Egypt's Executioner Chats About Job Satisfaction

'Strangling Has Been My Hobby Since Childhood, I Just Love My Job'
MEMRI TV

In a world where many employees bemoan the everyday drudgery of their job, it's nice to know one man loves his occupation.

Being responsible for placing a noose around at least 800 heads would probably leave most people with some sleepless nights, but not Hajj Abd Al-Nabi, who calls his job a "great gift."

"I love people, and people love me, but when I am doing my job, I am carrying out the law of Allah," he explained in the video posted by MEMRI TV.

"When it comes to carrying out my job, I am tough. The murderer has done an abominable thing, and I cannot be soft with him. If I were soft towards this criminal, I wouldn't be able to execute him, but when I'm at home, with my kids, I am as calm as can be."

"I have placed [the noose] around some 800 heads – tough people, big people, young people... All the despicable crimes – killing, adultery, premeditated murder, and so on... I carry out all the death sentences.

"In all honesty, I love my work. I just love it! I never say 'no' when they need me at work. This is my work and my livelihood."

Taking pride in one's work is of course, a good thing, but this interview just gets a little bit sick.

Ever since he was a little nipper, he reveals, he has loved death.

"When I was young – about 13 or 14 years old – the dry Ismailiya Canal in Shubra Al-Kheima still had water in it. My hobby was to catch a cat, to place a rope around its neck, to strangle it, and throw it into the water.

"I would get hold of any animal – even dogs. I would strangle these animals and throw them into the water – even dogs."

He goes on to proudly describe how strangulation was his hobby as a child, describing himself as "a little Satan."

"When I applied for the job and did well on the tests – proving that I could take the psychological pressure and so on – they said: 'Congratulations. Now, grow a moustache.'"

"The truth is that my heart is dead, because executing comes from the heart, not the moustache. Only if you have a heart of stone can you be content in this line of work."

Strangling Has Been My Hobby Since Childhood, I Just Love My Job

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