Egyptian Islamic Thinker Kamal El-Helbawy
According to news reports, El-Helbawy was admitted to a hospital recently after a struggle with an unknown disease.
Born in 1939, El-Helbawy graduated from the Faculty of Arts, Cairo University, in 1960.
El-Helbawy joined the banned Muslim Brotherhood in the 1950s where he became one of its leading members decades later. Residing in London for decades, El-Helbawy became the Brotherhood’s official spokesperson in the West.
In 1988, he was sent as an envoy on behalf of the Brotherhood to Afghanistan during the invasion of the Soviet Union to coordinate with Afghani fighters in the fight against the Soviets.
On 31 March 2012, El-Helbawy announced his resignation from the Brotherhood in opposition to nominating its leading figure Khairat El-Shatar as a presidential candidate in the 2012 race.
Following his resignation, he became one of the most outspoken critics of the group in Egypt.
El-Helbawy declared his support for the ouster of late Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
He was also a member of the committee assigned to draft the 2014 constitution, the current constitution of Egypt. El-Helbawy was elected as a deputy head of the committee in September 2013.
Aside from his political activity in Egypt, El-Helbawy is known for his writings and views about Islam, current affairs, modern times, and the West.
He was also famous for Islamic activism in Europe and helping in establishing several Islamic organisations, including the Muslim Association of Britain in 1997.
El-Helbawy is survived by his wife and four children.
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