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.

Abdul Halim Moussa
Minister of Interior
In office
January 1990 – 18 April 1993
PresidentHosni Mubarak
Preceded byZaki Badr
Succeeded byHassan Al Alfi
Personal details
Bornc.1930
Died19 July 2003 (aged 73)
Cairo, Egypt
NationalityEgyptian
Alma materPolice Academy
Military service
RankMajor General

Early life and education

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

Career and activities

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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

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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

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

Death

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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

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  1. ^ a b c d "Abdel Halim Moussa, 73; Egyptian Official Reached Out to Rebels". Los Angeles Times. 22 July 2003. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d "Deaths". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. 21 July 2003. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  3. ^ a b Michael Collins Dunn (March 1990). "The Fall of Zaki Badr: A Victory for Egypt's Opposition Press". Washington Report. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  4. ^ Ahmed Abdalla (January–February 1991). "Mubarak's Gamble". Middle East Report. 168.
  5. ^ P. B. Sinha (1998). "Threat of Islamic terrorism in Egypt". Strategic Analysis. 22 (8): 1193–1213. doi:10.1080/09700169808458874.
  6. ^ a b 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. ^ a b Youssef M. Ibrahim (19 August 1993). "Egyptian militants blamed in attack on security chief". The New York Times. p. 1.
  8. ^ a b Ami Ayalon, ed. (1995). Middle East Contemporary Survey: 1993. Vol. 17. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. ISBN 978-0813324333.
  9. ^ Scott Mattoon (June 1993). "Terror Makes Its Mark". The Middle East (224).
  10. ^ a b Mounir Adib (5 September 2013). "Different minister, same assassination method". Al-Masry Al-Youm. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  11. ^ a b Bradley Hope (22 March 2012). "Long-time Islamist prisoner faces a whole new Egypt". The National. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  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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Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Interior
1986–1990
Succeeded by