Ahmad Maher (diplomat)
Encyclopedia
Ahmad Maher (14 September 1935 – 27 September 2010) was the foreign minister of Egypt
from 2001 to 2004. He came from a family of diplomats and politicians. Maher was the brother of Ambassador Aly Maher
and both brothers are grandsons of Ahmad Mahir Pasha
,who was a Prime Minister of Egypt
.After studying law at Cairo University
, he entered the foreign ministry, serving as a junior diplomat in Congo
, France
and Switzerland
in the 1960s. He rose rapidly through the ranks, and was part of the Camp David talks in 1978, where he was assigned to coordinate efforts with the US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. He also attended the 1988 talks that delivered Taba back to Egyptian control after Israel occupied the town in 1967.
Generally considered an outsider in Egyptian politics, the career diplomat, who was ambassador to Moscow and Washington in the 1990s, succeeded Amr Mussa as Foreign Minister after Mussa was appointed head of the Arab League. Maher's work as Foreign Minister was dominated by the 9/11 attacks on the United States, the US-led invasion of Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
During a visit to Israel
as part of Egyptian efforts to relaunch the peace process, Maher was attacked by Palestinian activists in the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in east Jerusalem. The Palestinians booed and hurled shoes at him, in protest at Egypt's perceived policy of appeasement towards Israel.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
from 2001 to 2004. He came from a family of diplomats and politicians. Maher was the brother of Ambassador Aly Maher
Aly Maher
Aly Maher is a prominent Egyptian diplomat and intellectual figure. He is the grandson of Ahmad Mahir Pasha and brother of Ahmad Maher former minister of foreign affairs. He studied law at Cairo University. A skilled diplomat, Maher served his government in various diplomatic capacities...
and both brothers are grandsons of Ahmad Mahir Pasha
Ahmad Mahir Pasha
Ahmed Maher Pasha was the Prime Minister of Egypt from October 10, 1944 to February 24, 1945. He was a member of the Saadist Institutional Party and was appointed Prime Minister following the removal of Mustafa an-Nahhas Pasha by King Farouk.After assuming power he called for new elections and...
,who was a Prime Minister of Egypt
Prime Minister of Egypt
The Prime Minister of Egypt is the head of the Egyptian government. According to the constitution, the prime minister is the leader of the largest political party in the Egyptian Parliament....
.After studying law at Cairo University
Cairo University
Cairo University is a public university located in Giza, Egypt.The university was founded on December 21, 1908, as the result of an effort to establish a national center for educational thought...
, he entered the foreign ministry, serving as a junior diplomat in Congo
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in the 1960s. He rose rapidly through the ranks, and was part of the Camp David talks in 1978, where he was assigned to coordinate efforts with the US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. He also attended the 1988 talks that delivered Taba back to Egyptian control after Israel occupied the town in 1967.
Generally considered an outsider in Egyptian politics, the career diplomat, who was ambassador to Moscow and Washington in the 1990s, succeeded Amr Mussa as Foreign Minister after Mussa was appointed head of the Arab League. Maher's work as Foreign Minister was dominated by the 9/11 attacks on the United States, the US-led invasion of Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
During a visit to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
as part of Egyptian efforts to relaunch the peace process, Maher was attacked by Palestinian activists in the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in east Jerusalem. The Palestinians booed and hurled shoes at him, in protest at Egypt's perceived policy of appeasement towards Israel.