Gamal Abdel-Nasser جمال عبد الناصر

          Like today and on September 28^th. 1970, President Gamal Abdel-Nassir left our world. Nasser remains a national hero بطل قومي in the history of Modern Egypt with his charismatic character and eloquent بليغ speeches regardless of the fatal mistakes أخطاء that have been made during his reign. He was the second president of Egypt from 1956 until his death. As a Colnel in the Egyptian army, he led the Egyptian Revolution ثورة of 1952 along with Muhammad Naguib who was the first president. That revolution overthrew the monarchy of Egypt and Sudan and the republic was declared. Under Nasser’s leadership قيادة ,Egypt started a new era of modernization and social reform accompanied by a deep advancement of pan-Arab nationalism, which included a short-lived union withSyria.

          Nasserwas born on 15^th January, 1918 in a suburban district of Alexandria called Bak’koos باكوس . Nasser attended many elementary schools as his father’s job took all the family from place to place. However, when Nasser attended Ras Al-Teen Secondary School in Alexandria, his national sentiment عاطفة was shaped. When the 1923 constitution was cancelled in 1930, student demonstrations were everywhere and Nasser participated not knowing any thing about the reason السبب . Later, he knew that demonstrators were calling for the fall of colonialism and the re-institution of the cancelled constitution. In Alexandria, Nasser grew from being just a protestor to being an ardent rebel ثائِـر . His father became worried about him, so he sent him to Cairo where he had a passion for reading patriotic and history-related literature. He read about the French Revolution, Rousseau, Voltaire, Napoleon, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Ghandi. He even wrote an article entitled; “Voltaire, the Man of Freedom” which was published in the school magazine مجلة. He was also interested in Arabic Literature and read a lot of it.

         At a very young age, Nasser became occupied by politics السياسة . He moved from one political group to another. He also had contacts with the Muslim Brotherhood الإخوان المسلمون . He was very active and enthusiastic. He used to go on protests with his peers at high school every year on the second of November rejecting the Balfour’s Promise وعد بلفور of a home for the Jews inPalestine at the expense of its legitimate owners.

        Nasser joined the MilitaryAcademyin March, 1937 and graduated in 1938 owing to an increased demand of officers. He was moved to Upper Egyptwhere he was closer to peasants and their misery بؤس  and suffering معاناة . In 1939, he asked to move toSudan where he served inKhartoum and met some very important friends. In May 1940, he was promoted to first class lieutenant. In 1943, he was appointed as an instructor at theMilitaryAcademy.

        The year 1945 witnessed the end of the Second World War and the beginning of the Free Officers Movement حركة الضُباط الأحرار . Nasser was keen on gathering around him patriotic brave men who can change the face ofEgypt. After the decision to dividePalestine in 1947, The Free Officers met and decided that it was time for them to defend the Arabs and support the fighters inPalestine.

                                                                To Be Continued ……  

 * http://nasser.bibalex.org/Common/pictures01-%20sira_en.htm

 *  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamal_Abdel_Nasser     

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Peace  سلام  /Salam/