Muhammad Anwar al-Sadat (1918–81) was an Egyptian political leader who served as Egypt’s president (1970–81.)
Born in a small village in the Nile delta, Sadat took part in the bloodless coup that overthrew King Farouk (1952.) All through the 1950s and the 1960s, he held various government posts in the new republic. He served as minister of state (1955–56,) vice-chairman (1957–60) and chairman (1960–68) of the National Assembly, and vice-president of the republic (1964–66; 1969–70.) He became president after Gamal Abdel Nasser’s death (1970.)
Sadat broke with the foreign policies of his predecessor, by switching from Soviet to American patronage, dismissing the Soviet military mission to Egypt, removing the ban on political parties, and introducing measures to decentralize Egypt’s political structure and diversify its economy.
Sadat supported the Arab oil boycott against the West, and waged the Yom Kippur war with Syria against Israel (1973.) During the 1970s, he established closer ties with the United States and started peace negotiations with Israel under US pressure.
In 1977, Sadat created an international sensation by flying to Jerusalem to start the peace negotiations despite condemnation from the rest of the Arab world. This resulted in the Camp David Peace Accords (1977.) He shared the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. In 1981, extremist army officers hostile to the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty assassinated Sadat.
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Peace is more precious than a piece of land.
—Anwar el-Sadat
Topics: Peace
Land is immortal, for its harbors the mysteries of creation.
—Anwar el-Sadat
There is no happiness for people at the expense of other people.
—Anwar el-Sadat
Topics: Power
He who cannot change the very fabric of his thought will never be able to change reality, and will never, therefore, make any progress.
—Anwar el-Sadat
Topics: Change, Reality
Most people seek after what they do not possess and are enslaved by the very things they want to acquire.
—Anwar el-Sadat
Topics: Slavery
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