It was the night of June 15th, when Egypt's youth celebrated one of Egypt's best. Shuhdi Atiya ash-Shafi (1911-1960), an Egyptian communist born in the city of Alexandria. Shuhdi was a leader in the student coalition from which the Egyptian national movement emerged in the 1930s. He studied the English language in Cairo University and worked for a short period as a teacher in a secondary school. He was then granted a scholarship to Oxford University where he got his Master's degree. After his return to Egypt, he was appointed by the Ministry of Education as an English Language supervisor. He joined the communist group, Iskra. He later became one of its members, then became director of the House of Scientific Research; a cultural platform that polarized a large number of Egyptian intellectuals. He collaborated with Mohamed Abdel Ma'aboud Al Gebeily in writing the manifesto titled, "Our national goals", published in 1945. Iskra later merged with the Democratic Movement for National Liberation (HADITU) and Shuhdi became the editor-in-chief for its newspaper, "al-Jamahir". Shudi was sentenced for 7 years in prison and after his released he found there was major crackdown on communists by the Nasserist regime in 1952. Despite his revolutionary fanatic self, Shuhdi was a hardcore supporter for the Free Officers Movement regarding their vision as progressive and anti-imperliastic. His opinions were featured in his book, "America and The Middle East" and due to his sympathetic attitude, his writing got published in the state-owned "Al Masa'a". Upon the nationalization of the Suez Canal and the consequent political dilemma in 1956, he wrote his famous piece, "Evolution of Egyptian National Movement 1882-1956", one of the most prominent Marxist reads in Egyptian history. He also published a series of short stories titled, "Haret Um Al Husseiny". Shuhdi was arrested again January, 1959 along with hundreds other communists though kept defending internal reformations done by Nasser's regime and his unbiased stances when it comes to foreign policy. During his trial in March, 1960, he stressed on the need to stand behind Nasser and support his efforts. HADITU included Salah Jahin, Youssef Edris, Fouad Haddad, Khaled Mohy al-Deen and Zaki Murad Ibrahim as members. The movement also included the legendary, Youssef Sedik who broke in the Egyptian Army headquarters, paving the way to 23 July Revolution, 1952. Shuhdi was one of the most prominent writers for Al Jamahir newspaper, one of the most remarkable communist newspaper in Egypt at that time where he wrote his famous article, "The people want a new kind of political parties" metaphorically describing HADITU. He was later arrested in 1948 and sentenced for 8 years on hard labor, shackled in his cage, screaming for the life and freedom of Egyptians. His trial was marked as inspiring and brave. In 1959, he was tried before a military court in a communism-related case, with 47 others in a case known in the media back then by "The case of the 48". They were transferred from Alexandria to Abu Za'abal prison where they were tortured, stripped naked and dragged by horses, when Shuhdi died in the process. Following his death, Shuhdi's mates managed to leak the news of his death to Al Ahram Newspaper where an obituary was published, leading to the seargent in charge of his case to be discharged. Then-president Gamal Abdel Nasser was in Yugoslavia at the time when the its president saluted the tortured, killed Shuhdi. Nasser was then taken aback by that ordering authorities in Egypt to investigate and get to the bottom of it. He's one of the many remarkable faces in Egypt who died fighting injustice and tyranny, a clash that started when he was a Faculty of Arts student. Sonallah Ibrahim -an Egyptian novelist and short-story writer- wrote a brief about him in his book, "The oases diaries" saying," Shuhdi earned his Bachelor degree and started teaching. He then competed in an English language competition which landed him a scholarship to Britain, where he got his Master's degree in English Literature. He worked his way up from an English teacher all the way to an English language supervisor. He established a facility for medical research. He was the first political prisoner to be incarcerated and shackled, and the only communist to be held in a solitary confinement. During his incarceration, he organized an anti-illiteracy schooling for prisoners and led the first strike in Egyptian prisons." Refaat Al Sae'd investigated the events surrounding his death and put them together in a book called, "The Crime". A number of intellects and authors told Shuhdi's story. Abdel Azim Anas wrote a poem lamenting his death: Your image is a lead to my sight, The Jinn and the jailer, I ask about the blood on his stick, Communist, definitely the communist.
