Mohamed Morsi

Mohamed Morsi
Name	Mohamed Morsi
Caption	Morsi in 2013
Office	5th President of Egypt
Term start	30 June 2012
Term end	3 July 2013
Predecessor	Hosni Mubarak, Mohamed Hussein Tantawi (Acting)
Successor	Adly Mansour (Acting), Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Office2	President of the Freedom and Justice Party
Term start2	30 April 2011
Term end2	24 June 2012
Predecessor2	Office established
Successor2	Saad El-Katatni
Birth name	Mohamed Mohamed Morsi Isa al-Ayyat
Birth date	8 August 1951
Birth place	El-Adwah, Sharqia Governorate, Kingdom of Egypt
Death date	17 June 2019
Death place	Cairo, Egypt
Party	Freedom and Justice Party (2011–2019), Muslim Brotherhood (1991–2019)
Spouse	Nagia Ali (m. 1979)
Alma mater	Cairo University, University of Southern California
Profession	Professor, engineer

Mohamed Morsi was an Egyptian politician and engineer who served as the fifth President of Egypt from 2012 until his removal from power in 2013. His election marked a historic transition following the 2011 Egyptian revolution that ousted longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak. A leading figure in the Muslim Brotherhood and its political wing, the Freedom and Justice Party, his tenure was characterized by deep political polarization and economic challenges. His presidency was cut short by a military-led ouster after mass protests, leading to his imprisonment and eventual death in custody.

Early life and education

Mohamed Morsi was born in the village of El-Adwah in the Sharqia Governorate. He earned a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in metallurgical engineering from Cairo University. He then moved to the United States, where he received a PhD from the University of Southern California in 1982. He worked as an assistant professor at California State University, Northridge before returning to Egypt in 1985 to teach at Zagazig University.

Political career

Morsi became an active member of the Muslim Brotherhood in the early 1990s. He was elected as an independent candidate to the People's Assembly in 2000, representing the Daqahliya Governorate. Following the 2011 Egyptian revolution, the Brotherhood established the Freedom and Justice Party, with Morsi serving as its first chairman. He initially ran as a backup candidate for the 2012 Egyptian presidential election before becoming the Brotherhood's main nominee after the disqualification of Khairat El-Shater.

Presidency

Morsi narrowly won the presidential runoff against Ahmed Shafik, a former Prime Minister of Egypt under Mubarak. His inauguration took place on 30 June 2012. A major early controversy was his issuance of a constitutional declaration in November 2012, which temporarily granted his decrees immunity from judicial review, sparking widespread protests. His government struggled with a severe economic crisis, leading to negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. Foreign policy saw shifts, including a cooling of relations with Syria and a pivotal visit to Iran, while maintaining the Egypt–Israel peace treaty.

Ouster and aftermath

Mass protests against his rule, organized by the Tamarod movement, culminated in the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état on 3 July. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, led by Defense Minister Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, removed Morsi from power, suspended the constitution, and installed Adly Mansour as interim president. This was followed by a violent crackdown on Muslim Brotherhood supporters, most notably the Rabaa massacre in August 2013, which resulted in hundreds of deaths.

Legal issues and death

Following his ouster, Morsi was held incommunicado at an undisclosed location before facing a series of trials. He was convicted on multiple charges, including espionage for Qatar, conspiring with foreign organizations like Hamas, and insulting the judiciary. In 2015, he was sentenced to death, though this was later overturned. He died on 17 June 2019 after collapsing during a court session in Cairo. An official statement cited a heart attack, but his death prompted international calls for an independent investigation.

Legacy

Morsi's presidency remains a deeply divisive chapter in modern Egyptian history. Supporters view him as Egypt's first democratically elected civilian president, a symbol of the Arab Spring's promise. Critics argue his rule was marked by majoritarian governance and poor management. His ouster and the subsequent repression of the Muslim Brotherhood solidified the return of a powerful military-led government under Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Internationally, his tenure and downfall highlighted the complex challenges of Islamist political integration in the Middle East.

Category:Presidents of Egypt Category:Muslim Brotherhood politicians Category:2019 deaths