World-Renowned Egyptian Nuclear
Scientist
(March 3, 1917 - August 5, 1952)
It is bewildering to know that
during the early 20th century, when there were the likes of Albert Einstein and
Enrico Fermi, there was also the phenomenal Egyptian nuclear physicist Sameera
Moussa. Women in the field of science, technology, engineering and math remain
largely under-represented and unacknowledged until today, which is why it is
important to document those from the past and also inspire those in the
present.
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| SAMEERA |
Born in Gharbia governorate in
1917, Moussa was met with the tragic news of her mother’s death very early on,
which prompted her to dedicate her life to making nuclear treatment accessible
by all, hoping that it would be “as cheap as aspirin,” as she once said. Moussa
spent her life volunteering at many hospitals to help treat cancer patients – a
great embodiment of commitment and devotion.
Moussa went on to receive her
Bachelor of Science degree in radiology with First Class Honors from Cairo
University in 1939, after researching the effects of X-ray radiation on
different materials. Following her achievement of receiving a doctorate in
atomic radiation, she later became the first woman to hold the position of a
lecturer and assistant professor in Cairo University.
In England, she made two
significant contributions in physics. First, she came up with the historic
equation that would break the atoms of cheap metals such as copper – a
discovery that would help in making the medical applications of nuclear
technology, such as X-rays, cheaper.
At a time when the Second World
War was ongoing, and the events of bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were
occurring, Moussa was still determined to show the world that nuclear
technology should not always be dangerous. She helped organize the conference “Atomic
Energy for Peace” in England, which called on governments to establish advisory
councils that would regulate the industry and provide protection against safety
hazards.
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| DR. SAMEERA MOUSSA |
This was all impressively done
during a period of time when knowledge of atomic development was little and
only in the hands of top officials in government. A year after her conference,
President Eisenhower in 1953 delivered a famous speech, “Atoms for Peace”, to
the UN General Assembly. It was the first time that the topic of atomic energy
was publicly mentioned, and it aimed to spread the idea that “atomic dilemma”
could be solved by finding ways to make it a contributor in saving people’s
lives.
“The United States pledges before
you – and therefore before the world its determination to help solve the
fearful atomic dilemma – to devote its entire heart and mind to find the way by
which the miraculous inventiveness of man shall not be dedicated to his death,
but consecrated to his life,” he said.
This speech created the
ideological background for important organizations like the International
Atomic Energy Agency and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons, which both aim to promote peaceful uses of nuclear energy and achieve
nuclear disarmament around the world.
Moussa’s work was recognized as
she was awarded the prestigious and competitive Fulbright scholarship that gave
her the opportunity to travel to the United States and study in California.
Remarkably, she was given permission to visit top secret US atomic facilities
and was the first non-US person to ever do so.
There were several offers given to
her to acquire the American citizenship and live in the United States, yet she
turned them down after saying “Egypt, my dear homeland, is waiting for me”.
On August 5, 1952 after her first
visit to America she intended to return home, but she was invited on a trip. On
the way, the car fell from a height of 40 feet, which killed her immediately.
The mystery of the accident, since the invitation to California was shown to be
untrue later on, besides the vanishing of the car driver who jumped from the
car just before it rushed down, made some people believe it was a planned
assassination. It is alleged that the Israeli Mossad was behind Moussa's murder.
A year later in 1953, the Egyptian
Army honored her and she was awarded the Order of Merit for Science and Art,
First Class. A school and a laboratory in her home village were also named
after her.
Nonetheless, the doors remain open
for new Egyptian female scientists to take over and make momentous changes for
their country and the world.
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