Hassan Abu Basha
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Hassan Abu Basha | |
|---|---|
| Minister of Local Government | |
| In office July 1984 – 1986 | |
| President | Hosni Mobarak |
| Minister of Interior | |
| In office January 1982 – July 1984 | |
| President | Hosni Mobarak |
| Preceded by | Nabawi Ismail |
| Succeeded by | Ahmed Rushdi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 December 1922 |
| Died | 18 September 2005 (aged 82) |
| Party | Arab Socialist Union |
| Military service | |
| Rank | Major General |
Hassan Abu Basha (Arabic: حسن أبو باشا, romanized: Ḥasan Abũ Bāshā; 2 December 1922 – 18 September 2005) was a major general and one of the former ministers of interior of Egypt who was in office for two years from January 1982 to July 1984.
Career
Abu Basha was a leading figure during the Nasser era.[3] 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.[4] He served as deputy minister of Interior when Nabawi Ismail was in office under President Anwar Sadat.[5] As assistant minister, he organized operations against fundamentalists and arrested them at the end of the 1970s.[6] He also led such operations following the assassination of Anwar Sadat in October 1981.[7]
Abu Basha was appointed interior minister in January 1982 by President Hosni Mobarak, replacing Nabawi Ismail in the post.[8] Abu Basha preferred dialogue instead of coercion to deal with social and political problems.[3] His attitude towards the Islamists, including the Muslim Brotherhood, had positive consequences.[3] Abu Basha's term lasted until July 1984 when he was replaced by Ahmed Rushdi as interior minister.[3] Abu Basha's removal was unexpected, since he was considered to be one of the significant figures in the regime of Mobarak.[9] Abu Basha was appointed minister of local government in July 1984[9] and was in office until 1986.[10]
Assassination attempt
On 5 May 1987, Abu Basha survived an assassination attempt perpetrated by the Islamist militants, including Ayman Zawahiri's brother Hussein Zawahiri.[11] The attack was organized near Abu Basha's home in Cairo,[12] and unknown gunmen seriously injured Abu Basha.[13] Abu Basha underwent surgery following the attack.[14]
The terrorist group Survivors of Hell claimed the responsibility of the attack.[12] Some members of the group were arrested in August 1987.[13] The group also attempted to kill former interior minister Nabawi Ismail and an Egyptian journalist after the attack.[13]
Upon this event, Egypt broke all diplomatic ties with Iran, claiming that the group which perpetrated the attack was financially supported by Iran.[15] Hussein Zawahiri was convicted for his alleged role in the assassination attempt.[11] Yasser Borhamy was also detained for a month due to his alleged connection with the assassination attempt against Abu Basha.[16]
