صوفى أبو طالب Sufi Abu Taleb
Acting President of Egypt
In office 6 October 1981 – 14 October 1981
Preceded by	Anwar Sadat
Succeeded by	Hosni Mubarak
Born	27 January 1925 (1925-01-27) (age 84) Egypt
Died	February 21, 2008 Malaysia
Spouse(s)	Wafeya el Otefi
Children	4 (2 sons and 2 daughters)
Religion	Muslim

Sufi Abu Taleb (Arabic: صوفى أبو طالب) (January 27, 1925 – February 21, 2008 ^[1]) served as Acting President of Egypt for eight days from 6 October 1981 to 14 October 1981, following the assassination of Egypt's third president Anwar Sadat.^[1] Upon Sadat's assassination, Sufi Abu Taleb was serving as Speaker of the People's Assembly from November 4, 1978 to November 4, 1983.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Death 4 External links 5 References

[edit] Early life

Abu Taleb was born in Tameyya in Fayyum 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 PhD, his thesis winning the University Award. In 1959 he received a diploma in Laws of Mediterranean Sea from Sapienza University of Rome

[edit] Career

According to the adopted constitution, in case of the vacancy of the office of the president, the Speaker of the People's Assembly shall act as Acting President pending an election in 60 days. However, Abu Taleb was not considered a serious candidate for the Egyptian presidency.^[1] He stepped aside after just eight days as president in favor of current Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who had been vice president under Anwar Al-Sadat.^[1]

He was previously the President of Cairo University and also the People's Assembly speaker and member of the Islamic Research Academy

Aside from his political accomplishments, Sufi Abu Taleb had an outstanding academic career during which he served as president of Cairo University and founded Fayoum University.

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

[edit] Death

Sufi Abu Taleb died on February 21, 2008, in Malaysia at the age of 83.^[1] He had been visiting Malaysia for an alumni reunion for graduates of Cairo's al-Azhar University.^[1]

[edit] External links

• Reuters Africa: Former acting president of Egypt dies in Malaysia

[edit] References

Political offices
Preceded by Sayed Marey	Speaker of the People's Assembly November 4, 1978–November 4, 1983	Succeeded by Dr. Mohamed Kamel Leilah
Preceded by Anwar Sadat	President of Egypt 6 October 1981–14 October 1981	Succeeded by Hosni Mubarak

v • d • e Presidents of Egypt Muhammad Naguib (1953-1954) • Gamal Abdel Nasser (1954-1970) • Anwar Al Sadat (1970-1981) • Sufi Abu Taleb* • Hosni Mubarak (1981-present) * served as acting President of Egypt for eight days following Sadat's assassination

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