Misplaced Pages

Heba Selim: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editNext edit →Content deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 20:42, 21 January 2020 editUniSail2 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users4,109 editsm empty!← Previous edit Revision as of 21:16, 21 January 2020 edit undoUniSail2 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users4,109 editsNo edit summaryNext edit →
Line 4: Line 4:
}} }}


'''Heba Selim''' ({{lang-ar|هبة عبد الرحمن سليم عامر}}) (died 1974) was an Egyptian spy who worked for the ] along with her fiancé Farouk Al-Fikki. Originally from ] in middle Egypt, she grew up in the upper-class Mohandeseen Cairo suburb. As a student in faculty of arts, she majored in French. One of her instructors, a French man, offered her the opportunity of furthering her studies in at the ] in ]. She stayed with an Egyptian family in Paris and was a regular guest at the Egyptian ambassador's home. In a 2010 Egyptian TV program, he described her as attractive, cheerful, bright, and patriotic. He did note, however, that she struggled financially as she could not find work in the Egyptian Embassy in Paris. '''Heba Selim''' ({{lang-ar|هبة عبد الرحمن سليم عامر}}) (died 1974) was an Egyptian spy who worked for the ] along with her fiancé Farouk Al-Fikki.


==Biography==
After her recruitment by the Mossad, she married Farouk El Fikki, an engineer Egyptian army officer, and gathered information - through him - about the locations of the anti-aircraft batteries. He later became aware and willingly participated in her spying activities. During the ], intelligence provided by Selim enabled Israel to score many accurate hits against Egyptian forces, destroying many anti aircraft missile bases at a heavy cost of men and material to Egypt.
Originally from ] in middle Egypt, she grew up in the upper-class ], Cairo suburb. As a student in faculty of arts, she majored in French. One of her instructors, a French man, offered her the opportunity of furthering her studies in at the ] in ]. She stayed with an Egyptian family in Paris and was a regular guest at the Egyptian ambassador's home. In a 2010 Egyptian TV program, the ambassador, Fakhry Othman, described her as attractive, cheerful, bright, and patriotic. He did note, however, that she struggled financially as she could not find work in the Egyptian Embassy in Paris.

In Paris, she met a Jewish colleague of Polish descent who convinced her about Israeli aspirations for peace. However, after her recruitment by the Mossad, she married Farouk El Fikki, an engineer Egyptian army officer, and gathered information - through him - about the locations of the anti-aircraft batteries, including the ]. He later became aware and willingly participated in her spying activities. During the ], intelligence provided by Selim enabled Israel to score many accurate hits against Egyptian forces, destroying many anti aircraft missile bases at a heavy cost of men and material to Egypt.


The Israeli strikes were so accurate that the Egyptian side became convinced insider informants must be involved. Eventually her husband was discovered and faced a certain death sentence. The Egyptians, however, decided to use him as a double agent for some time. Also, by not arresting him, he gave Heba Selim the impression that their spying activities were not compromised. The Israeli strikes were so accurate that the Egyptian side became convinced insider informants must be involved. Eventually her husband was discovered and faced a certain death sentence. The Egyptians, however, decided to use him as a double agent for some time. Also, by not arresting him, he gave Heba Selim the impression that their spying activities were not compromised.


==Trial and Execution== ==Trial and Execution==
Heba was arrested after Egyptian intelligence lured her to ] on the pretext that her father had been hospitalized there, and arrested her upon arrival, transferring her to an Egyptian aircraft to return her to Egypt, with the cooperation of Libyan authorities. The Egyptian ambassador to France, whose home she had often visited, had been instrumental in the plan. Her husband was also arrested. Selim was tried for ] while he was court-martialled. They were both convicted and sentenced to death. After exhausting all appeals, including a petition for clemency to President ] that was denied, Heba was executed by ] as prescribed by law for civilian convicts, while El Fikki was executed by ] since he was a commissioned army officer at the time of conviction, as prescribed by Egyptian military law. Heba was arrested after Egyptian intelligence lured her to ], ] on the pretext that her father had been hospitalized there, and arrested her upon arrival, transferring her to an Egyptian aircraft to return her to Egypt, with the cooperation of Libyan authorities. The Egyptian ambassador to France, whose home she had often visited, had been instrumental in the plan. Her husband was also arrested. Selim was tried for ] while he was court-martialled. They were both convicted and sentenced to death. After exhausting all appeals, including a petition for clemency to President ] that was denied, Heba was executed by ] as prescribed by law for civilian convicts, while El Fikki was executed by ] since he was a commissioned army officer at the time of conviction, as prescribed by Egyptian military law.


==Cultural depictions==
Heba Selim is the basis of the Egyptian film ''Al sood ila al haweyah'' (Climbing to the abyss). One of the most famous lines in Egyptian cinema history is said at the end of the movie as Abla (Heba Selim's name in the movie) is flown to Egypt after her capture in Libya. As the plane approaches Cairo airport, her escorting intelligence officer points at the pyramids and the Nile and then, in a most condemning tone he says "we heya dee Masr ya abla" (and this is Egypt Abla). Heba Selim is the basis of the Egyptian film ''Al sood ila al haweyah'' (Climbing to the abyss). One of the most famous lines in Egyptian cinema history is said at the end of the movie as Abla (Heba Selim's name in the movie), portrayed by {{ill|Madiha Kamel|fr}}, is flown to Egypt after her capture in Libya. As the plane approaches Cairo airport, her escorting intelligence officer points at the pyramids and the Nile and then, in a most condemning tone he says "we heya dee Masr ya abla" (and this is Egypt Abla).


==See also== ==See also==

Revision as of 21:16, 21 January 2020

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Heba Selim" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (February 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
(Learn how and when to remove this message)

Heba Selim (Template:Lang-ar) (died 1974) was an Egyptian spy who worked for the Mossad along with her fiancé Farouk Al-Fikki.

Biography

Originally from Asyut in middle Egypt, she grew up in the upper-class Mohandessin, Cairo suburb. As a student in faculty of arts, she majored in French. One of her instructors, a French man, offered her the opportunity of furthering her studies in at the Sorbonne in Paris. She stayed with an Egyptian family in Paris and was a regular guest at the Egyptian ambassador's home. In a 2010 Egyptian TV program, the ambassador, Fakhry Othman, described her as attractive, cheerful, bright, and patriotic. He did note, however, that she struggled financially as she could not find work in the Egyptian Embassy in Paris.

In Paris, she met a Jewish colleague of Polish descent who convinced her about Israeli aspirations for peace. However, after her recruitment by the Mossad, she married Farouk El Fikki, an engineer Egyptian army officer, and gathered information - through him - about the locations of the anti-aircraft batteries, including the 2K12 Kub. He later became aware and willingly participated in her spying activities. During the Yom Kippur War, intelligence provided by Selim enabled Israel to score many accurate hits against Egyptian forces, destroying many anti aircraft missile bases at a heavy cost of men and material to Egypt.

The Israeli strikes were so accurate that the Egyptian side became convinced insider informants must be involved. Eventually her husband was discovered and faced a certain death sentence. The Egyptians, however, decided to use him as a double agent for some time. Also, by not arresting him, he gave Heba Selim the impression that their spying activities were not compromised.

Trial and Execution

Heba was arrested after Egyptian intelligence lured her to Tripoli, Libya on the pretext that her father had been hospitalized there, and arrested her upon arrival, transferring her to an Egyptian aircraft to return her to Egypt, with the cooperation of Libyan authorities. The Egyptian ambassador to France, whose home she had often visited, had been instrumental in the plan. Her husband was also arrested. Selim was tried for high treason while he was court-martialled. They were both convicted and sentenced to death. After exhausting all appeals, including a petition for clemency to President Anwar Sadat that was denied, Heba was executed by hanging as prescribed by law for civilian convicts, while El Fikki was executed by firing squad since he was a commissioned army officer at the time of conviction, as prescribed by Egyptian military law.

Cultural depictions

Heba Selim is the basis of the Egyptian film Al sood ila al haweyah (Climbing to the abyss). One of the most famous lines in Egyptian cinema history is said at the end of the movie as Abla (Heba Selim's name in the movie), portrayed by Madiha Kamel, is flown to Egypt after her capture in Libya. As the plane approaches Cairo airport, her escorting intelligence officer points at the pyramids and the Nile and then, in a most condemning tone he says "we heya dee Masr ya abla" (and this is Egypt Abla).

See also

References

Categories: