Khaled Mohieddin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Khaled Mohieddin
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| Personal details | |
| Born | August 17, 1922 Cairo, Kingdom of Egypt |
| Died | May 6, 2018 (aged 95) Cairo, Egypt |
| Occupation | Chief editor of Al Masa (1956–59) Secretary of ASU Press Committee (1964–65) Head of NPUP (1976–2018) |
| Military service | |
| Rank | Major |
| Battles/wars | Egyptian Revolution of 1952 |
Khaled Mohieddine (Egyptian Arabic: خالد محيى الدين; August 17, 1922 – May 6, 2018) was an important Egyptian leader, politician, and military officer. He was part of the Free Officers Movement. This group helped remove King Farouk from power, which started the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. This revolution led to Egypt becoming a republic, meaning it was led by elected officials instead of a king.
Mohieddine held many important jobs in government and media during Gamal Abdel Nasser's time as president. Even though they sometimes disagreed, Nasser respected Mohieddine. Later, during Anwar Sadat's presidency, Mohieddine helped start a new political party called the National Progressive Union Party (Tagammu) in 1976. Under Mohieddine's leadership, Tagammu became a strong group that spoke out against the government during Hosni Mubarak's rule.
Contents
Early Life and the Revolution
Mohieddine was born in Kafr Shukr, Lower Egypt, in 1922. His family was wealthy and owned a lot of land. He finished military school in 1940 and became a cavalry officer, riding horses in the army. In 1942, he met Gamal Abdel Nasser at military college, and they became friends.
In 1943–44, Mohieddine joined the Free Officers Movement. He was one of the first ten members of this secret group. His cousin, Zakaria, was also a member. In 1951, he earned a degree in business from the University of Cairo. Mohieddine believed in ideas about fairness and equality for everyone.
Leading the Change
By the spring of 1952, the Free Officers planned to remove King Farouk from power. Mohieddine was in charge of the army's armored vehicles. On July 23, he led his units through Cairo, and the plan worked. He and Nasser wrote the first announcement of the "revolution" for Cairo Radio. Mohieddine was there when the king left Egypt.
Working with President Nasser
After Muhammad Naguib became president, Mohieddine joined the Egyptian Revolutionary Command Council (RCC). In February 1954, when army officers loyal to Nasser took Naguib, Mohieddine bravely ordered Naguib to be set free. He believed that Nasser and the Free Officers needed Naguib to lead Egypt. Nasser, who was prime minister, responded by removing officers who supported Mohieddine. Mohieddine left Cairo for a few days but returned on March 5. The RCC decided he should go to Europe as part of a trade group. This was like a temporary break from politics, but he was still respected.
When Nasser officially became president and the Suez Crisis ended in 1956, Mohieddine returned to Egypt. He took on important government roles. He was put in charge of the evening newspaper Al Messa, which he also started. A year later, he joined the central committee of the National Union and was elected to the National Assembly (like a parliament). He also helped organize the first conference of the Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity Organization. Mohieddine later led the Egyptian Peace Council and became a member of the World Peace Council in 1958.
In 1959, Nasser removed Mohieddine and twelve other editors from Al Messa. Mohieddine was then arrested and stayed in jail until the end of 1960. In 1964, he became the head of Akhbar al-Yawm, another newspaper. In 1965, Mohieddine was appointed secretary of the Arab Socialist Union's (ASU) Press Committee. He also led the committee for the Aswan High Dam and received the Lenin Peace Prize in 1970 for his work for peace.
Later Life and Political Activism
After Nasser passed away, Anwar Sadat became president. Because of his political views, Mohieddine was put in prison for two months in 1971. He and Kamal Rifaat soon became leaders of a group within the ASU that later became the National Progressive Union Party (Tagammu) in 1976. Mohieddine was one of three members of this party elected to the People's Assembly that same year.
In 1978, he started and edited his party's newspaper, Al Ahali. The next year, he was accused of working "against the state" but was not put on trial. Because he was a former member of the RCC, Mohieddine was not jailed when Sadat arrested other people who disagreed with him in 1981. He continued to be active in politics and was seen as a respected voice of disagreement against President Hosni Mubarak. In 1990, he won a seat in parliament after trying three times before.
In 2005, his nephew, Mahmoud Mohieddin, decided not to run for election in favor of Khaled Mohieddin, but Khaled did not win that election. After his cousin Zakaria Mohieddin passed away in 2012, Khaled Mohieddine was the last living member of the Free Officers council that led the 1952 Revolution. Mohieddine died on May 6, 2018, in a hospital in Cairo. He was 95 years old.
Selected Works
- Memories of a Revolution: Egypt 1952. (1995). Cairo: American University in Cairo Press.
- For This We Oppose Mubarak. (1987). Cairo.
