Who was she?

Alifa Rifaat was an Egyptian Muslim woman, born in Cairo, Egypt to a fairly well off and literate family. During the time period of her life, Egypt was a ruled by a king named Farouk – during his rule an early feminist party was formed. However in 1952 the army sized power, deposing the king, and all political parties were banned.

Her education took place in Egypt’s Domestic Arts school, then the British Institute in Cairo. Later, Alifa wanted to further the education but her father married her off instead to a distant cousin who was a police officer. If you want to know more click here.

 

 

What she did?

She was a writer, some of her books are:

-Eve Returns to Adam (1975)

-Who Can Man Be? (1981)

 

-The Prayer of Love (1983)

-Distant View of a Minaret and

Other Stories (1983)

-On a Long Winter’s Night (1980)

-The Pharaoh’s Jewel (1991)

-A House in the Land of the Dead (Unfinished)

As a writer, Alifa Rifaat focused on short stories about the daily lives of Egyptian women, and the conflict between their religion and the modern world. On her own, she tried to elevate the role of women in society-which many Muslim women try to do today- but stay with the frameworks of the Koran. Her main focus was on Islamic women’s education and freedom to marry on they own.  To read more about her stories click here.

 

 

How was she oppressed?

Alifa Rifaat wanted a higher education, but was denied by her father because of their religion, and had an arranged marriage instead. Later, when she wrote, both her farther and her husband held her back, not letting her publish or express her self.

 

How did she resistance?

Alifa fought her oppression through her writings. Despite the fact that she never received any further education, Alifa continued to write. In her stories she wrote about the loneliness of the purdah- a screen where Muslim women are secluded in the home when people come over- women’s isolation and the relationships between men and women.  Some of her books were not sold in Egypt because they contained such controversial thoughts and view of women and where they should stand in society.  As well, the fact that she talked about women’s marriage rights and the fact that they should have a say in it.   In a very open way, she wrote about women’s sexuality in marriage, and it was not well received by the authorities.

 

What did her resistance do?

Alifa inspired women in her similar position to begin to stand up for some of the rights and privileges they had been denied before then. Her books also educated other women, not from her similar position, to understand what some other women had gone thought. Also, because so many women like Alifa are limited in their experiences of the world, it can damage them in many ways – like taking care of their children and their health, as well as their minds. Even in current times, Egyptian women are fighting to maintain the rights they have gotten during the transition to a new government.  To learn more click here.

My sourses were;

[1] www.arabwomenwriters.com

[1] www.al-hakawati.net/english/Arabpers/alifa-rifaat.asp

[1] www.awsa.net/literature/alifarifaat.html