Opium and guns

A political and social biography of the Upper Egypt line that has troubled three governments.

Author's name: Salah Issa

In Salah Issa's writings, crime is an introduction to a broad and comprehensive study of society, rulers, the ruled, various political forces, and ongoing social conflicts. This is his approach in his book "Opium and Guns," which recounts a long series of murders, robberies, attacks on police officers, terrorizing civilians, poisoning livestock, burning crops, and imposing extortions—all committed by Muhammad Mansour, known as "the Khat of Upper Egypt." "The Khat" is an ambiguous figure in Egyptian criminal history. He is considered a resistance figure and beloved by a broad segment of the Egyptian public, as he rebelled against Egyptian authority, represented by the government. However, he was a criminal figure who terrorized the security of citizens. Issa reread everything that was written in newspapers, magazines and memoirs, especially the investigations published by the young journalist at the time, Mohamed Hassanein Heikal, in Akher Saa magazine, which strongly attracted attention, along with the memoirs written by the police officer who took over the case, Mohamed Effendi Hilal, who pursued Al-Khatt for more than a year and eventually captured it. However, he left the police and worked in journalism. From this and that, Issa came up with a new account, which is the most accurate and comprehensive of Al-Khatt.