The daughter of a martyr and the wife of one of the leaders of the Iraqi revolt against the British, the pioneer of womanly activity, who left us a legacy of intellect and activism that would lighten the way for that in Syria, the Syrian novelist and writer; Thuraya Al-Hafez.
She was born in Damascus in 1911 to a struggler family against French colonization, and she is the daughter of the struggler Amin Lutfi Al-Hafez, one of the May 6th martyrs executed in 1916. [1]
She studied in Damascus and led, together with her female friends, the demonstrations against the French to pressure them in order to release all prisoners, including her husband, Munir al-Rayyes. [2]
She worked as a teacher in Damascus schools, then as a director of several schools, after which she retired. [3]
Also read: Success Story- Laila Deeb.
She participated in the first women’s protest against the French Mandate, and worked to combat illiteracy, especially among Arab women, employ manpower, and care for orphans. She established the first public women’s association and contributed to others; ‘Graduates of Women Houses of Teachers’, which took over its secretariat, ‘An Association for Milk Drop’ and ‘Syrian Arts Association’, and she was a member of ‘The Arab Club’, ‘The National Arab Women Association’, ‘The Teachers Syndicate’, and ‘The National Union’ during the United Arab Republic. [3]
In the light of her constant struggle, it was necessary to have someone to encourage her to continue, and this role was played by her husband, who was her advocate and supporter in all situations.
She participated with her husband in founding the daily paper “Barada” and began writing a weekly article demanding women’s social and political rights, and in the same year 1945, she participated in the establishment of “The House of Orphan Association” aimed to help the girls of the martyrs in the French Aggression on the Syrian Parliament. [1] [2]
She continued her struggle for the right of Syrian women in elections, she was the first woman to nominate herself for the parliamentary elections in 1953 and was also the first Syrian woman to take up arms against the French colonization.
She was very influenced by the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, Sukayna, who presided over the first literary salon in Muslim history, which prompted her to establish “Sakina Literary Forum” in her house in Damascus, which was inaugurated at the headquarters of the Arab Club in 1953, it contributed to the dissemination of art and literature and, addressed national and patriotic issues, and raised the level of social life. [2]
The following ladies were among the forum’s members: Zahida Hamid Pasha, Mrzia al-Quwatli, Mawiya Sheikh Fadli, Olfat Omar Pasha al-Idlbi, Amal Jazairi, Aziza Haroun, and Enaya Ramzi, who was the forum’s secretary. [3]
Thuraya has left two written books ‘That Happened One Day’ in 1961, in which she talked about her struggle and her life in general, The second book was: ‘Alhafiziyat’ in 1980, in which she talked about a complete history of a biography full of struggle, sincerity, and the beliefs that she espoused at that time, she presented it to the Female Mujahid for the sake of Palestine Liberation. [2]
That struggle ended in 2000, when Thuraya left us with her body, leaving behind her forums, books, and name to be immortalized throughout history.
♀️ Uplifting Syrian Women Initiative aims at sustainable peace building in Syria through targeting women and providing them with free online courses, workshops, discussion sessions, and trainings, with a view to achieving the goals of Gender Equality, Quality Education and Decent Work, and Economic Growth, which all fall into the interest of society as a whole and serve the purpose of rebuilding it.
References:
[1] Dampedia
[2] Raseef22