Amr Mahmoud Moussa is a former Egyptian presidential candidate. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt in 1958, after graduating from the Faculty of Law, Cairo University in 1957. Moussa recalled moments that he practiced love and forgiveness while he was on active service, and his success in the Egyptian Foreign Service can be attributed to the integration of forgiveness into his management style. According to Moussa, “The promotion of forgiveness is an expression of love, and a tool for effective management.”
Moussa drew inspiration about love and forgiveness from religious leaders like Sheikh Mohammad Abdo, who called for tolerance for all citizens regardless of religion, color or geographic location. Moussa maintained that love and forgiveness in governance are positive goals that we should join hands to promote in our societies. According to Lubna Abdel Aziz, “Moussa dedicated his life to serving his country”. Azeez compared Moussa to Nelson Mandela, and described him as a man of outstanding diplomatic and moral skills. After spending many years in the Egyptian Foreign Service, Moussa was appointed the 6th Secretary General of the Arab League, a position he held from 2001 to 2011.
Moussa is well-known and well regarded by world leaders and statesmen. He contested for the first Egyptian democratic election following the Arab Spring. Although, Moussa lost the election but he emerged as a liberal national leader with strong popularity. This led to his appointment as a member of the Egyptian Constitutional Assembly that re-drafted the country’s constitution. According to Lubna Aziz, “Undaunted by defeat, Moussa kept going. He remained visible on the political scene, formed a new party, and joined the opposition party that stood against violence and terrorism…. not winning the presidency turned out to be an advantage. ” [i]
Moussa’s comment on international issues reflects his embodiment of the practice of love and forgiveness. At the peak of the Syria crisis and the subsequent call for military intervention, Moussa said, “The region cannot afford another war”, [ii] and responding to an interview with Spiegel Online International on whether the crimes of the past should be punished or forgiven, Moussa said, “The crucial thing is the rule of law. Criminals need to be punished. But it’s not about revenge. For us, the most important thing is to look to the future.” [iii] On the most notable lessons that he learned about love and forgiveness, Moussa underlines that the “Younger generation should be better educated with the principles of love and forgiveness.”
[i] “Limelight–Three-Cheers-for-Amr-Moussa – Al-Ahram Weekly,” accessed May 3, 2014, http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/4929/44/Limelight–Three-cheers-for-Amr-Moussa.aspx.
[ii] “The Region Can’t Afford Another War » : Amr Moussa (BBC) | Worldclasscitizenrylabel.com,” accessed May 3, 2014, http://worldclasscitizenrylabel.com/?p=102.
[iii] “Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa: ‘We Are Experiencing a Dramatic Upheaval in the Entire Middle East’ – SPIEGEL ONLINE,” accessed May 3, 2014, http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/arab-league-secretary-general-amr-moussa-the-beginning-of-an-epochal-development-a-750969-2.html.
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