Amin Othman Pasha

Amin Osman, also known as Amin Osman Pasha, (28 November 1898–5 January 1946) was an Egyptian judge and politician who served as finance minister in the period 1943–1944. He was assassinated by Hussein Tawfik, who was connected with the Egyptian army officers, on 5 January 1946.

Early life and education

Amin Osman was born in the Muharram Bey neighborhood of Alexandria on 28 November 1898. His father was a secretary general in the municipality of Alexandria. Osman adopted a pro-British political stance He was the primary liaison between the Prime Ministers Mustafa El Nahas and then Mohammed Mahmoud Pasha and the British Embassy in Cairo. However, next Prime Minister Ali Maher Pasha fired Osman soon after he took over the office in August 1939. Osman was serving as the undersecretary of finance before his dismissal.

Osman's next post was the director of the National Bank of Egypt. It was the fifth cabined headed by Mustafa El Nahas. Osman served in the post until October 1944 when the cabinet was dissolved. They had a daughter. He died shortly after the attack. The assassination was planned by the Egyptian army officers, including Anwar Sadat who would be the president of the country, and their target was also Prime Minister Mustafa El Nahas. When the assassins led by Hussein Tawfiq did not manage to kill Mustafa El Nahas on 26 December 1945, they targeted and murdered Amin Osman. Years later Anwar Sadat told these incidents in detail and argued that they murdered Osman due to the fact that the program of his party, the Revival League, emphasized the significance of the relationship between Egypt and Great Britain.

A funeral ceremony for Amin Osman was held on 6 January in Cairo, and he was buried in the tomb of Imam Al Shafi'i there.

Tawfik was arrested soon and based on his confession Anwar Sadat, Mohammed Ibrahim Kamel, and others were also arrested and jailed. Of them Sadat was released from the prison in 1948.

Awards Osman was the recipient of the Order of the British Empire which was awarded as a result of his contributions in the sign of the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty in 1936.