Sameera Moussa
Encyclopedia
Sameera Moussa (March 3, 1917-August 5, 1952) was an Egyptian
nuclear
scientist who held a doctorate in atomic radiation and worked to make the medical use of nuclear technology affordable to all. She organized the Atomic Energy for Peace Conference and sponsored a call for setting an international conference under the banner "Atom for Peace".
in Gharbia Governorate in 1917. Her mother went through a fierce battle against cancer
. After her mother's death, her father moved with his daughter Sameera to Cairo
and invested his money in a small hotel in the El-Hussein
region. At the insistence of her father, Sameera attended Kaser El-Shok Primary School, one of the oldest schools in Cairo
. After she completed her primary education, she joined the Banat El-Ashraf School, which was built and managed by Nabawya Moussa, the famous political activist.
Despite the fact that Sameera got high grades in her Secondary education, she insisted on joining the Faculty of Sciences at Cairo University
. In 1939, Sameera Moussa obtained a B.Sc. in radiology
with First Class Honours after researching the effects of X-ray
radiation on various materials. Dr. Moustafa Mousharafa, the first dean of the faculty, believed in his student enough to help her become a remarkable lecturer at the faculty. Afterwards, she became the first Assistant Professor at the same faculty and the first woman to hold a university post, being the first to obtain a Ph.D. degree in atomic radiation.
". She worked hard for this purpose and throughout her intensive research, she came up with a historic equation that would help break the atoms of cheap metals such as copper
, paving the way for a cheap nuclear bomb.
She organized the Atomic Energy for Peace Conference and sponsored a call for setting an international conference under the banner "Atom for Peace", where many prominent scientists were invited. The conference made a number of recommendations for setting up a committee to protect against nuclear hazards, for which she strongly advocated. Sameera also volunteered to help treat cancer patients at various hospitals especially since her mother went through a fierce battle against this disease.
in order to be acquainted with the modern research facilities at California University
. In recognition of her pioneering nuclear research, she was given permission to visit the secret US atomic facilities. The visit raised vehement debate in the United States Academic and Scientific circles since Sameera was the first "alien" to have access to such facilities.
She turned down several offers that required her to live in the United States and to be granted the American
citizenship saying "Egypt
, my dear homeland, is waiting for me".
The mystery of such an accident, since the invitation to California was shown to be untrue later on, besides the vanishing of the car driver who jumped from the car just before it rushed down, made some people believe it was a planned assassination, voices claim that the Israeli Mossad
was behind Sameera's murder by a Judeo-Egyptian actress, Raqya Ibrahim (Rachael Abraham).
In recognition to her efforts, she was granted many awards. Among them were:
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
nuclear
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
scientist who held a doctorate in atomic radiation and worked to make the medical use of nuclear technology affordable to all. She organized the Atomic Energy for Peace Conference and sponsored a call for setting an international conference under the banner "Atom for Peace".
Youth and college
Sameera Moussa was born in EgyptEgypt
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...
in Gharbia Governorate in 1917. Her mother went through a fierce battle against cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. After her mother's death, her father moved with his daughter Sameera to Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
and invested his money in a small hotel in the El-Hussein
Islamic Cairo
Islamic Cairo is a part of central Cairo noted for its historically important mosques and other Islamic monuments. It is overlooked by the Cairo Citadel....
region. At the insistence of her father, Sameera attended Kaser El-Shok Primary School, one of the oldest schools in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. After she completed her primary education, she joined the Banat El-Ashraf School, which was built and managed by Nabawya Moussa, the famous political activist.
Despite the fact that Sameera got high grades in her Secondary education, she insisted on joining the Faculty of Sciences 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...
. In 1939, Sameera Moussa obtained a B.Sc. in radiology
Radiology
Radiology is a medical specialty that employs the use of imaging to both diagnose and treat disease visualized within the human body. Radiologists use an array of imaging technologies to diagnose or treat diseases...
with First Class Honours after researching the effects of X-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
radiation on various materials. Dr. Moustafa Mousharafa, the first dean of the faculty, believed in his student enough to help her become a remarkable lecturer at the faculty. Afterwards, she became the first Assistant Professor at the same faculty and the first woman to hold a university post, being the first to obtain a Ph.D. degree in atomic radiation.
Nuclear Research
Sameera Moussa believed in "Atoms for Peace" and said "I'll make nuclear treatment as available and as cheap as AspirinAspirin
Aspirin , also known as acetylsalicylic acid , is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication. It was discovered by Arthur Eichengrun, a chemist with the German company Bayer...
". She worked hard for this purpose and throughout her intensive research, she came up with a historic equation that would help break the atoms of cheap metals such as copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, paving the way for a cheap nuclear bomb.
She organized the Atomic Energy for Peace Conference and sponsored a call for setting an international conference under the banner "Atom for Peace", where many prominent scientists were invited. The conference made a number of recommendations for setting up a committee to protect against nuclear hazards, for which she strongly advocated. Sameera also volunteered to help treat cancer patients at various hospitals especially since her mother went through a fierce battle against this disease.
Visits to the United States
Sameera Moussa received a scholarship from the Fullbright Atomic ProgramFulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
in order to be acquainted with the modern research facilities at California University
California University
California University can refer to:* California University of Pennsylvania in the Pittsburgh suburb of California, Pennsylvania* Fictional universities featured in television shows and movies such as Beverly Hills, 90210, Saved by the Bell: The College Years, Legally Blonde and The L WordThe State...
. In recognition of her pioneering nuclear research, she was given permission to visit the secret US atomic facilities. The visit raised vehement debate in the United States Academic and Scientific circles since Sameera was the first "alien" to have access to such facilities.
She turned down several offers that required her to live in the United States and to be granted the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
citizenship saying "Egypt
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...
, my dear homeland, is waiting for me".
Death
On August 5th, 1952 after her first visit to America she intended to return home, but she was invited to a trip. On the way, the car rushed down from a height of 40 feet, which killed her immediately.The mystery of such an accident, since the invitation to California was shown to be untrue later on, besides the vanishing of the car driver who jumped from the car just before it rushed down, made some people believe it was a planned assassination, voices claim that the Israeli Mossad
Mossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
was behind Sameera's murder by a Judeo-Egyptian actress, Raqya Ibrahim (Rachael Abraham).
In recognition to her efforts, she was granted many awards. Among them were:
- 1953, when she was honored by the Egyptian Army.
- 1981, when she was awarded the Order of Science and Arts, First Class, by then-President Anwar SadatAnwar SadatMuhammad Anwar al-Sadat was the third President of Egypt, serving from 15 October 1970 until his assassination by fundamentalist army officers on 6 October 1981...
.