''Al-Jamahir'' (in

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

الجماهير meaning ''The Masses'') was an

Arabic language Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

weekly newspaper and the official organ of the

Democratic Movement for National Liberation The Democratic Movement for National Liberation (, abbreviated حدتو, HADITU, , abbreviated M.D.L.N.) was a communist organization in Egypt from 1947 to 1955. HADITU was led by Henri Curiel. The movement followed the line of the National Democ ...

(, abbreviated حدتو, 'HADITU', , abbreviated M.D.L.N), a

communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

organization in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

between 1947 and 1955. ''Al-Jamahir'' was established in 1947 as the official organ of the HADITU. The organization published the legal weekly newspaper that had a regular circulation of 7-8,000, but the circulation occasionally peaked to around 15,000. ''Al-Jamahir'' played an important role in the growth of HADITU. Free copies of the newspaper were handed out to workers at factories, and the newspaper became an important rallying point to spread the influence of the movement amongst industrial workers. The newspaper had a relatively high journalistic standard, with photographic essays and industrial exposures. Beinin, Joel, and Zachary Lockman.
Workers on the Nile: nationalism, communism, Islam, and the Egyptian working class, 1882 - 1954
'.

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

: The American University in Cairo Press, 1998. pp. 352-353 HADITU supported the Egyptian Revolution and the 1952 coup d'état, being the only communist faction to do so. Several prominent figures in the Revolutionary Command Council and the Free Officers had links to HADITU. Other communist groups voiced fierce criticism of the government following the violent suppression of a strike in

Kafr Dawar Kafr El Dawwar ( ) is a major industrial city and municipality on the Nile Delta in the Beheira Governorate of northern Egypt. Located approximately 30 km from Alexandria, the municipality has a population of about 265,300 inhabitants a ...

and the execution of two workers accused of leading the strike. After the executions of the two labour leaders, HADITU and non-communist trade unionists agitated in the working-class neighbourhoods of

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

and Kafr Dawar (in vehicles, with loudspeakers, borrowed from the army) calling on workers to remain calm. The support to the government after the Kafr Dawar crackdown undermined the HADITU influence in the labour movement, and created internal rifts between the party and its trade union cadres. In January 1953 the government closed down the legal press of HADITU and ''Al-Jamahir'' was suspended. In February 1955 HADITU merged with six other factions, forming the

Unified Egyptian Communist Party The Unified Egyptian Communist Party () was a political party in Egypt. The party was founded in February 1955 through the merger of the Democratic Movement for National Liberation (HADITU) and six splinter organizations (including HADITU-Revolutio ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jamahir 1947 establishments in Egypt 1953 disestablishments in Egypt Arabic communist newspapers Defunct newspapers published in Egypt Defunct weekly newspapers Newspapers established in 1947 Publications disestablished in 1953 Weekly newspapers published in Egypt Banned newspapers

See also

References