As a member of one of the world’s largest terrorist organizations, Tawfik Hamid was prepared to murder innocent people in the name of his religion less than 30 years ago.

Hamid – a former member of an Al Qaeda-affiliated organization who has since turned his back to terrorism and become an advocate for peace- will address students Thursday night in White-Gravenor Hall in an event sponsored by the GU College Republicans.

In an interview with THE HOYA, Hamid said that he first developed an interest in contemporary theological teachings while he was attending medical school at the University of Cairo in 1978.

“We started with a small mosque and it grew,” Hamid said. “I went regularly to pray in this mosque. I read books in Islam and they asked me to join.”

The group Hamid joined was Jemaah Islamiyah, a terrorist organization whose membership included Ayman Al-Zawahiri, now considered the second in command of Al Qaeda, with whom Hamid prayed regularly.

“It has very violent views,” said Hamid of the terrorist organization. “You just read the books and you will realize.”

Although Hamid was raised in a secular Muslim family, he became an active participant in the group’s operations within a year after joining.

“I was regularly involved,” he said. “I had reached the level that I was ready to kill and to die and go to the paradise.”

“My dream was to kill the infidels, to die for Allah,” he said. “I just didn’t have the opportunity.”

While Hamid never committed violence, his role in the organization became an intellectual one, he said.

“They chose me to have debates with the Christians,” he said. “I read the Bible to criticize them.”

It was this exposure to outside influences that Hamid said turned his life around. He specifically credits a passage from the Bible, “What will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?” for helping him realize his fundamental disagreements with terrorism.

“I felt at some point that I was doing things against my conscience and I couldn’t continue,” Hamid said. “I just changed my ways into totally different directions.”

Hamid, who holds advanced degrees in medicine and psychology, fled from Egypt and has since visited the United States twice. According to GUCR, Thursday’s visit will be Hamid’s first public appearance in the country.

Hamid currently speaks out frequently against violent interpretations of Islam.

“I realized the threat we had from certain forms of teaching in the religion,” he said.

Hamid did say, however, that he thinks that non-Muslims would not benefit from reading and interpreting the Koran, citing the potential for vastly different interpretations.

“You can have the same verse but you can explain in a variety of manners,” Hamid said, adding that there is much more to Islam than the Koran.

Hamid’s concern has piqued in recent years. Hamid claims that he predicted the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and he has since offered his services to the Central Intelligence Agency.

As for Hamid’s plans to promote peace on behalf of the College Republicans, he said that he has no interest for the political affiliation of his audience.

“I can speak in front of anyone,” he said. “I am just telling the truth and I don’t feel any shame telling a logical and honest view in front of anyone.”

Tom Armstrong, chairman of the College Republicans, said that the speech was set up after the organization was contacted about two weeks by Walid Shoebat, a group that organizes former terrorists to speak in support of Israel. Armstrong said that the encounter was likely influenced by Walid Shoebat’s opposition to the Palestine Solidarity Movement, a group that some say promotes extreme anti-Israeli views. PSM is sponsoring a three-day conference on campus beginning Friday, the day after Hamid’s speech.

“I think the speaker is speaking . against Palestinian support against Israel,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong said that, while Hamid’s message is not as partisan as other speakers that the organization has hosted, it echoes the College Republicans’ support for Israel.

“We want [audience members] walking away thinking about the other side of the Israel-Palestine issue,” he said.