Ahmed Abdalla Collection

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Ahmed Abdalla Collection

Period (1946) 1978-1983 (-1990)
Total size 0.5 m.
Consultation Not restricted

Biography

Born in Cairo 1950, died in Cairo 2006; student leader and publicist; studied political science at Cairo University in the 1970s; took his doctor's degree at Cambridge University in 1984; president of the Higher National Committee of Cairo University Students, which led the student uprising in 1972; defendant in the trial of student activists in 1973; during his stay in England active in the Federation of Egyptian Students in Great Britain (FESBG) and member of the Friends of the Tagammu` Party in Great Britain.

Content

Documents relating to the FESGB 1980-1983 and the Friends of the Tagammuc Party in Great Britain 1980-1982; clippings of articles by Ahmed Abdalla published in al-Arab 1982-1983; reports, statements, pamphlets, leaflets, copies of periodicals and other printed material concerning the Egyptian student movement, the Egyptian Communist Party (ECP), the Tagammuc Party and other organizations 1978-1990.

Processing information

Inventory made by Roel Meijer in 1998

INTRODUCTION

Biographical dates

Ahmed Abdalla was born in Cairo in 1950. He received a degree in political science from Cairo University in 1973 and a Ph.D. from Cambridge University in 1984. While studying in Egypt, he was president of the Higher National Committee of Cairo University Students, which led the student uprising of January 1972. He was a defendant in the trial of student activists in 1973.
Apart from contributing actively to the development of Egyptian history as an activist and a publicist, Ahmed Abdalla has been able to contribute to Egyptian history as an important collector of historical documents. His own interest in history in combination with his numerous contacts with different political movements led him to collect extensively valuable documents on current events. The present collection consists of documents he collected during his stay in Great Britain during the early 1980s.

Collection

The collection has been given to the IISH by Ahmed Abdalla in 1997. The collection contains documents of the Federation of Egyptian Students in Great Britain (FESGB), the Friends of the Tagammuc Party in Great Britain, as well as documents concerning his own involvement in these organizations. This part of the collection also contains clippings of articles written by Ahmed Abdalla for the Arab newspaper published in Great Britain, al-cArab. The other part of the collection consists of published documents, pamphlets and periodicals of the Communist Party of Egypt, other communist organizations, the Tagammuc Party and the student movement. Included are, finally, documents of the opposition against president Sadat in the period 1979-1982, as well as clippings of the English and Arab press concerning the death of Sadat on 6 October 1981 and publications issued by European organizations supporting the Egyptian opposition. The collection of the Arab progressive monthly, al-Yassar al-Arabi/La Gauche Arabe, has been transferred to the library. The size of the collection is 0.5 m.

INVENTORY

ACTIVITIES

Political Activities

Federation of Egyptian Students in Great Britain (FESGB)

1-4

Documents concerning the Federation of Egyptian Students in Great Britain, partly relating to Abdalla's own involvement. 1980-1983. 4 covers.

1: Documents concerning the executive board. 1980-1983.

2: Documents concerning the general congress of the FESB in 1980. 1980.

3: Documents concerning the section Cambridge. 1980-1983.

4: Copy of the FESGB organ Nashrat Ittihad al-Darisin al-Misriyyin al-Mamlaka al-Muttahida. March 1983.

Friends of the Tagammuc Party in Great Britain

5-10

Documents concerning the Friends of the Tagammuc Party in Great Britain, partly relating to Abdalla's own involvement. 1980-1982 and n.d. 5 covers and 1 folder.

5: Internal correspondence between the Central Committee of the Friends of the Tagammuc Party and its members, including other documents. 1980-1981.

6: Reports of and other documents relating to the congresses of the Friends of the Tagammuc Party in Great Britain. With copies of minutes of meetings and conferences. 1981-1982.

7: Posters and tickets for festival of the Tagammuc Party on 23 July 1981. 1981.

8: List of members of the Friends of the Tagammuc Party. N.d.

9: Public declarations. N.d.

10: Copies of Sawt al-Taqaddum, 1981: Nos. 1 and 3.

Journalistic publications

11-12: Clippings of 61 articles written by Ahmed Abdalla for al-cArab. 1982-1983. 4 folders.

DOCUMENTATION

Egyptian Communist Party (ECP)

13-20

Statutes, statements and other documents of the Central Committee of the Egyptian Communist Party (ECP). 1978-1981. 5 covers.

13: Statutes. La'iha al-Hizb al-Shuyuci al-Misri. November 1978.

14: Self analysis of the party after fives years of existence: Hizbuna yamtaliku makaniyyat bina'hu ka-hizb al-jamahir. July 1980. 56 pages.

15: Outline of future strategy: al-Nishat al-jabhawi fi al-marhala al-rahina. June 1980.

16: Analysis of the situation in Egypt: al-Shuyucun al-Misriyyun wa mahamm al-marhala al-muqabila fi sabil ihbat al-thawra al-muddada fi sabil injaz mahamm al-thawra al-wataniyya al-dimuqratiyya. July 1980. 43 pages.

17: Analysis of situation after the death of Anwar al-Sadat: Madha bacd ightiyal al-Sadat. 17 October 1981.

18: Analysis of the political situation in Egypt after the death of Anwar al-Sadat: Mulahazat sarica hawl ightiyal al-ra'is al-Sadat. al-Muqaddamat wa-l-nata`ij wa wajibatuna. October 1981. 7 pages. 1 cover.

19: al-Intisar. Special issue. October 1981.

20: Report concerning the organization of the party: al-Mushkilat al-tanzimiyya wa kayfa nuwajuha? N.d. 8 pages. 1 cover.

21: Common declaration of the Egyptian Communist Party and progressive students in Great Britain: Bayan mushtarak li-l-munazzamat al-tullabiyya wa-l-dimuqratiyya al-cArabiyya fi Britanya. 29 September 1982. Leaflet. 1 cover..

Other communist organizations

22: Copies of al-Haqiqa li-l-Taharrur wa-l-Dimuqratiyya wa-l-Salam, published by al-Tayyar al-Thawri (The Revolutionary Trend), September 1983, No. 4; March 1986, No. 7; n.d., No. 10; April 1990, No. 12. 1 cover.

23: Copies of Sawt al-cUmmal (The Voice of the Workers'), 1985: Nos. 1-3; 1986: Nos. 4-8; 1988: No. 9. 1 cover.

Hizb al-Tagammuc al-Watani al-taqaddumi al-Wahdawi (Tagammuc Party)

24: Programme and statutes of the Tagammuc Party: al-Barnamij al-siyasi al-camm. April 1980. 1 volume.

25: Publications and copies of reports on party policy concerning workers' and peasant affaires. 1978, 1980 and n.d. 1 cover.

26: Statements concerning the Camp David Accords and other foreign policy issues, including two statements of progressive lawyers concerning the normalization of relations with Israel. 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982. 1 cover.

27: Statements and official analyses concerning internal Egyptian affairs. 1980-1981. 1 cover.

28: Internal publications of the Tagammuc Party: Da'irat al-Hiwar, al-Mar'a al-Munadila. 1980-1982. 1 folder.

29: Publications concerning general party congresses. 1981, 1987. 1 folder.

30: Pamphlets and statements against arrests of members of the opposition and the confiscation of al-Ahali. 1981. 1 cover.

31-33: Copies of al-Taqaddum, 1980: Nos. 50, 58, 60, 69; 1981: Nos. 71-83; 1982: Nos. 8. 3 folders.

The Nationalist Coalition for Egypt

34: Pamphlet published by I'tilaf al-Watani bi-Misr: Bayan min al-Misriyyin. 12 May 1980. 1 cover.

Foreign support of the opposition in Egypt

38-44

English and French publications on Egypt and the role of the opposition. 1979-1982. 7 covers.

38: The Progressive Nationalist Unionist Party - The legal Organ of the Left Movement in Egypt by Fawzeya Makhlouf-Morris. Published by the Middle East Subcommittee of the British Labour Party. January 1979.

39: Four Questions Asked by Baheya in Egypt by Fawzeya Makhlouf. Published by The Committee for Peace Democracy and Development in Egypt. November 1980.

40: The Egyptian Runner. Publication of the Committee for Peace, Democracy and Development in Egypt, 9 July 1982. No. 4.

41: Egypt After Nasser/L'Egypte après Nasser, Dritte Welt Magazin. N.d.

42: Human Rights in Egypt. Slogans and Reality by Ahmad Nabil el-Hilaly. 1980.

43: Dossier Ahmed Fouad Negm. Egypte. Published by the Association internationale de défense des artistes. Press conference. 27 May 1981.

44: The Copts, Christians of Egypt, April 1983, Vol. 10, Nos. 1 and 2.

45: Egypt's Voice in U.K. & Ireland, 26 September 1982. No. 6.

46: Clippings on the death of president Anwar al-Sadat on 8 October 1981 published in the British, American and Arab newspapers and weekly's. 1981. 1 folder.

47: Clippings of a series of articles on the trials concerning the `food' riots in January 1977 published in the newspaper al-Anba' entitled Millaf ahdath yanayir 1977 and in Egypt known as the `Great Communist Trial' (Qadiya al-shuyuciyya al-kubra). 1980.

ANNEX

List of copies of al-Yassar al-Arabi, La Gauche Arabe, a monthly left-wing magazine published in Paris, which have been transferred to the library of the IISH.
1977: June, No. 2- September, No. 4.
1979: February, No. 5- December, No. 14. Missing Nos. 9-11.
1980: January, No. 15 - December, No. 26. Missing No. 19.
1981: January, No. 27 - December, No. 38. Missing No. 31.
1982: January, No. 39 - December, No. 49.
1983: January, No. 50 - December, No. 60.
1984: January, No. 61 - December, No. 71. Missing Nos. 66, 68, 70-71.
1985: February, No. 72 - December, No. 79. Missing Nos. 71, 73-74.
1986: September, No. 78.