Cairo: The Kings Jungle
55
"It is time for the evening prayer," Gamal said, and the
dark face withdrew.
"Fiemen el lah (God be with you), good Amerikan."
"Fiemen el lah," I returned.
AHMED HUSSEIN—ARAB FUEHRER
HAVING had these indications of how Egypt treated the
stranger, I warily began my investigation of Ahmed Hussein,
fuehrer of the fanatic Green Shirts, more formally known as
Misr el Fattat, the Young Egypt Party. I was sure I could
meet Hussein by posing as a friend of those he knew in the
United States. I knew Hussein's background. During the war
he had been placed in custody for pro-Fascist sympathies. In
1942, with Rommel and his Afrika Korps hammering at El
Alamein, one of Hussein's colleagues, a Green Shirt leader,
led street demonstrations, screaming at the top of his voice:
"Advance, Rommel. Please, Rommel, come quickly to Egypt."
Before the war Hussein had visited Italy, toured Fascist
youth camps, and returned tremendously impressed. He also
went to Germany, but got a cool reception. He then wrote a
pamphlet, "Message to Hitler!" inviting Hitler to achieve
peace of soul by embracing Islam, "the religion of God's unity
and of solidarity, the religion of order and leadership."
In New York some of Hussein's writings were distributed by
Habib Katibah (the same Katibah whom Shawa Bey in London asked me if I knew), who was frequently seen with
Hussein when the latter visited the United States in 1947.
Katibah's background is revealing. He had founded the Arab
National League, a propaganda agency which received the endorsement of World Service, the notorious Nazi propaganda
mill, for its efforts in "spreading the truth." Another founder,
Dr. George Kheiralla, received assurances from James WheelerHill, once Bund national secretary: "Our own organization