Kamal Rifaat
Kamal Rifaat (1 November 1921 – 13 July 1977), also known as Kamaleddine Mahmoud Rifaat, (Arabic; كمال الدين رفعت) was an Egyptian military officer and one of the members of the Free Officers movement. He held several government posts after the Egyptian revolution in 1952. Early life and education. Kamal Rifaat was born in Alexandria on 1 November 1921. His father was an engineer. After completing primary and secondary education in Cairo Kamal Rifaat graduated from the military academy. Career. Kamal Rifaat joined the Egyptian army in 1941 and served there until 1945. He was part of the Iron  Guard along with Captain Mustafa Kamal Sidqi and Anwar Sadat which was composed of the supporters of King Farouk. Then he worked in Khartoum, Sudan, in a secret organization to resist the British occupation. Next, he participated in the 1948 Palestine War during which he met with Gamal Abdel Nasser. Rifaat joined the Free Officers movement which carried out the Egyptian revolution in 1952. He was part of the first cell of the movement founded by Nasser. He was among those who had Marxist views in the group and had a Titoist leaning. Rifaat became a member of the 14 -member Revolution Command Council following the 1952 revolution. However, he was among the non-voting members of the council. On 27 September 1962 a new constitution was accepted and then, a presidential council was formed under the presidency of Nasser. Rifaat was one of the members of this council. In addition, he served in various posts, including the minister of labor (August 1961–September 1962 and June 1967–November 1970), director of ideological development within the Workers' Bureau of the Arab Socialist Union and the government publishing houses as well as the director of the modernization" program at Al Azhar  University. Between 1971 and 1973 Kamal was the ambassador to the United Kingdom. In 1976 Rifaat co-founded the National Progressive Unionist Party together with Khaled Mohieddin, another member of the Revolution Command Council, known as Free Officers Movement. Death and honors. Kamal Rifaat died on 13 July 1977. He was the recipient of the Order of the Republic and several decorations from Cameroon, Morocco, Yugoslavia and Tunisia.