Egypt’s Min. of Culture receives granddaughter of Iraq’s 2nd president Abdel Salam Aref

CAIRO – 16 September 2020: Egypt’s Minister of Culture Inas Abdel Dayem received Rasha Ghoneim, the granddaughter of Abdel Salam Aref, the second President of the Republic of Iraq, in the presence of Head of the National Organization for Cultural Coordination Mohammad Abu Saada.

This was after the inclusion of Ghoneim’s grandfather's name in the “Street Story” project, which perpetuates the symbols of Egypt and the Arab world in various fields.

During the meeting, Abdel Dayem welcomed the granddaughter of the late president, stressing that Egypt always opens its arms to its fellow Arabs, expressing her appreciation of the pivotal role that Abdel Salam Aref played during his reign in serving Arab causes, referring to his role in the political transformation of the Iraq. Abdel Dayem then reviewed the “Street Story” project and its objectives.

On behalf of her family, Ghoneim conveyed thanks to the Egyptian Minister of Culture for including her grandfather's name in the “Street Story” project. She said that Iraqi writers and historians monitored Egypt's interest in celebrating symbols in all fields, as it is a home for their immortalization and confirmed that Egypt is the second home for every Arab.

It is noteworthy that Abdel Salam Aref, the second president of Iraq from 1963 to 1966, attained the rank of marshal and played an important role in the Iraqi political transformation. He was born on March 26, 1921 in Baghdad. He joined the military college where he graduated in 1941 with the rank of second lieutenant.

Aref was one of the May 1941 revolutionaries against the British-occupied government during World War II. In 1946, he was chosen as an instructor at the Military College and was characterized by his influential personality in the Iraqi and Arab events.

He died on April 13, 1966, after his private plane fell into the Qurna area, after returning from a visit to Basra Governorate, southern Iraq.