The Hanafi Siege

The Hanafi Siege of 1977 was a pivotal and dramatic series of events that unfolded in Washington, D.C., capturing the nation’s attention and highlighting the complexities of religious extremism, political discourse, and the challenges of crisis negotiation. This three-day ordeal, which concluded on March 11, 1977, involved the takeover of three buildings and the taking of over 130 hostages by a group of Hanafi Muslims, led by Hamaas Abdul Khaalis. The siege not only tested the mettle of law enforcement and government officials but also left an indelible mark on the city and its inhabitants.

The origins of the Hanafi Siege can be traced back to internal conflicts within the Muslim community in the United States, particularly between the Hanafi movement, a moderate sect of Islam, and the Nation of Islam. The leader of the Hanafis, Hamaas Abdul Khaalis, was a former national secretary of the Nation of Islam who became disillusioned with the organization and founded his own group. The animosity between the two factions reached a boiling point in 1973 when seven members of Khaalis’ family were murdered in their Washington, D.C., home by followers of the Nation of Islam, an event that profoundly influenced Khaalis’ actions.

On March 9, 1977, more than a dozen armed Hanafi Muslims executed a coordinated siege on three locations in Washington, D.C.: the B’nai B’rith International headquarters, the Islamic Center of Washington, and the District Building (the city hall). These locations were strategically chosen to maximize impact and garner attention for their cause. The assailants took 149 hostages, including city council members, employees, and visitors, and engaged in a standoff with law enforcement.

The Hanafi gunmen had several demands. Primarily, they sought the handing over of a group of men who had been convicted of the 1973 murders of Khaalis’ family members. Additionally, they demanded the cancellation of the screening of a film they deemed blasphemous to Muslims, and they called for the delivery of several prominent Muslim and Jewish officials to them, presumably for negotiation or confrontation.

The negotiations were tense and fraught with danger. Marion Barry, then a city council member and future mayor of Washington, D.C., was among the hostages and was wounded during the siege. The FBI and local police were heavily involved in the negotiation process, which also saw the participation of Muslim ambassadors from several countries, as Khaalis expressed willingness to speak with them. The turning point came when ambassadors from three Islamic nations joined the negotiations, offering a sense of religious and diplomatic credibility to the dialogue.

The siege ended on March 11, 1977, after intense negotiations. The hostage-takers released all captives unharmed and surrendered to the authorities. The peaceful resolution, without further loss of life, was widely regarded as a success for law enforcement and the negotiators involved, who managed to de-escalate the situation through patience and strategic dialogue.

The aftermath of the Hanafi Siege saw Hamaas Abdul Khaalis and his followers convicted and sentenced to long prison terms. The event prompted discussions on religious extremism, the effectiveness of law enforcement in crisis situations, and the importance of interfaith dialogue. Public reaction was a mix of relief at the resolution, outrage over the violence, and a renewed sense of vulnerability in the face of domestic terrorism. The siege remains a significant event in Washington, D.C.’s history, remembered for the fear it instilled, the lives it disrupted, and the lessons in crisis management and negotiation it imparted.