Kamal el-Din Hussein

Portrait of Kamel el-Din Hussein, 1952

Kamal El-Din Hussein (Arabic: كمال الدين حسين‎‎) (2 January 1921 – 19 June 1999) was a member of the Egyptian Free Officers who overthrew King Farouk.^[1]

Personal life

Kamal El-Din Hussein was born in 1921 in Banha, Qalyubia. He was admitted to Military college in 1937. In 1938 he received the bachelor's degree of military science from Military Academy. He served in the field artillery unit in the Western Desert, to fight with the British against the advancing army under Rommel in World War II.^[1]

Political career

He was later a founding member of the Free Officers and was appointed member of the Egyptian Revolutionary Command Council after the 1952 Revolution. During the presidency of Gamal Abdel Nasser he was appointed Minister of Social Affairs in 1954 and later Minister of Education. He led the National Guard to defend Ismailia during the Suez War.In 1964 he resigned from his post as Vice President and minister of local governments. His main reason was the Egyptian intervention in the Yemen War. During Anwar El-Sadat's presidency he was elected in 1971 to the People's Assembly. After criticizing Sadat's government, he was dismissed from the People's assembly in 1978 and therefore also prevented from further elections. In 1983 he made a tour with Yasser Arafat through Arab countries to end hostilities between different Palestinian factions throughout the Arab world.

Death

Kamal El-Din Hussein was diagnosed with liver cancer . He died on 19 June 1999. His funeral was attended by the then Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.^[1]

References