Abdul_Halim_Moussa

Abdul Halim Moussa

Abdul Halim Moussa

Egyptian major general (1930–2003)

Abdul Halim Moussa (Arabic: عبد الحليم موسى; c. 1930 – 2003) was an Egyptian police major general and interior minister who was in office from 1990 to 1993.

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Early life and education

Moussa was born around 1930.[1] He graduated from the police academy in 1954.[2]

Career and activities

Moussa served as a director of public security and held the rank of police major general.[3] He was named governor of the southern province of Asyut.[2][3] He was appointed minister of interior by President Hosni Mubarak in January 1990, replacing Zaki Badr in the post.[1][2] Moussa's appointment was commonly welcomed by the Egyptian public.[4] Unlike his successor, he adopted a conciliatory approach toward Islamic groups during his term.[1]

In December 1992, Moussa argued that there were more than 2,000 members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards in Sudan and that they were training Egyptian extremists in the camps.[5] In early April 1993 he supported the establishment of a mediation committee by the independent ulemas who opposed the violent activities of the Islamists.[6] Moussa's term lasted until 18 April 1993 when he was fired by Mubarak due to his failure in ending the violence perpetrated by Islamic insurgents[7][8] and due to his endorsement of the ulemas' mediation committee plan.[6] The day before his dismissal Moussa stated that a dialogue had been opened towards the Islamic militants.[9] Hassan Al Alfi replaced Moussa as interior minister.[7][8]

Assassination attempts

Moussa escaped unhurt after four assassination attempts all by the Egyptian Islamic Jihad when he was in office as interior minister.[10] The first attempt was in October 1990.[11] However, not Moussa but the parliamentary speaker Rif'at al-Mahjub was killed in the attack.[11] In the last attempt, Moussa's driver, who was a relative of the group, was killed and perpetrators apologized to the family of the driver.[10]

Controversy

Zaki Badr, Moussa's successor as interior minister, accused him of corruption and wrongdoing in January 1994.[12]

Death

Moussa was diagnosed with cancer in 2002.[2] He died of cancer at the age of 73 in Cairo on 19 July 2003.[1]

References

  1. [1]
    "Abdel Halim Moussa, 73; Egyptian Official Reached Out to Rebels". Los Angeles Times. 22 July 2003. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  2. [2]
    "Deaths". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 21 July 2003. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  3. [3]
    Michael Collins Dunn (March 1990). "The Fall of Zaki Badr: A Victory for Egypt's Opposition Press". Washington Report. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  4. [4]
    Ahmed Abdalla (January–February 1991). "Mubarak's Gamble". Middle East Report. 168.
  5. [5]
    P. B. Sinha (1998). "Threat of Islamic terrorism in Egypt". Strategic Analysis. 22 (8): 1193–1213. doi:10.1080/09700169808458874.
  6. [6]
    Malika Zeghal (1999). "Religion and Politics in Egypt: The Ulema of al-Azhar, Radical Islam, and the State (1952-94)". International Journal of Middle East Studies. 31 (3): 388. doi:10.1017/S0020743800055483. S2CID 33718066.
  7. [7]
    Youssef M. Ibrahim (19 August 1993). "Egyptian militants blamed in attack on security chief". The New York Times. p. 1.
  8. [8]
    Ami Ayalon, ed. (1995). Middle East Contemporary Survey: 1993. Vol. 17. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. ISBN 978-0813324333.
  9. [9]
    Scott Mattoon (June 1993). "Terror Makes Its Mark". The Middle East (224).
  10. [10]
    Mounir Adib (5 September 2013). "Different minister, same assassination method". Al-Masry Al-Youm. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  11. [11]
    Bradley Hope (22 March 2012). "Long-time Islamist prisoner faces a whole new Egypt". The National. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  12. [12]
    William J Burns (Winter 1995). "The Impending Crisis in Egypt". The Middle East Journal. 49 (1): 19. doi:10.1163/2468-1733_shafr_SIM220070012.
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