at the CIA and informs them about Nazir's location. They send their forces in to close on the steel mill. Instead of waiting for them, Carrie returns to the steel mill but neither she nor the arriving agents are able to capture Nazir who has seemingly vanished. After interrogating the reporter, Carrie realises that Nazir has never left the steel mill but must still be hiding in the tunnels somewhere. With a sweep team she heads back down into the tunnels. They find Nazir's hideout in a hidden tunnel and Nazir kills the agent Carrie is with. He grabs the man's machine gun and pursues Carrie who is trying to hide from him inside the mill. He is able to find her and beats her up. Before he can kill her, the arrival of more soldiers forces him to retreat. During his escape Nazir is cornered and shot multiple times when he aims for his gun.

After his death, Nazir's body is thrown into the ocean after an imam performs burial rites. This is done to prevent other terrorists from finding it.

Nazir's true master plan is only revealed after his death. The homecoming ceremony was never his true target. He sacrificed his crew and even himself to lure the CIA into a false sense of security. His true target was always the Vice President and the CIA and during the ceremony for the Vice President's death, a massive bomb (hidden inside Brody's car) explodes, killing almost everyone attending the ceremony (government officials and CIA agents mostly). Only 27 people survive the explosion, leaving over 200, including David Estes, Deputy Director of the CIA, and the Vice President's wife and son, dead. Thus, Nazir posthumously achieved his goal.

Because his death was highly strategic. It allowed the CIA to let its guard down, and thus hosted a massive funeral service for the Vice President (who was a former Director). Al-Qaeda used Brody's SUV to frame him for a devastating car bombing of the event which killed 219 people.

Season 3[]

One final appearance was made in a hallucination Brody experienced during an extreme heroin withdrawal. He was imagined to be cleaning a flesh wound Brody sustained as a POW. (Only Last Thing)

Character profile[]

Abu Nazir is a riveting character in the hit television series Homeland, serving as the primary antagonist during the early seasons. Portrayed by acclaimed actor Navid Negahban, Abu Nazir is a terrorist leader who possesses a personal vendetta against the United States, meticulously crafting and executing a series of devastating terrorist attacks. In this post, we will delve into an analytical and theoretical exploration of this complex character, using high-minded concepts while maintaining an easy-to-understand writing style.

One of the most striking aspects of Abu Nazir's character is his unwavering dedication to his cause. He is driven by a deep-rooted belief in seeking revenge against the United States for its actions in the Middle East. This commitment to his mission is reminiscent of the concept of "righteous anger" in philosophy, wherein an individual's righteous indignation propels them towards actions they believe to be justifiable. Despite the morally reprehensible nature of his acts, Abu Nazir feels a sense of moral superiority, seeing himself as an agent of justice in his pursuit of vengeance.

Another interesting dimension to Abu Nazir's character lies in his strategic planning and manipulation skills. He operates with remarkable precision and cunning, orchestrating intricate terrorist plots that exploit the vulnerabilities of his enemies. This underscores the concept of power dynamics in political science, where individuals or groups with fewer resources employ strategic maneuvers to wield power effectively against their adversaries. Abu Nazir's ability to manipulate situations and turn them in his favor showcases his mastery of such power dynamics.

Furthermore, Abu Nazir's character sheds light on the complex interplay between identity, radicalization, and ideology. His personal experiences and the impact of geopolitical events have shaped his worldview, leading him to embrace an extremist ideology. This highlights the concept of "groupthink" in social psychology, wherein individuals conform to the beliefs and actions of a particular group. Abu Nazir's radicalization showcases the power of ideology in shaping an individual's actions, particularly within the context of terrorist organizations.

Interestingly, Abu Nazir is not a one-dimensional antagonist. While his actions are condemnable, the series skillfully showcases the humanity that lies beneath his extremist exterior. This portrayal adheres to the concept of "moral dualism" in literary theory, where characters possess both moral good and evil traits. Abu Nazir's doubt, internal conflicts, and occasional displays of compassion demonstrate the multifaceted nature of human beings, even those who perpetrate terrible acts.

In addition, Abu Nazir's character raises important questions about the ethics of counterterrorism. As viewers, we are compelled to examine the moral ramifications of pursuing justice through methods that can sometimes become indistinguishable from the actions of those we seek to combat. This relates to the concept of "just war theory" in political philosophy, which explores the moral principles guiding the use of force in conflicts. Abu Nazir's character challenges us to critically evaluate the efficacy and ethical implications of counterterrorism strategies employed by governments.

Abu Nazir's portrayal in Homeland serves as a captivating exploration of the multifaceted nature of terrorism and its underlying causes. By juxtaposing high-minded concepts with a down-to-earth writing style, we have delved into the analytical and theoretical dimensions of this complex character. Through his commitment to his cause, strategic planning, ideological beliefs, and moral dualism, Abu Nazir challenges our perceptions and prompts us to reflect on the intricacies of terrorism, power dynamics, and the ethics of counterterrorism. [x]

Reviews[]

Why wasnt Brody’s phone still tapped at the time of his (Blackberry!) video chats with Nazir? “Brody had delivered to the CIA all of the information that he knew about Nazir… and all of his information was correct. And most of his [terrorist] network, with the exception of Nazir was rolled up. So the assumption by the CIA at that point was that his role … was over. There was nothing more he knew.” Add in the fact that Nazir was on the run, and “they had mistakenly stopped monitoring his movements and his phone.”- By Matt Webb Mitovich

Negahban: 'Homeland' Depicts Nuanced Villain

Quotes[]

  • Carrie Mathison : You're never going to leave this country alive.
  • Abu Nazir : I know. And I don't care.
  • Carrie Mathison : We fight with what we have.
  • Carrie Mathison : You pervert the teachings of the Prophet and call it a cause. You turn teenagers into suicide bombers.
  • Abu Nazir : Generation after generation must suffer and die. We are prepared for that. Are you?
  • Carrie Mathison : Whatever it takes.
  • Abu Nazir : Really? With your pension plans and organic foods, your beach houses and sports clubs? Do you have the perseverance, the tenacity, the faith? Because we do. You can bomb us, starve us, occupy our holy places, but we will never lose our faith. We carry God in our hearts, our souls. To die is to join him. It may take a century, two centuries, three centuries, but we will exterminate you.
  • Carrie Mathison : Like I said... you're a terrorist.
  • Abu Nazir : Why kill a man when you can kill an idea?
  • Nicholas Brody : You trusted me with Issa. Why?
  • Abu Nazir : Why not trust a man who would rather die than give information to his enemy?
  • Nicholas Brody : You got your enemy to teach your own son.
  • Abu Nazir : No, we only began as enemies, because that's what the others told us to be.

Behind The Scenes[]

Appearances[]

Season 1
Pilot Grace Clean Skin Semper I Blind Spot
"The Good Soldier" "The Weekend" "Achilles Heel" Crossfire "Representative Brody"
"The Vest" Marine One
Season 2
The Smile Beirut is Back State of Independence New Car Smell Q&A
A Gettysburg Address The Clearing I'll Fly Away Two Hats Broken Hearts
In Memoriam The Choice
Season 3
"Tin Man Is Down" "Uh... Oh... Ah..." "Tower of David" "Game On" "The Yoga Play"
"Still Positive" "Gerontion" "A Red Wheelbarrow" One Last Thing "Good Night"
"Big Man in Tehran" "The Star"
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