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E L I T E 3

Our foreign policy should share more roles with our

Arab brothers so as to restore some of the

deteriorated intra-Arab trust

All people agreed that he was a genius, atypical professor, andheld I also learned from my father writing and mastering the Arabic
vast knowledge. He had seven PhDs in French, Italian, English and language, which enabled me to be the first reference for the Arabic
Arabic, and I consulted him a lot even in my personal matters. language in the Egyptian diplomacy, and many diplomats used to
resort to me to correct the language.
• What are the most memorable situations you faced during college? As for my mother, it was the other calming side of life, the
Upon graduation, I was ranked the third in my cohort, and had the relieving and relaxing one. She was the one able to calm and
right to be a teaching assistant, but there were some security remarks relieve me which my father could not do.
regarding me. I used to publish two magazines in college, “Hadith On the professional level, I am grateful to Osama Al-Baz. He has a
Elrooh” and “Elra’ie elakhar” which were anti-mainstream, which was unique personality, and possessed exceptional abilities in
diplomatic work. He did not like fitting into molds, open-minded
the Socialist Youth organization. The organisation sought to produce
and humble. even though he was deputy MOFA, he used the metro
youth that fit their molds and stereotypes, consequently, we criticized
and public transportation. From him I realized that this is the best
the organization and its thoughts, after we took compulsory lessons.
route in a diplomatic career.
That was because adopted conservative rather than socialist, thought.

Nevertheless, my personal relationship with my socialist colleagues
• How did you join the diplomatic corps and what are the most
has not been affected. Till now, some of my best friends are Abdel-
prominent moments in your career?
Qader Shuaib, Ahmed Youssef, Usama Al-Ghazali Harb, and Othman
Between graduating from college and joining the diplomatic corps,
Muhammad Othman.
I worked as a broadcaster/ presenter at “Sawt Al-Arab” station,
I was close to all groups except those who excessively supported class
there, my colleagues were; Ahmed Arouk, Sabri Abu al-Majd and
divisions, which was a characteristic of some of the wealthy youth,
Ameih Abdel Aziz. I got to know radio and television, but it was a
despite belonging to the rich class myself, I believed that liberals
temporary stage
should deal with all classes. I do not support excessive openness either

as I belonged to the conservative movement.
My delay in joining the MOFA was due to a delay in my examination

results for a month. This was because of some data review, and security
• For whom is Hani Khallaf grateful?
considerations for my activities during university years. Then, the result
For my parents, my father taught me how to be serious ever since I
appeared and I joined the Institute for Diplomatic Training, for two years,
was young, he used to accompany me to the Arab League and the
at that time ambassador Mohamed Al-Tabie was the dean of the institute
Muslim Youth Association, where he was the head of the scout
and Osama Al-Baz was the vice dean. Al-Baz was impressing in his way
movement. He was always keen on highlighting the differences
and style with the students. His lectures were so exciting and far from
between the different religious speeches of the imams of mosques. He
being simply teaching he made the students deliver the lecture,
was greatly concerned with the quality of religious discourse and saw theory,
the importance of turning away from flattening it. He had a vision for not the lecturer. Afterwards, I joined the Egyptian mission in the United
the renewal of religious discourse, which is the rationalization of
Nations, then I became a Consul in Australia. I went back to the United
religiosity, so that rational calculations would enter into it and we
Nations European headquarters in Geneva and I take pride in that period,
would not only be spiritual.
when I was elected president of the Group of 77.

issue 18, April 2020 #Stay_at_home