Sayyid Qutb

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

Records mentioning, relating to, or generated as a result of investigation or inquiry into the Islamist preacher Sayyid Ibrahim Husayn Shadhili Qutb (9 October 1906 – 29 August 1966). Note that his first name has also been spelled Said, Syed, Seyyid, Sayid, or Sayed; and his last name Koteb, Qutub, Kotb, or Kutb.

Qutb was raised in Musha, Asyut Province, Egypt and worked as a teacher in Cairo. In 1948, he received a scholarship to study at Colorado State College for Education in Greeley, Colorado. Over the next two years, Qutb also worked and studied Wilson Teachers' College in Washington, D.C. (one of the precursors to today's University of the District of Columbia) and Stanford University. During this time, he published Al-'adala al-Ijtima'iyya fi-l-Islam (Social Justice in Islam) in 1949.

Qutb's experiences in America left him disillusioned with Western values. Upon his return to Egypt, he joined the Muslim Brotherhood and wrote a scathing critique of American society titled Amrika allati Ra'aytu (The America that I Have Seen). Qutb rose through the ranks of the Muslim Brotherhood to become editor-in-chief of the organization's weekly Al-Ikhwan al-Muslimin, and later head of propaganda for the entire organization.

Egyptian authorities arrested Qutb in 1954 after the Muslim Brotherhood attempted to assassinate President Gamal Abdel Nasser. He was released in late 1964, re-arrested in August 1965, sentenced to death, and executed in August 1966. Qutb was tortured in prison. He also wrote a commentary of the Qur'an called Fi Zilal al-Qur'an (In the Shade of the Qur'an), and a manifesto of political Islam called Ma'alim fi-l-Tariq (Milestones) during his imprisonment.

Qutb's philosophy later inspired several militant Islamist leaders, including Ruhollah Khomeini, Ayman Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden, and Anwar al-Awlaki. The Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States ("The 9/11 Commission Report") cites Qutb as a major influence on bin Laden's worldview, leading to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

lease conduct a search of the Central Records System, including but not limited to the Electronic Surveillance (ELSUR) Indices, the Microphone Surveillance (MISUR) Indices, the Physical Surveillance (FISUR) Indices, and the Technical Surveillance (TESUR) Indices, for both main-file records and cross-reference records of both HQ and all field offices for all relevant names, agencies, organizations, companies and events including but not limited to those cited in the previous paragraphs and/or links as well as a cross-reference with the Southern Poverty Law Center to include any information provided by the SPLC. My request includes but is not limited to 137, 157, 176, 177, 183, 184, 188, and 214 files. If previously released records are available, then I request a rolling release consisting of those records while additional records are located and processed for release.

If any part of these documents are exempt from disclosure, please be sure to review and release all reasonably segregable nonexempt portions of responsive documents, as the FOIA requires.

I request that I be properly classified as a media requester. I am an investigative journalist who has written numerous articles on topics of public interest for the Daily Beast, the Asia Times, Responsible Statecraft, the National Interest, Reason Magazine, America Magazine and the Armenian Weekly, and I am requesting these documents in an editorial capacity. Please contact me if you have any questions about my media status.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Matthew Petti