| Bassel "The Tailor" | |
|---|---|
| |
| Status: | Alive |
| Nationality: |  American
|
| Profession: | Bombmaker |
| Played by: | Nasser Faris |
| Season(s): | 1, 2 |
| Episodes: | 2 appearances |
| First episode: | "The Vest" |
| Last episode: | "State of Independence" |
Bassel "The Tailor" is a bombmaker operating in US. After the Gettysburg location is burned, Brody is sent by Abu Nazir's people to extract Bassel, but a paranoid Bassel attempts to escape, only to be killed by Brody in the ensuing struggle.
Biography[]
In Season 1, Bassel is an Al-Qaeda bombmaker operating out of a clothing store in Gettysburg. He tailors the suicide vest worn by Brody in his planned attack on the Vice President William Walden. While the family is going to dinner, Brody goes under a pretext to a tailor, who finally gives him the vest. He explains the mechanism, how to release the vest and what to watch out for. Brody ends up stowing the vest safely in the trunk of his car.
In Season 2, Brody receives a call from Roya. She informs him that the CIA is about to find out about the tailor in Gettysburg who made Brody's bomb. Since Brody is the only one whose face he knows, he has to take him to a safe hiding place.
Brody drives to Gettysburg and asks the tailor to pack his things. This is suspicious, but he finally gets in Brody's car. On the drive to the hideout, the tailor, whose name is Bassel, asks more questions that Brody doesn't know the answers to. The journey is delayed when Brody notices that one of the wheels has a flat tire. Since they don't have a jack, Brody has to improvise, which takes a lot of time. Bassel watches him do this and finally picks up a stone. After a moment's thought, however, he decides not to throw it at Brody.
When Brody leaves Bassel alone at a gas station for a short time, he leaves. Brody tracks him into the woods and finally manages to throw him to the ground. Then he realizes that Bassel was impaled by a pole sticking out from the ground. At that moment, Brody receives another call from Jess. He explains to her that he has a flat tire and won't make it in time. When Bassel makes noises out of pain and Jess then asks several times what Brody is doing, Brody sees no other way out and breaks Bassel's neck.
Trivia[]
What does the Gettysburg tailor / bomb-maker and Brody say in Arabic during their meeting?
Brody says he has heard the blast goes up toward your throat, and the tailor states: "God will see you as a whole no matter what you look like, he will see what you really are," and Brody replies "There is no god but Allah."
What does the tailor say to Brody in Arabic? La ilaha illa Allah. The meaning of la ilaha illa Allah: There is truly nothing, nor anyone deserving of worship except Allah. This statement forbid so prohibits us from assigned divinity to anything except Allaah, praised and praised be.
Quotes[]
- Nick: As-salaamu alaykum.
- Bassel: Wa alaykum assalaam wa ramat allahi wa barakatuhu.
- Nick: I don't have much time.
- Bassel: Put your arm through here.
- Nick: The explosive?
- Bassel: Not armed yet. Listen now. These must be tight. Or the vest will show. The switch is here. Under this cover. Wait until the last second before you open it. Some people get nervous. You don't want your hand on the switch until the end.
- Nick: I read that part of the blast goes upward.
- Bassel: Toward here.
- Nick: Point of weakness. So that the head is cleanly severed, and normally found intact. Everything else... ...isn't.
- Bassel: La ilaha illa Allah. (speaking Arabic)
Behind the Scenes[]
Appearances[]
| Season 1 | ||||
| "Pilot" | "Grace" | "Clean Skin" | "Semper I" | "Blind Spot" |
| "The Good Soldier" | "The Weekend" | "Achilles Heel" | "Crossfire" | "Representative Brody" |
| The Vest | "Marine One" | |||
| Season 2 | ||||
| "The Smile" | "Beirut is Back" | State of Independence | "New Car Smell" | "Q&A" |
| "A Gettysburg Address" | "The Clearing" | "I'll Fly Away" | "Two Hats" | "Broken Hearts" |
| "In Memoriam" | "The Choice" | |||