Khaled Mohieddin
Encyclopedia
Khaled Mohieddine was an Egypt
ian politician and a major in the Egyptian Army
. He participated in the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, as a member of the Free Officers Movement
, which overthrew the monarchy under King Farouk. He left political life after a fallout with Gamal Abdel Nasser
, until he founded the leftist political party National Progressive Union Party
.
in 1922 to a well-off family that owned sizable landholdings in the Nile Delta
area. He graduated from the Egyptian Military Academy
in 1940 and served a cavalry officer. In 1942, he befriended Gamal Abdel Nasser
at a military college. In 1943-44, he joined the Free Officers Movement
, becoming one of the ten original members. 1951, he received a bachelor's degree in commerce from the University of Cairo (then known as "Fuad University"). He adopted Marxism
, but although he was associated with HADETO, an Egyptian Communist movement, Mohieddine most likely did not join it. He did have ties with the Communist oriented Democratic Movement for National Liberation
.
and the coup was successfully undertaken. He and Nasser wrote the first proclamation of the "revolution" on Cairo Radio. Mohieddine attended the ceremonious departure of the king and according to him, Farouk stated to the attending officers that he "thought of doing the same thing they were doing."
After Muhammad Naguib
was made president, Mohieddine became a part of the Egyptian Revolutionary Command Council
(RCC). When army officers loyal to Nasser kidnapped Naguib in February 1954, Mohieddine unexpectedly ordered Naguib be released immediately and he was. He explained the reason he took that action was because he felt Nasser and the Free Officers could not rule Egypt without Naguib. Nasser, who was prime minister, would respond to his move by dismissing all the officers loyal to him. At the advice of his cousin and fellow RCC member, Zakaria Mohieddine, Khaled dropped out of sight for a few days after the protest, returning to Cairo on March 5. When he felt endangered, he left for a hideout in Alexandria
until April 1 when Nasser personally contacted him. The RCC members, including Mohieddine, agreed that he be sent to Europe
as part of trade mission. According to close sources, his parting with Nasser was sober, but not devoid of "shared sorrow." The Egyptian regime designated him as a representative of the RCC abroad, leaving the impression that his informal exile was temporary.
With Nasser officially assuming the presidency and the end of the Suez Crisis
in 1956, Mohieddine returned to Egypt and took a leading role in the government, being put in charge of the evening al-Masa newspaper which he founded. A year later he served in the central committee of the National Union and was elected a member of the National Assembly. He was one of four appointed by Nasser to set up the first conference of the Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity Organization during 1957-58. Mohieddine later chaired the Egyptian Peace Council, hence became a member of the World Peace Council
's presidential council in 1958.
On March 8, 1959, an Arab nationalist rebellion broke out in Mosul
, Iraq
with the intent of deposing the anti-Nasser and pro-Communist president Abdel Karim Qasim. When it was put down, Nasser's anti-Communism feelings apparently deepened and he accused Mohieddine of supporting Qasim. Nasser subsequently unceremoniously fired him and twelve other editors from al-Masa on March 13. Mohieddine was soon arrested and remained incarcerated until the end of 1960. He became Board Chairman of Akhbar al-Yawm
in 1964. In April 1965, after Nasser began taking a more Soviet stance on domestic affairs, Mohieddine was appointed Secretary of the Arab Socialist Union
's (ASU) Press Committee. Around this time he also chaired the Aswan High Dam committee and was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize
in 1970.
(also referred to as "Taggamu") in 1976 and was one its three delegates elected to the People's Assembly
that same year.
He was suspected by government authorities of inciting the 1977 Egyptian Bread Riots
. In 1978, he founded and edited his party's press organ, al-Ahaly. The next year he was charged with activities "against the state", but was not tried. Because he was a former RCC member, Mohieddine was spared when Sadat jailed other dissidents in 1981. He has continued to practice politics and is considered a part of the "loyal opposition" to current president Hosni Mubarak
. In 1990, he won a parliamentary seat after three previous defeats. His nephew, Minister of Investment Mahmoud Mohieddin, announced he had abandoned plans to stand for election in the Kafr el-Shukr electoral district in October 2005, standing aside in favor Khaled Mohieddin.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian politician and a major in the Egyptian Army
Egyptian Army
The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian Armed Forces and holds power in the current Egyptian government. It is estimated to number around 379,000, in addition to 479,000 reservists for a total of 858,000 strong. The modern army was created in the 1820s, and during the...
. He participated in the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, as a member of the Free Officers Movement
Free Officers Movement
In Egypt, the clandestine revolutionary Free Officers Movement was composed of young junior army officers committed to unseating the Egyptian monarchy and its British advisors...
, which overthrew the monarchy under King Farouk. He left political life after a fallout with Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
, until he founded the leftist political party National Progressive Union Party
National Progressive Unionist Party
The National Progressive Unionist Party is a socialist political party in Egypt. The party is considered to be the defender of the principles of the 1952 Revolution...
.
Early life
Mohieddine was born in Kafr el-Shukr (Daqaliyya) Lower EgyptLower Egypt
Lower Egypt is the northern-most section of Egypt. It refers to the fertile Nile Delta region, which stretches from the area between El-Aiyat and Zawyet Dahshur, south of modern-day Cairo, and the Mediterranean Sea....
in 1922 to a well-off family that owned sizable landholdings in the Nile Delta
Nile Delta
The Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
area. He graduated from the Egyptian Military Academy
Egyptian Military Academy
The Egyptian Military Academy is the oldest and most prominent military academy in Egypt and North Africa. Traditionally, graduates of the Military Academy are commissioned as officers in the Egyptian Army...
in 1940 and served a cavalry officer. In 1942, he befriended Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was the second President of Egypt from 1956 until his death. A colonel in the Egyptian army, Nasser led the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib, the first president, which overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan, and heralded a new period of...
at a military college. In 1943-44, he joined the Free Officers Movement
Free Officers Movement
In Egypt, the clandestine revolutionary Free Officers Movement was composed of young junior army officers committed to unseating the Egyptian monarchy and its British advisors...
, becoming one of the ten original members. 1951, he received a bachelor's degree in commerce from the University of Cairo (then known as "Fuad University"). He adopted Marxism
Marxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
, but although he was associated with HADETO, an Egyptian Communist movement, Mohieddine most likely did not join it. He did have ties with the Communist oriented Democratic Movement for National Liberation
Democratic Movement for National Liberation
The Democratic Movement for National Liberation was a communist organization in Egypt 1947-1955. HADITU was led by Henri Curiel. The movement followed a line of National Democratic Revolution....
.
Political life under Nasser
By the spring of 1952, when the Free Officers devised an operational command to depose King Farouk, with Mohieddine being responsible for the armored corps. On July 23, he commanded his armed units through CairoCairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
and the coup was successfully undertaken. He and Nasser wrote the first proclamation of the "revolution" on Cairo Radio. Mohieddine attended the ceremonious departure of the king and according to him, Farouk stated to the attending officers that he "thought of doing the same thing they were doing."
After Muhammad Naguib
Muhammad Naguib
Muhammad Naguib was the first President of Egypt, serving from the declaration of the Republic on June 18, 1953 to November 14, 1954. Along with Gamal Abdel Nasser, he was the primary leader of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, which ended the rule of the Muhammad Ali Dynasty in Egypt and Sudan...
was made president, Mohieddine became a part of the Egyptian Revolutionary Command Council
Egyptian Revolutionary Command Council
The Revolutionary Command Council was the body established to supervise Egypt and Sudan after the Revolution of 1952. It initially selected Ali Maher Pasha as Prime Minister, but forced him to resign after conflict over land reform. At that time, the Council took full control of Egypt...
(RCC). When army officers loyal to Nasser kidnapped Naguib in February 1954, Mohieddine unexpectedly ordered Naguib be released immediately and he was. He explained the reason he took that action was because he felt Nasser and the Free Officers could not rule Egypt without Naguib. Nasser, who was prime minister, would respond to his move by dismissing all the officers loyal to him. At the advice of his cousin and fellow RCC member, Zakaria Mohieddine, Khaled dropped out of sight for a few days after the protest, returning to Cairo on March 5. When he felt endangered, he left for a hideout in Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
until April 1 when Nasser personally contacted him. The RCC members, including Mohieddine, agreed that he be sent to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
as part of trade mission. According to close sources, his parting with Nasser was sober, but not devoid of "shared sorrow." The Egyptian regime designated him as a representative of the RCC abroad, leaving the impression that his informal exile was temporary.
With Nasser officially assuming the presidency and the end of the Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, Suez War was an offensive war fought by France, the United Kingdom, and Israel against Egypt beginning on 29 October 1956. Less than a day after Israel invaded Egypt, Britain and France issued a joint ultimatum to Egypt and Israel,...
in 1956, Mohieddine returned to Egypt and took a leading role in the government, being put in charge of the evening al-Masa newspaper which he founded. A year later he served in the central committee of the National Union and was elected a member of the National Assembly. He was one of four appointed by Nasser to set up the first conference of the Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity Organization during 1957-58. Mohieddine later chaired the Egyptian Peace Council, hence became a member of the World Peace Council
World Peace Council
The World Peace Council is an international organization that advocates universal disarmament, sovereignty and independence and peaceful co-existence, and campaigns against imperialism, weapons of mass destruction and all forms of discrimination...
's presidential council in 1958.
On March 8, 1959, an Arab nationalist rebellion broke out in Mosul
Mosul
Mosul , is a city in northern Iraq and the capital of the Ninawa Governorate, some northwest of Baghdad. The original city stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
with the intent of deposing the anti-Nasser and pro-Communist president Abdel Karim Qasim. When it was put down, Nasser's anti-Communism feelings apparently deepened and he accused Mohieddine of supporting Qasim. Nasser subsequently unceremoniously fired him and twelve other editors from al-Masa on March 13. Mohieddine was soon arrested and remained incarcerated until the end of 1960. He became Board Chairman of Akhbar al-Yawm
Akhbar El Yom
Akhbar El Yom is an Egyptian newspaper which was founded in 1944. It is released weekly on Saturdays. It has a daily edition called Al-Akhbar. The newspaper is owned by the Egyptian Shura Council and considered a semi-official newspaper. Its current editor in chief is Momtaz Al Ket.- External...
in 1964. In April 1965, after Nasser began taking a more Soviet stance on domestic affairs, Mohieddine was appointed Secretary of the Arab Socialist Union
Arab Socialist Union (Egypt)
The Arab Socialist Union was an Egyptian political party based on the principles of Nasserist Arab socialism.-Emergence:The Arab Socialist Union was founded in Egypt in December 1962 by Gamal Abdel Nasser as the country's sole political party. The ASU grew out of the Free Officers Movement of the...
's (ASU) Press Committee. Around this time he also chaired the Aswan High Dam committee and was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize
Lenin Peace Prize
The International Lenin Peace Prize was the Soviet Union's equivalent to the Nobel Peace Prize, named in honor of Vladimir Lenin. It was awarded by a panel appointed by the Soviet government, to notable individuals whom the panel indicated had "strengthened peace among peoples"...
in 1970.
Later political life
Because of his politics, he was imprisoned for two months in the 1971 Corrective Revolution launched by Anwar el-Sadat who became president after Nasser's death the year before. Mohieddine's power waned under Sadat. Within the ASU, he soon took leadership of the leftist platform, that later evolved into the National Progressive Union PartyNational Progressive Unionist Party
The National Progressive Unionist Party is a socialist political party in Egypt. The party is considered to be the defender of the principles of the 1952 Revolution...
(also referred to as "Taggamu") in 1976 and was one its three delegates elected to the People's Assembly
People's Assembly of Egypt
The People's Assembly is the lower house of Egypt's bicameral parliament. In spite of its lower status, however, it plays a more important role in drafting legislation and day-to-day legislative duties than the Shura Council, the upper house....
that same year.
He was suspected by government authorities of inciting the 1977 Egyptian Bread Riots
1977 Egyptian Bread Riots
The Egyptian 'Bread Riots' of 1977 affected most major cities in Egypt from January 18-19, 1977. The riots were a spontaneous uprising by hundreds of thousands of lower class people protesting World Bank and International Monetary Fund-mandated termination of state subsidies on basic foodstuffs...
. In 1978, he founded and edited his party's press organ, al-Ahaly. The next year he was charged with activities "against the state", but was not tried. Because he was a former RCC member, Mohieddine was spared when Sadat jailed other dissidents in 1981. He has continued to practice politics and is considered a part of the "loyal opposition" to current president Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
. In 1990, he won a parliamentary seat after three previous defeats. His nephew, Minister of Investment Mahmoud Mohieddin, announced he had abandoned plans to stand for election in the Kafr el-Shukr electoral district in October 2005, standing aside in favor Khaled Mohieddin.
Selected works
- Memories of a Revolution: Egypt 1952. (1995). Cairo: American University in CairoAmerican University in CairoThe American University in Cairo is an independent, non-profit, apolitical, secular institution of higher learning located in Cairo, Egypt...
Press. - For This We Oppose Mubarak. (1987). Cairo.