2 Quotes & Sayings By Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abd al-Nasir was a prominent Egyptian statesman and military leader. He was the third President of Egypt, serving from 1954 to 1970. Under his leadership, Egypt became a major power in the Middle East and Arab world. Nasser was born in Damietta, Egypt on December 15, 1914
He was educated at Cairo University, where he became involved with the nationalist Wafd Party. He also joined the army, becoming an officer in 1936. Nasser's political career began when he became secretary of the National Union of Arabic-Speaking Democratic Youth Organizations.
When riots broke out against British occupation forces in 1919, Nasser led students in clashes with police. In 1922, he joined the Wafd Party and was elected to parliament in 1923. He became a major figure in the party's efforts to gain independence for Egypt through parliamentary means, but he resigned his post as secretary of the party in 1930 to devote himself to military training.
By 1936, Nasser had risen to become commander of Egyptian forces stationed at Suez Canal. When British authorities closed the canal on May 26, 1936, threatening war if it were not reopened through negotiations with Egypt within 48 hours, Nasser led Egyptian troops into battle against British troops. British authorities quickly withdrew their forces from Egypt rather than risk another war with Egypt or World War II altogether.
That summer of 1936 marked the beginning of greater nationalist activism among young Egyptians throughout Cairo and other large cities throughout the country--particularly among students seeking freedom from British rule and university professors eager to establish new educational opportunities for their countrymen more broadly.