Hassan Abu Basha

Hassan Abu Basha (Arabic: حسن أبو باشا; 2 December 1922 – 18 September 2005) was a major general[1] and one of the former ministers of interior of Egypt who was in office for two years from January 1982 to July 1984.

Hassan Abu Basha
Minister of Local Government
In office
July 1984 – 1986
PresidentHosni Mobarak
Minister of Interior
In office
January 1982 – July 1984
PresidentHosni Mobarak
Preceded byNabawi Ismail
Succeeded byAhmed Rushdi
Personal details
Born2 December 1922
Cairo, Kingdom of Egypt
Died18 September 2005(2005-09-18) (aged 82)
Cairo, Egypt
Political partyArab Socialist Union
Military service
RankMajor General

Early life and education

Basha was born in Cairo on 2 December 1922.[2] He graduated from the police academy in 1945.[3]

Career

Basha was a leading figure during the Nasser era.[4] He was a member of the Arab Socialist Union from 1962 and became part of its secret unit, the Socialist Vanguard (Arabic: al-Tanzim al-Tali‘i), which was also called the Vanguard Organization, in 1963 when the unit was established.[5] He served as deputy interior minister when Nabawi Ismail was in office under President Anwar Sadat.[6] As assistant minister, he organized operations against fundamentalists and arrested them at the end of the 1970s.[7] He also led such operations following the assassination of Anwar Sadat in October 1981.[8]

Basha was appointed interior minister in January 1982 by President Hosni Mobarak, replacing Nabawi Ismail in the post.[9] Basha preferred dialogue instead of coercion to deal with social and political problems.[4] His attitude towards the Islamists, including the Muslim Brotherhood, had positive consequences.[4] Basha's term lasted until July 1984 when he was replaced by Ahmed Rushdi as interior minister.[4] Basha's removal was unexpected, since he was considered to be one of the significant figures in the regime of Mobarak.[10] Basha was appointed minister of local government in July 1984[10] and was in office until 1986.[11]

Assassination attempt

On 5 May 1987, Basha survived an assassination attempt perpetrated by the Islamist militants, including Ayman Zawahiri's brother Hussein Zawahiri.[12] The attack was organized near Basha's home in Cairo,[13] and unknown gunmen seriously injured Basha.[14] Basha underwent surgery following the attack.[15]

The terrorist group Survivors of Hell claimed the responsibility of the attack.[13] Some members of the group were arrested in August 1987.[14] The group also attempted to kill former interior minister Nabawi Ismail and an Egyptian journalist after the attack.[1][14]

Upon this event, Egypt broke all diplomatic ties with Iran, claiming that the group which perpetrated the attack was financially supported by Iran.[16] Hussein Zawahiri was convicted for his alleged role in the assassination attempt.[12] Yasser Borhamy was also detained for a month due to his alleged connection with the assassination attempt against Basha.[17]

Books

Basha published his memoirs in a book entitled Mudhukrat Hasan Abu Basha (Arabic: Memoirs of Hasan Abu Basha) in 1990.[4]

Personal life and death

Basha was married and had three children, a son and two daughters.[18] He died at the age of 82 in Cairo on 18 September 2005.[3]

Awards

Basha was the recipient of the Republic second class medal in 1973 and the second class merit medal in 1979.[3]

References
  1. Ben Dobbin (10 May 1989). "Mubarak Government Tortures, Abuses Opponents: Amnesty Group". Associated Press. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  2. "Basha, Hassan Abu". Rulers. Retrieved 13 March 2013.
  3. "Egypt's Former Interior Minister dies". Bahrain News Agency. Cairo. 19 September 2005. Retrieved 24 July 2013.
  4. Hesham Al-Awadi (2005). In Pursuit of Legitimacy: The Muslim Brothers and Mubarak, 1982-2000. London; New York: I.B.Tauris. p. 233. ISBN 978-1-85043-632-4.
  5. Hesham Sallam (26 October 2020). "From the State of Vanguards to the House of Kofta: Reflections on Egypt's Authoritarian Impasse". Jadaliyya. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  6. Omar Hassanein (16 June 2009). "Most Controversial Interior Minister Nabawi Ismail Passes Away". Al-Masry Al-Youm. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  7. Anthony McDermott (2012). Egypt from Nasser to Mubarak: A Flawed Revolution. London; New York: Routledge. p. 283. ISBN 978-0-415-81116-3.
  8. John Kifner (12 July 1987). "Islamic Fundamentalism Gains in Egypt". The New York Times. p. 1.
  9. "The Premier-Designate Names Egyptian Cabinet". The New York Times. Cairo. UPI. 4 January 1982. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  10. "The Opening to the Arabs Characterizes the New Egyptian Cabinet's Policy". Al Mustaqbal. 21 July 1984. Archived from the original on 8 April 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  11. "Gunmen wound former government officials, two others". United Press International. Cairo. 6 May 1987. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  12. Ahmed Moussa (18–24 October 2001). "Egypt's most wanted". Al Ahram Weekly. Archived from the original on 11 June 2013. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  13. Nachman Tal (2005). Radical Islam: In Egypt and Jordan. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press. p. 94. ISBN 978-1-84519-098-9.
  14. Mohamed Sid-Ahmed (Winter 1987–1988). "Egypt: The Islamic Issue". Foreign Policy. 69 (69): 22–39. doi:10.2307/1148586. JSTOR 1148586.
  15. "The World". Los Angeles Times. 7 May 1987. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  16. John Kifner (15 May 1987). "Egypt Breaks All Diplomatic Ties With Iran". The New York Times. p. 7. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  17. "Yasser Borhami". Ahram Online. 19 November 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
  18. "Ex-Egyptian interior minister passes away". KUNA. 18 September 2005. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
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