Essam Tasir

Season: 1, Episodes: 1, Faction: N/A

Overview

Essam Tasir was a former college roommate of Sayid at the University of Cairo, where he earned a degree in philosophy.

Essam’s wife, Zahra, was killed in the bombings of civilian areas in Baghdad (during the American invasion of Iraq), while shopping for a dress. In the events of his wife’s death, the then angry and desperate Essam is lured into a terrorist cell in Sydney, Australia, that aims to disrupt the US-lead Coalition prison in Iraq.

War

Prophecy

Death

Underworld

Fertility (Earth)

Sun (Fire)

Healing

1×21 – The Greater Good

Initially bribed with the knowledge of Nadia’s whereabouts, Sayid was recruited by Agents Alyssa Cole of the CIA and Robbie Hewitt of the ASIS at the Heathrow Airport, in order to hook up with Essam and recover 300 pounds of stolen C-4 explosive stolen by his cell.

To gain the trust of the cell, including Haddad, Sayid’s first move was to uncover a bug planted in their apartment, while pretending to talk to Essam about their good time in Sharm el-Sheikh.

Later, Essam confides in Sayid that he was chosen to be the martyr in a bombing operation using the C-4 explosive. However, Essam revealed his strong doubts about his role and the legitimacy of the whole operation. As he explained to Sayid, his main concerns were not fear of his own life, but the conflict he struggled between the just and peaceful teachings of Islam and the opposing role he will take in the killing of innocent lives during the operation.

Consequently, Sayid asked Agents Cole and Hewitt to let him save Essam and bring him in. However, they harshly refused and ordered Sayid to convince Essam of shedding his doubts and going on with his role, only to enable the uncovering of the explosive’s location. When Sayid refuses to cooperate, he is blackmailed with threats of arresting Nadia in false charge at his failure to talk “Essam into blowing himself up”.

On his return, the blackmailed Sayid used the memory of Essam’s dead wife to remind him of the injustice that fell upon him, and thus fuel his will to avenge her, discarding any other concerns he had for the “greater good”. As Essam listened, he gradually agreed to accept his mission, and asked Sayid to come along with him for support.

Unable to stand his guilt, Sayid confessed his true role and cause to Essam before they set on their mission, and asked him to take this last chance in escaping. However, Essam was by that time unstable and distraught. As he condemned Sayid’s trickery over a woman, he initially threatened to kill him and then immediately shot himself instead.

On the knowledge that Essam’s body will be unclaimed, Sayid insisted on claiming it and remained in Sydney to give Essam a proper Muslim burial. Thus, he was delayed to be on Oceanic Flight 815.

Images Source | Images Source | Source

Decoded Family Members & Associated Characters

Zahra Tasir (Wife)

Haddad

Yusef

Sayid Jarrah

Agent Alyssa Cole

Agent Robbie Hewitt

Key Episode(s) to Decoding the Character

1x21 "The Greater Good"

Wiki Info

In Greek mythology, Amphiaraus (or Amphiaraos, “doubly cursed” or “twice Ares-like”) was the son of Oecles and Hypermnestra, and husband of Eriphyle. Amphiaraus was the King of Argos along with Adrastus— the brother of Amphiaraus’ wife, Eriphyle— and Iphis. Amphiaraus was a seer, and greatly honored in his time. Both Zeus and Apollo favored him, and Zeus gave him his oracular talent. In the generation before the Trojan War, Amphiaraos was one of the heroes present at the Calydonian Boar Hunt.

The material of the tragic war of the Seven Against Thebes was taken up from several points-of-view by each of the three great Greek tragic poets. Eriphyle persuaded Amphiaraus to take part in the raiding venture, against his better judgment, for he knew he would die. She had been persuaded by Polynices, who offered her the necklace of Harmonia, daughter of Aphrodite, once part of the bride-price of Cadmus, as a bribe for her advocacy. Amphiaraus reluctantly agreed to join the doomed undertaking, but aware of his wife’s corruption, asked his sons, Alcmaeon and Amphilochus to avenge his inevitably coming death by killing her, should he not return. On the way to the battle, Amphiaraus repeatedly warned the other warriors that the expedition would fail, and blamed Tydeus for starting it. He would eventually prevent Tydeus from being immortalized by Athena because of this. Despite this, he was possibly the greatest leader in the attack. During the battle, Amphiaraus killed Melanippus. In the battle, Amphiaraus sought to flee from Periclymenus, the “very famous” son of Poseidon, who wanted to kill him, but Zeus threw his thunderbolt, and the earth opened to swallow Amphiaraus together with his chariot. Thus chthonic hero Amphiaraus was propitiated and consulted at his sanctuary.

Alcmaeon killed his mother when Amphiaraus died. He was pursued by the Erinyes as he fled across Greece, eventually landing the court of King Phegeus, who gave him his daughter Alphesiboea in marriage. Exhausted, Alcmaeon asked an oracle how to avoid the Erinyes and was told that he needed to stop where the sun was not shining when he killed his mother. That was the mouth of the river Achelous, which had been silted up. Achelous himself, god of that river, promised him his daughter, Callirhoe in marriage if Alcmaeon would retrieve the necklace and clothes which Eriphyle wore when she persuaded Amphiaraus to take part in the battle. Alcmaeon had given these jewels to Phegeus who had his sons kill Alcmaeon when he discovered Alcmaeon’s plan.

In a sanctuary at the Amphiareion of Oropos, northwest of Attica, Amphiaraus was worshipped with a hero cult. He was considered a healing and fortune-telling god and was associated with Asclepius. The healing and fortune-telling aspect of Amphiaraus came from his ancestry: he was related to the great seer Melampus. After making a sacrifice of a few coins, or sometimes a ram, at the temple, a petitioner slept inside and received a dream detailing the solution to the problem.

Etruscan tradition inherited by the Romans is doubtless the origin of a son for Amphiaraus named Catillus who escaped from the slaughter at Thebes and led an expedition to Italy, where he founded a colony where eventually appeared the city of Tibur (now Tivoli), named after his eldest son Tiburtus.

In certain traditions he was said to have had a daughter, Alexida.

Image & Source