Nawal El Saadawi
Nawal El Saadawi
Nawal El Saadawiis an Egyptian feminist writer, activist, physician and psychiatrist. She has written many books on the subject of women in Islam, paying particular attention to the practice of female genital mutilation in her society. She has been described as "the Simone de Beauvoir of the Arab World"...
NationalityEgyptian
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth27 October 1931
CountryEgypt
children military dark
Democracy is not just freedom to criticize the government or head of state, or to hold parliamentary elections. True democracy obtains only when the people - women, men, young people, children - have the ability to change the system of industrial capitalism that has oppressed them since the earliest days of slavery: a system based on class division, patriarchy, and military might, a hierarchical system that subjugates people merely because they are born poor, or female, or dark-skinned.
children father years
The tracing of a child's lineage and its name with reference to the father, though it has lasted for many thousands of years, has not become any the more natural or reasonable as a result.
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Motherhood goes back in history to a time when a father had no way of knowing his children. Fatherhood only became known when class patriarchal society had established itself and imposed monogamous marriage on women. Motherhood is like sun and rain and plants, a quality and product of nature which does not require laws or systems in order to exist.
We here in Egypt are fed up with U.S. colonialism.
courage criminals israel war
War criminals in the U.S. and Israel are not punished: no international court has the courage to put them on trial.
convinced people power words
I don't think that people in power can be convinced by words or articles. They will never give it up by choice.
afraid alone divorced proud three women
A lot of women are afraid of loneliness, so when they see a woman who can live alone, then they think, 'Hmm, I can do that.' But you need an example, and that is why I am proud to say I have divorced three husbands.
against british fighting king medical mubarak pushed since
I've participated in many demonstrations since I was a child. When I was at medical college, I was fighting King Farouk, then British colonization, against Nasser, against Sadat who pushed me into prison, Mubarak who pushed me into exile. I never stopped.
achieved countries determines false freedom governed liberated military power system women
Women in most countries have not achieved much, because they can't be liberated under the patriarchal, capitalist, imperialist and military system that determines the way we live now, and which is governed by power, not justice, by false democracy, not real freedom.
believe education god home matter people personal telling totally
Education should be totally secular. I am not telling people not to believe in God, but it should be a personal matter which should be done at home.
increasing oppressed oppression power religious women
When you have increasing power of religious groups, oppression of women increases. Women are oppressed in all religions.
age european face hide life tells whenever wrinkle york
Whenever I go to New York or any European country, they say: 'Nawal, why don't you get a facelift?' I tell them, 'I am proud of my wrinkles. Every wrinkle on my face tells the story of my life. Why should I hide my age?'
justice revolution dignity
The slogan of the revolution was dignity, social justice, and freedom. You cannot have dignity or social justice or freedom without women.
religious strong islamic
The Salafists are trying to abort the revolution and make it religious, though the revolution started secular. There was not a single Islamic slogan. It was secular men and women, and in fact, they were unified. Now they want to divide the revolution, and religion is a very strong weapon.