Salah Zulfikar
| Salah Zulfikar صلاح ذو الفقار |
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| Born |
Salah Zulfikar January 18, 1926  Al-Mahala, Egypt
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| Died | December 22, 1993 (aged 67) Cairo, Egypt
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Salah Zulfikar, one of Egypt's and the Arab World's great movie stars, started his career as a police officer and a professor at the Police Academy.
He was born on January 18, 1926 in Al-Mahala Al Kobra where his father, Ahmed Mourad Zulfikar, served as a senior police commissioner. He was the fourth of five brothers; their father imbued in them the values of commitment, loyalty, integrity and self-reliance. His military background did not limit his family's interest in culture, arts and Egyptian political life in general. His eldest brother, the well-known movie actor and director, Mahmoud Zulfikar, graduated as an architect. His second eldest brother Ezz-El-Din Zulfikar, the remarkable movie director, and Kamal Zulfikar were military officers whilst Salah, who was greatly inspired by his father, chose to join the Police Academy; he graduated from the Police Academy in 1946. His younger brother joined the Faculty of Commerce.
He was a skillful officer known for his professionalism and high moral standards, besides being an athlete. He was the featherweight champion of Egypt in boxing and shooting (small guns) and he was an active player in the academy's football team.
In 1949 Salah starting teaching at the Police Academy; he was in charge of new students and enjoyed helping them to adapt to military life. He took special interest in each student and made an exceptional effort to help his students become better men. Under his command, thousands of students graduated, all inspired by his leadership.
In 1951 he volunteered and joined the police unit in Ismaileya which was under attack by the British army. Despite the vast difference in numbers, arms and resources, the Egyptian police force continued to resist the British troops until the last bullet and refused to surrender. This heroic incident was later commemorated and is now celebrated on 25 January of every year as the national Police Day. He received a national award for his bravery. In 1956 he took the initiative leading 19 of his students in the Police Academy and volunteered as commandos resisting the tripartite attack by the British, French and Israeli armies during the 1956 Suez war. For this, he also received a national award of honor.
At this time, his brothers Ezz-el-Din Zulfikar and Mahmoud Zulfikar worked as film directors. During his free time he used to attend film shooting. In 1955 Ezz-el-Din Zulfikar, his elder offered him the lead role in a film 'Eyoun Sahrana (Sleepless Eyes); he had to get a temporary permit from the Minister of the Interior, which was headed at that time by Zakareya Mohy el-Din. He made his second and third films Rodda Qalbi and Djamila respectively also with temporary permissions.
As Salah Zulfikar was fascinated by acting he applied for an early pension which he was later granted by President Gamal Abd El Nasser for his excellent career service.
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Wikipedia