Hassan Al Alfi (Arabic: حسن الألفي; 3 March 1936 – 3 November 2021) was an Egyptian police major and politician, who served as governor and interior minister of Egypt from 1993 to 1997. He resigned from office following the Luxor massacre.

Hassan Al Alfi
Minister of Interior
In office
18 April 1993 – 18 November 1997
Preceded byAbdul Halim Moussa
Succeeded byHabib Al Adli
Personal details
Born(1936-03-03)3 March 1936
Died3 November 2021(2021-11-03) (aged 85)
NationalityEgyptian

Career

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Alfi was the governor of Asyut province until 18 April 1993.[1][2] He was appointed interior minister by President Hosni Mubarak to the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Atef Sedki on 18 April 1993, replacing Abdul Halim Moussa in the post.[2][3] Alfi was not a member of Mubarak's party when he was appointed.[4] Alfi implemented heavy-handed security steps to crack down on the Islamist militants, reducing their hit-and-run attacks during his tenure.[5]

Alfi resigned from office on 18 November 1997, the day after more than 60 people were murdered by Gama'a al Islamiyya in Luxor.[6][7] He was succeeded by Habib Al Adli as interior minister.[8][9]

Assassination attempt

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Alfi survived an assassination attempt in Cairo perpetrated allegedly by Islamist militants on 18 August 1993.[1][10] However, he was seriously injured in the attack which claimed the lives of at least four people, one of whom was his bodyguard.[1][11] Egyptian Islamic Jihad was the perpetrator of the attack.[12]

Controversy

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Alfi was tried in Cairo's criminal court due to the allegations of corruption and abuse of power in 1998.[13] The claims were brought by the lawyers of Al Shaab newspaper, an Islamist-oriented daily.[13][14] The same year the editor-in-chief and a cartoonist of the paper were arrested and sentenced to prison for alleged defamation of Alaa Al Alfi, son of Hassan Al Alfi.[15]

Death

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Hassan Al Alfi died on 3 November 2021.[16][17] His funeral ceremony was held on 4 November.[17]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Miriam Sami (18 August 1993). "Gunmen wound Egypt's interior minister, kill 4". Deseret News. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
  2. ^ a b Ami Ayalon (1995). Middle East Contemporary Survey: 1993. Vol. 17. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. ISBN 978-0813324333.
  3. ^ "Mubarak dismisses interior minister". Ocala Star Banner. Cairo. 11 January 1993. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  4. ^ "Mubarak fires interior minister". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Cairo. 19 April 1993. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  5. ^ Khaled Dawoud (1–7 April 1999). "Light at the end of the tunnel?". Al Ahram Weekly. 423. Archived from the original on 10 October 2008.
  6. ^ "Interior Minister quits after Egyptian massacre". BBC. 19 November 1997. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  7. ^ Eric Rouleau (8 January 1998). "Egypt's Islamists caught in a bind". Le Monde diplomatique. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  8. ^ Rana Muhammad Taha; Hend Kortam; Nouran El Behairy (11 February 2013). "The Rise and fall of Mubarak". Daily News Egypt. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  9. ^ Ahmad Zaki Osman (24 January 2011). "Egypt's police: From liberators to oppressors". Egypt Independent. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  10. ^ "Egyptian Islamic Jihad". Encyclopedia of the Middle East.
  11. ^ Youssef M. Ibrahim (19 August 1993). "Egyptian militants blamed in attack on security chief". The New York Times. p. 1.
  12. ^ Lawrence Wright (2006). The Looming Tower. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. p. 185. ISBN 9780307266088.
  13. ^ a b William A. Rugh (2004). The Arab Mass Media: Newspapers, Radio, and Television in Arab Politics. Westport, CT; London: Praeger. p. 159. ISBN 978-0-275-98212-6.
  14. ^ James J. Napoli (January–February 1998). "Egyptian Government Continues to Blame West for Ills After Luxor Massacre" (Cairo Communique). Washington Report. pp. 47–48. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  15. ^ Gamal M. Selim (2015). The International Dimensions of Democratization in Egypt: The Limits of Externally-Induced Change. Heidelberg: Springer Cham. p. 68. ISBN 978-3-319-16700-8.
  16. ^ "Destituido el ministro del Interior de Egipto en plena crisis integrista". El Pais (in Spanish). Cairo. 19 April 1993. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
  17. ^ a b "The death of the former Egyptian Minister of Interior after a struggle with illness". Middle East in 24. 3 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
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Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Interior
1993 – 1997
Succeeded by