Kassim
Appeared in Highlander: The Series, in the Season Four episode Promises
Statistics Name Muhammad ibn Kassim Born 1119; Tinmallal, North Africa First Death 1152; killed in a political dispute Age 33 (at First Death) 888 (as of 2007) Teachers Hamza el Kahir Origin Masmuda Watchers Kahlid al-Aiban Status Active Occupation Advisor to Emir Portrayed by  Ricco Ross

Muhammad ibn Kassim is an Immortal who made a vow to Boadin al-Deneb to protect his descendants until they would rule again.

Biography

Kassim was born in Tinmallal, North Africa about 1119. He met his first death when he was executed during an tribal political dispute, before meeting and being trained by Hamza el Kahir.

Kassim was there when during the Reconquista, when Spanish forces drove the Muslims from Granada, Spain in 1480, their final foothold on the Iberian Peninsula.

During the battle, Boadin al-Deneb was wounded and Kassim got him away from the battle. Boadin saw that Kassim's wounds had healed and had him promise to watch over his family until the day where one of his descendants would rule.

Meeting MacLeod

In 1755, Duncan MacLeod was in North Africa when he met a young street urchin, Reza. He took care of the youth and gave him food. Kassim found the boy with MacLeod and arrested him for "insulting" a princess of the House of al Deneb, the royal house he was sworn to serve, by paying her attention. Reza said he was in love with the princess, and so Kassim invoked Royal Law to arrest the boy and was going to execute him. MacLeod thought it was wrong, demonstrating a classic clash of cultures. Later that night, MacLeod went into the prison to free Reza, but Kassim was waiting for him. The two men made an agreement, Kassim would forgive the insult the boy offered for daring to love someone so far above his station, and let him live, only if MacLeod promised he would one day do a favor Kassim asked.

Reunion

Kassim and MacLeod met again in the 20th century, and Kassim told him that Nasir Al Deneb, the descendant and true heir to an Arab throne was the last of his line and with no restored royal status he would not find a princess to bring the family back to rule. There was one man between the heir and the throne, a dictator, Hamad.

Kassim told Duncan that he wanted him to kill the President, keeping his promise to render a favor. MacLeod was very close to killing the president but pulled back and made the President promise him that the heir would never be harmed. The President promised, then quickly broke his word, and killed Nasir Al Deneb, ending the royal blood line.

Kassim felt betrayed and challenged MacLeod who refused to fight, and Kassim left. In order to make MacLeod fight him, Kassim kidnapped Rachel MacLeod. When MacLeod came to save her, he and Kassim fought. Mac won the duel, but let Kassim live. Kassim left but promised he would return one day to kill MacLeod.

Redemption

It was later revealed in Kassim's Watcher Chronicle that the heir's mistress was found to be pregnant with his child, who would take over as the new heir to the house of Al-Deneb. Kassim took the heir's mistress into his custody, where he would protect her and the heir's child until he was of age to again claim rule.

Weapon

Kassim used a Damascus scimitar with an ivory grip set into a one handed brass hilt with a short cross guard. It appeared he had always carried a similar style blade.

Trivia

• Kassim has his own reasons for staging the assassination, but President Hamad was willing to commit murder to maintain his power and, according to Kassim, he had imprisoned and executed five thousand of his own people in the last four years. Wanting to overthrow Hamad in favor of someone less monstrous was not exactly unreasonable.
  • However, Kassim still used a mortal to achieve his goal and and killed him to cover it up, showing he was not above using ruthless acts to keep his word. This action was very reminiscent of Paul Karros.