{{Short description|Egyptian journalist}} {{sources|date=April 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = Mustafa Fakhruddin Amin | native_name = مصطفى أمين | native_name_lang = ar | image = {{#statements:P18}} | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1914|2|21|df=yes}} | birth_place = Cairo, Egypt | death_date = {{Death date and age|1997|4|13|1914|2|21|df=yes}}<ref name="WaPo" /> | death_place = Cairo, Egypt | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | education = | alma_mater = American University in Cairo<br/>Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. | occupation = Journalist, writer | years_active = 1928–1997 | relatives = Saad Zaghloul (great-uncle) | awards = | signature = | signature_alt = | signature_size = }} '''Mustafa Amin''' ({{langx|ar|مصطفى أمين}}; 21 February 1914 – 13 April 1997)<ref name="nytimes" /> was an Egyptian columnist and journalist who enjoyed a great deal of popularity in the Arab world. Known for his liberal perspective, Mustafa Amin and his twin brother Ali Amin are regarded as the fathers of modern Arab journalism.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|date=1976-04-04|title=Ali Amin of Cairo Is Dead at 62; Began a Leading Daily in Egypt|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/04/04/archives/ali-amin-of-cairo-is-dead-at-62-began-a-leading-daily-in-egypt.html|access-date=2021-04-14|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="WaPo">{{Cite web |date=14 April 1997 |title=EGYPTIAN JOURNALIST MUSTAFA AMIN DIES AT 83 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1997/04/14/egyptian-journalist-mustafa-amin-dies-at-83/ecd32993-bec0-49e0-a6d9-129d016a7234/ |access-date=30 April 2021 |website=washingtonpost.com}}</ref>
==Biography== Mustafa Amin and his twin brother Ali Amin were born in Cairo, where their father was a lawyer.<ref name="nytimes" /><ref name=":1" /> They spent their childhood at the house of their great-uncle Saad Zaghloul, a prominent lawyer and politician, who founded the liberal nationalist Wafd Party (Delegation Party), and served as Prime Minister of Egypt in 1922. Amin was educated at the American University in Cairo and at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/16/world/mustafa-amin-liberal-editor-jailed-by-nasser-dies-at-83.html |title=Mustafa Amin, Liberal Editor Jailed by Nasser, Dies at 83 |first=Douglas |last=Jehl |work=The New York Times |date=16 April 1997 |location=New York |issn=0362-4331 |accessdate=15 March 2015}}</ref>
Mustafa Amin made magazines for his family, neighbours, and schools since early childhood, and began reporting for the Cairo newspapers and magazines in 1928. He had a column in the weekly ''Akher Saa'' ("Last Hour") magazine by the time of graduation from the AUC in 1934. After his graduation from Georgetown in 1938, Amin served as editor-in-chief of ''Akher Saa'' for a year before moving to ''Al-Ahram'' ("The Pyramids"), the oldest and most prestigious Egyptian daily newspaper. During the 1940s, Amin served as a reporter and columnist, but in 1944 left his post as editor of ''El-Ethnin W El-Donya'' ("Monday And The World"), when he and his brother Ali founded the weekly newspaper ''Akhbar el-Yom'' ("News Today"). Within two years, they took over ''Akher Saa'', and in 1951 founded two more weekly papers: ''Akher Lahza'' ("Last Trice") and ''Al-Guil'' ("The Generation"). Finally in 1952 they launched a daily newspaper ''Al Akhbar'' ("The News").<ref name="indy">{{cite news |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-mustafa-amin-1267291.html |title=Obituary: Mustafa Amin |first=Adel |last=Darwish |work=The Independent |date=15 April 1997 |publisher=INM |location=London |issn=0951-9467 |oclc=185201487 |accessdate=15 March 2015}}</ref> Amin and his brother were producing the five best selling news publications in Egypt prior to the nationalization of the Egyptian press by Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1960.<ref name="nytimes"/> As an advocate of Western liberalism, free enterprise and a free press, Amin was first jailed in 1939, after criticizing King Farouk, and was also jailed briefly twice in the early 1950s by Nasser. However, in 1965 as Egypt developed closer relations with the Soviet Union, Amin was found to be in contact with American secret agent Bruce Odell, as documented by American ambassador Lucius D. Battle. Amin was arrested by Egyptian authorities and accused of treason. After a secret trial, he was imprisoned, tortured, and kept in solitary confinement for the next nine years, before eventually being exonerated and released in 1974 by Anwar Sadat.<ref name="nytimes"/> Mustafa Amin then returned to journalism, serving as editor of ''Akhbar Elyom'' ("News Today"). After the death of his brother Ali in 1976, Amin concentrated more on the syndicated daily column ''Fekra'' ("Idea"), which had been started by Ali in 1952.<ref name="indy"/><ref name="wrmea">{{cite web |url= http://www.wrmea.org/1997-june-july/cairo-communique-death-of-mustafa-amin-evokes-nostalgia-for-egypt-s-brave-journalist.html |title=Death of Mustafa Amin Evokes Nostalgia for Egypt's Brave Journalist |first=James |last=Napoli |work=Washington Report on Middle East Affairs |year=1997 |accessdate=15 March 2015}}</ref>
In addition to his journalism, Mustafa Amin published autobiographical works, several novels, and also wrote film screenplays. He also lectured in journalism at Cairo University and the American University of Cairo.<ref name="arabnews">{{cite web |url= https://www.arabnews.com/mustafa-amin-founder-modern-arab-journalism |title=Mustafa Amin: Founder of modern Arab journalism |first=Farouk |last=Luqman |work=Arab News |date=22 June 2012 |accessdate=15 March 2015}}</ref> He founded the charity ''Lailat al-Qadar'' ("Night Of The Fate"),<ref name="indy"/> raising millions of pounds from donations, to pay medical expenses and provide business assistance for the poor.<ref name="wrmea"/> Mustafa and Ali Amin also encouraged the celebration of Mother's Day in Egypt.<ref name="nytimes"/> Amin continued writing up until his death in 13 April 1997.<ref name="indy"/>
==Personal life== Mustafa Amin married Izis Tantawi and had 2 daughters, Ratiba and Safia. Safia is also a journalist.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Darwish|first1=Adel|title=Obituary: Mustafa Amin|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-mustafa-amin-1267291.html|accessdate=23 June 2015|agency=independent.co.uk|date=15 April 1997}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=JEHL|first1=DOUGLAS|title=Mustafa Amin, Liberal Editor Jailed by Nasser, Dies at 83|work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/16/world/mustafa-amin-liberal-editor-jailed-by-nasser-dies-at-83.html|accessdate=23 June 2015|date=April 16, 1997}}</ref> His twin brother Ali Amin also had two daughters, Fatma and Mona.<ref name=":1" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
== Further reading == {{Cite thesis |last=Eltahlawi |first=Hadi Y. |title=Challenging the Authoritarian Theory of the Press: Mostafa Amin and Press Freedom under King Farouk's Rule in Egypt |date=May 2024 |publisher=University of Nevada, Reno |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/3067236371|id={{ProQuest|3067236371}} }}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|0024911}} *[https://www.almasryalyoum.com/news/details/2301877 ''Al Masry Al Youm'' article]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amin, Mustafa}} Category:1914 births Category:1997 deaths Category:American University in Cairo alumni Category:Georgetown University alumni Category:Academic staff of Cairo University Category:Academic staff of the American University in Cairo Category:Journalists from Cairo Category:Egyptian columnists Category:Egyptian prisoners and detainees Category:20th-century Egyptian journalists Category:20th-century male journalists Category:Egyptian magazine founders Category:Egyptian spies Category:Political prisoners in Egypt Category:Egyptian political writers