Morning and Evening Talk

Glossary

1919 Revolution A series of demonstrations and uprisings across Egypt between March and April 1919 protesting the British Occupation, sparked by the arrest and exile of Sa‘d Zaghloul and other Wafdists seeking Egyptian independence.

Adli Yakan Pasha (1846–1933) Prime minister of Egypt in the 1920s. Leader of the Liberal Party and political rival of Sa‘d Zaghloul.

Anwar Sadat (1918–81) Third president of Egypt from 1970 until his assassination in 1981 by fundamentalists, following the Camp David Accords and peace agreement with Israel.

bey Title for Egyptian and Turkish dignitaries, ranked below pasha.

dervish Sufi or mystical figure, popularly regarded as a source of wisdom and enlightenment, often consulted for solutions to problems and cures.

effendi Title of respect or courtesy, generally applied to members of the learned professions and government officials.

Free Officers Movement Underground revolutionary group of young army officers founded by Gamal Abdel Nasser, which conducted the military coup of 1952.

gallabiya Simple-cut full-length garment, commonly worn by Egyptian peasants.

Gamal Abdel Nasser (1918–70) First Egyptian president, from 1956 to 1970. Charismatic leader and champion of Arab socialism and pan-Arabism.

hanem Title of respect for women of the aristocracy, similar to “lady.”

infitah Open-door policy. The opening up of the Egyptian market to private investment under Sadat in the 1970s, ending the public sector’s hold on Egypt’s economy.

Ismail Sidqi (1875–1950) Prime Minister of Egypt from 1930 to 1933, unpopular for abolishing the 1923 Constitution.

July Revolution Military coup executed by the Free Officers Movement on July 23, 1952, which led to the abolishment of the Egyptian monarchy and declared Egypt a republic.

June 5 The first day of the Six Day War of 1967, when Israel launched a preemptive attack on Egypt with devastating consequences for the Egyptian air force and Arab morale generally.

mashrabiya Wooden oriel or projecting oriel window with a wooden latticework enclosure.

May 15 (1971) Sadat arrests a number of important men from the Nasser era and charges them with plotting a coup against the government.

Misr al-Fatah Young Egypt Party. Political party founded in 1936 by Ahmed Hussein.

Muhammad Farid (1868–1919) President of the Egyptian National Party from 1908 to 1919 after Mustafa Kamil, strong advocate of education and reform.

Muhammad Mahmud (1877–1941) Twice prime minister of Egypt: in the 1920s under the British Mandate and in the 1930s after independence.

Mustafa al-Nahhas (1879–1965) Leader of the Wafd Party from 1927 to 1952 and prime minister of Egypt a number of times from the 1920s to the 1950s.

Mustafa Kamil (1874–1908) Journalist and Egyptian nationalist. Founder of the nationalist newspaper al-Liwa’ in 1900 and the Egyptian National Party (Watani Party) in 1907.

narghile Shisha; hookah. Water pipe with glass base over which tobacco is burned on coals and smoked through a pipe. Popular in cafés in Egypt.

Occupation, the (1882–1952) The British Occupation of Egypt that began under Khedive Tawfiq. Egypt was granted independence in 1922, but Britain retained control of communications and defense until the 1952 revolution.

October 6 The date in 1973 on which Egyptian and Syrian troops crossed the ceasefire lines in the Sinai and Golan Heights, captured by Israel in 1967. The first day of the Yom Kippur War.

pasha An honorary title awarded to Egyptians of high rank in the service of the Ottomans.

Sa‘d Zaghloul (1859–1927) Leader of the Wafd party and nationalist movement of 1918–19. Key figure in the journey toward Egypt’s independence. He was briefly prime minister in 1924.

September 1981 The month of Anwar Sadat’s violent crackdown on Islamists and other opponents of his government, including journalists and intellectuals.

Setback, the Al-Naksa. The devastating defeat of Arab forces by the Israeli army in the Six-Day War of June 1967.

sidi Form of address used for men, equivalent to “mister.”

Tripartite Aggression, the The Suez Crisis of 1956. Britain, France, and Israel launched a military attack on Egypt following the nationalization of the Suez Canal.

Umma Party Political party that advocated a gradual winning of independence through cooperation with Britain. Founded in 1907.

Urabi Revolution (1879–82) Important uprising against the Khedive and European influence in Egypt led by Colonel Ahmad Urabi.

Wafd Party The party of Sa‘d Zaghloul and main Egyptian nationalist party in the first half of the twentieth century.

War of Attrition, the (1967–70) The state of war and hostility between Egypt and Israel from 1967 to 1970.

Watani Party Egyptian National Party, founded by Mustafa Kamil in 1907.