seasonsali: 10 Beloved Political Leaders who were Assassinated

Thursday, September 23, 2010

10 Beloved Political Leaders who were Assassinated

As the world moved into the modern day, the killing of important people began to become more than a tool in power struggles between rulers themselves and was also used for political symbolism, such as in the propaganda of the deed. Assassinations may be prompted by religious, ideological, political, or military reasons but the end result is targeted killing of a public figure, whom we know well or we love. Each nation would have lost some famous political entity in same way, here is a list that mentions the ten famous political leaders who were well-esteemed and admired by their people and were massacred.

10. Aslan Maskhadov (1951 – 2005) : Chechnya

Aslan Aliyevich Maskhadov was a leader of the Chechen separatist movement and the third President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. He was credited by many with the Chechen victory in the First Chechen War, which allowed for the establishment of the de facto independent Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. Maskhadov was elected President of Chechnya in January 1997. Following the start of the Second Chechen War in August 1999, he returned to leading the guerrilla resistance against the Russian army. He was killed in Tolstoy-Yurt, a village in northern Chechnya, in March 2005.

9. King Faisal (1904 – 1975) : Saudi Arabia

HRH Faisal ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia ruled from 1964 to 1975. Not exactlypolitical but since he is was a great leader of his country and govt. he is on list. As king he is credited with rescuing the country’s finances and implementing a policy of modernization and reform, while his main foreign policy themes were pan-Islamism, anti-Communism, and anti-Zionism. Faisal viewed the restoration of the country’s finances as his main priority. He continued to pursue his conservative financial policies during the first few years of his reign, and his aims of balancing the country’s budget eventually succeeded, helped by an increase in oil production. Faisal embarked on a modernization project that encompassed vast parts of the kingdom and involved various public sector institutions. The pinnacle of his achievements in modernizing the Kingdom was the establishment of a judicial system, a project led and executed by an international lawyer and judge, the former Syrian Minister of Justice, Zafer Moussly. Several universities were established or expanded during his rule. Many of the country’s ministries, government agencies, and welfare programs were begun during Faisal’s reign, and he invested heavily in infrastructure. He was literally a favourite Saudi King. On March 25, 1975, Faisal was shot point-blank and killed by his half-brother’s son, Faisal bin Musa’id, who had just come back from the United States. The murder occurred at an event where the king or leader opens up his residence to the citizens to enter and petition the king. The stated reason was revenge for Faisal bin Musa’id’s brother Khaled, who had been killed by Saudi Defense Force members while taking part in a demonstration in 1965. Prince Faisal Bin Musa’id was captured directly after the attack and declared officially insane. He was later found guilty of regicide and in June 1975, despite Faisal’s dying request that the life of his assassin be spared, he was beheaded in the public square in Riyadh.

8. Thomas D’Arcy McGee (1825 – 1868) : Canada

Thomas D’Arcy Etienne Hughes McGee, was an Irish Nationalist, Catholic spokesman, journalist, and a Father of Canadian confederation. He fought for the development of Irish and Canadian national identities that would transcend their component groups. He is, to date, the only Canadian victim of political assassination at the federal level. In terms of economics he promoted modernization, calling for extensive economic development by means of railway construction, the fostering of immigration, and the application of a high protective tariff to encourage manufacturing. Politically active, he advocated a new nationality in Canada, to escape the sectarianism of Ireland. In 1858. On April 7, 1868, McGee participated in a parliamentary debate that went on past midnight. He walked to the doorstep of his Sparks St. apartment afterward, and was assassinated by Patrick Whelan. Patrick J. Whelan, a Fenian sympathizer and a Catholic, was accused, tried, convicted, and hanged for the crime. Decades later, his guilt was questioned and many believe that he was a scapegoat for a Protestant plot.

7. Rafic Hariri (1944 – 2005) : Lebanon

Rafic Baha El Deen Al-Hariri, a business tycoon, was the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation, 20 October 2004. He headed five cabinets during his tenure. Hariri dominated the country’s post-war political and business life and is widely credited with reconstructing Beirut after the 15-year civil war. Hariri was assassinated on 14 February 2005 when explosives equivalent to around 1000 kg of TNT were detonated as his motorcade drove past the St. George Hotel in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. The investigation, by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, into his assassination is still ongoing and currently led by the independent investigator Daniel Bellemare. In its first two reports, UNIIIC indicated that the Syrian government may be linked to the assassination. Hariri’s killing led to massive political change in Lebanon, including the Cedar Revolution and the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.

6. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869 – 1948) : India

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was the pre-eminent political and spiritual leader of India during the Indian independence movement. He pioneered satyagraha—resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, a philosophy firmly founded upon ahimsa, or total nonviolence, which helped India to gain independence, and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Gandhi swore to speak the truth and advocated that others do the same. He lived modestly in a self-sufficient residential community and wore the traditional Indian dhoti and shawl. On 30 January 1948, Gandhi was shot while he was walking to a platform from which he was to address a prayer meeting. The assassin, Nathuram Godse, was a Hindu nationalist with links to the extremist Hindu Mahasabha, who held Gandhi responsible for weakening India by insisting upon a payment to Pakistan. Gandhi’s ashes were poured into urns which were sent across India for memorial services. Most were immersed at the Sangam at Allahabad on 12 February 1948 but some were secretly taken away.