Sufi Abu Taleb
Sufi Abu Taleb (; January 27, 1925 – February 21, 2008) was an Egyptian politician. He served as Speaker of the People's Assembly from 1978 to 1983 and, following the assassination of Anwar Sadat on 6 October 1981, assumed the duties of acting head of state for eight days per the Egyptian Constitution. He subsequently stepped aside for Sadat's Vice President Hosni Mubarak. Early life. Abu Taleb was born in Tamiya in Faiyum Governorate. Upon completion of high school, he joined the Faculty of Law at Cairo University, where he received a bachelor's degree in 1946 . He received also a diploma in Public Law in 1947, and in 1948 he was given a scholarship and sent to France and joined the University of Paris where he received a diploma in History of Law and Roman Law in 1949 and a diploma in Private Law in 1950. In 1957 he obtained his Ph.D., his thesis winning the University Award. In 1959, he received a diploma in Laws of Mediterranean Sea from Sapienza University of Rome. He served as President of Cairo University, as a member of the Islamic Research Academy and founded Fayoum University. Politics. In 1978 , Abu Taleb was elected Speaker of the People's Assembly. When President Anwar El Sadat was assassinated on 6 October 1981, Abu Taleb became Acting President, as the Egyptian constitution ruled that the Speaker would assume that role in the case of a vacancy of the presidential office, pending an election in 60 days. Not being considered a serious candidate for the presidency, he stepped aside after just eight days in favor of Vice-President Hosni Mubarak. Previous Posts: Other Occupations: Death. Sufi Abu Taleb died on February 21, 2008, in Malaysia at the age of 83. He had been  visiting Malaysia for an alumni reunion for graduates of Cairo's al-Azhar University. Family. He has 2 sons and 2 daughters and many grandchildren. His son, Ahmad Sufi Abu Taleb, is an independent politician who ran in the 2000 parliamentary elections, facing in his district Tamia, Fayoum the NDP's veteran MP Hussein Eweiss. The Abu Taleb family used to be Tamia's deputies for more than 30 years. Books research and other publications: In French: