CAIRO: After leading a long life of political activism, the fez-wearing Sheikh Ahmed Al-Sabahi, president of the Umma Party, died at the age of 94 on Wednesday due to problems with his circulatory system. Sheikh Al-Sabahi was born in 1915, during an era of political turmoil in Egypt's fight for independence from the British and the beginning of World War I. Before getting involved in Egyptian politics, Al-Sabahi led an active life participating in educational activities and scholarly advancement. He authored an array of books from the interpretations of the Holy Quran, his most popular work being "Healing with the Holy Quran. Al-Sabahi's political life began when he joined the Egyptian Socialist Party before the 1952 revolution. Trying to find balance between his religiosity and his liberal beliefs, he founded the new Umma Party in 1983, advocating the establishment of social democracy while maintaining Sharia as the primary source of legislation. The Umma Party was also one of the main advocates of establishing peace with Israel, a radical idea at a time when war was the only option. During his political life, Al-Sabahi made public statements that earned him the respect of many. Last year, he expressed hope of becoming the president of Egypt by 2011, a hope he pursued by joining the presidential race in 2005. "He was such a good man, said Mohammed Esmat El-Sadat, a former MP. "He ran for president and always used to wear that tarboush [fez] and used to say that he would vote for President Mubarak.
