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He is seen today as the number two man behind Al-Qaeda's leader [[Osama bin Laden]]. Born into an upper class [[Egypt]]ian in home, al-Zawahiri's involvement in the [[Islamic]] [[Jihad]] movement began at the early age of sixteen, when he became heavily involved in Islamic groups in Egypt, including a plot by the [[Muslim Brotherhood]] to overthrow the government of [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]]. His radical views came largely from the writings and life of [[Sayyid Qutb]], a Muslim who led the Muslim Brotherhood before he was killed under Nassar's regime.  His Uncle Mahfouz Azzam,who was a former student of Qutb and later worked as Qutb's personal lawyer, told Zawahriri of Qutb's beliefs and story of his fight for Jihad.<ref>The Looming Tower, al-Qaeda and the road to 9/11 (book), by Lawrence Wright, pg 36</ref>  

He is seen today as the number two man behind Al-Qaeda's leader [[Osama bin Laden]]. Born into an upper class [[Egypt]]ian in home, al-Zawahiri's involvement in the [[Islamic]] [[Jihad]] movement began at the early age of sixteen, when he became heavily involved in Islamic groups in Egypt, including a plot by the [[Muslim Brotherhood]] to overthrow the government of [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]]. His radical views came largely from the writings and life of [[Sayyid Qutb]], a Muslim who led the Muslim Brotherhood before he was killed under Nassar's regime.  His Uncle Mahfouz Azzam,who was a former student of Qutb and later worked as Qutb's personal lawyer, told Zawahriri of Qutb's beliefs and story of his fight for Jihad.<ref>The Looming Tower, al-Qaeda and the road to 9/11 (book), by Lawrence Wright, pg 36</ref>  

After graduating from Cairo Medical School al-Zawahiri began his own practice in his hometown of Maadi.  While filling in for a another doctor at the Muslim Brotherhood clinic, he was asked to travel to  [[Pakistan]] to tend to the Afghan refugees, which were the result of the Soviets occupation of the country, he readily agreed to the proposition. Al-Zawahiri dreamed of creating a total Islamic state that would be a vanguard for other countries to follow, he saw Afghanistan's terrain as a more suitable location for this jihad<ref> The Looming Tower, L. Wright, pg. 45.</ref>.  During his work in Pakistan, he made several visits across the border into Afghanistan.  

After graduating from Cairo Medical School al-Zawahiri began his own practice in his hometown of Maadi.  While filling in for another doctor at the Muslim Brotherhood clinic, he was asked to travel to  [[Pakistan]] to tend to the Afghan refugees, which were the result of the Soviets occupation of the country, he readily agreed to the proposition. Al-Zawahiri dreamed of creating a total Islamic state that would be a vanguard for other countries to follow, he saw Afghanistan's terrain as a more suitable location for this jihad<ref> The Looming Tower, L. Wright, pg. 45.</ref>.  During his work in Pakistan, he made several visits across the border into Afghanistan.  

In 1980, al-Zawahiri returned to Cairo where he began work as a recruiter for jihad. After Egypt's President [[Anwar Sadat]] was assassinated by a radical group in 1981, al-Zawahiri and other members of the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested. <ref> http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/zawahiri/profile.html</ref>. While in prison, he and his fellow jihad friends faced frequent [[torture]] under Egypt's inquisition, Intelligence Unit 75. Through interrogation and torture, al-Zawahiri gave information which led to the arrest of other members of the Muslim Brotherhood. In one instance, he was forced to call a suspected terrorist, who Zawari know closely, to tell him to meet him at a location, Egypt's security officials arrested the suspect at the location and placed him in the same prison cell as al-Zawahiri<ref>The Looming Tower, al-Qaeda and the road to 9/11 (book), by Lawrence Wright, pg 53</ref>. Essam al-Qamari, the suspected terrorist and friend of al-Zawahiri, was sentenced to ten years in prison and later shot dead in an attempted escape.   

In 1980, al-Zawahiri returned to Cairo where he began work as a recruiter for jihad. After Egypt's President [[Anwar Sadat]] was assassinated by a radical group in 1981, al-Zawahiri and other members of the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested. <ref> http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/shows/zawahiri/profile.html</ref>. While in prison, he and his fellow jihad friends faced frequent [[torture]] under Egypt's inquisition, Intelligence Unit 75. Through interrogation and torture, al-Zawahiri gave information which led to the arrest of other members of the Muslim Brotherhood. In one instance, he was forced to call a suspected terrorist, who Zawari know closely, to tell him to meet him at a location, Egypt's security officials arrested the suspect at the location and placed him in the same prison cell as al-Zawahiri<ref>The Looming Tower, al-Qaeda and the road to 9/11 (book), by Lawrence Wright, pg 53</ref>. Essam al-Qamari, the suspected terrorist and friend of al-Zawahiri, was sentenced to ten years in prison and later shot dead in an attempted escape.