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Nawal El Saadawi

Nawal El Saadawi Quotes

Writer

Nawal El Saadawi is an Egyptian writer, physician, and feminist. Her works widely address themes such as women's status, gender equality, and social justice. Born on October 27, 1931, her works have had a profound impact in the Arab world and globally.

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Famous Nawal El Saadawi Quotes

“We here in Egypt are fed up with U.S. colonialism.”

Feds Colonialism Egypt Fed Up

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“I've lived in Egypt among Christians and Muslims, and we never had a conflict. Now you have a conflict between Christians and Muslims and Baha'is and Sunni and Shia.”

Christian Conflict Egypt Shia Baha

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“Women are suffering because they are being excluded. The high military council excluded women from the committee to change the constitution [of Egypt]. We cannot be liberated as women in a society built on class oppression or gender oppression or religious oppression.”

Suffering Religious Class Military Built Constitution Gender Oppression Committees Egypt Council Liberated Excluded

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“When I am in Egypt, I am phoned because I am listed in the medical directory under "Mental Health and Psychiatry." And of course, I see very few people, because I give much more time to writing. So I cannot say that I really stopped medicine, but I practice medicine - or psychiatry - in a very different way. In an artistic way!”

People Way Giving Writing Different Courses Practice Medicine Mental Health Medical Artistic Different Ways More Time Egypt Psychiatry

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“First of all, I hated the medical profession. Medical education in Egypt was taken from the British, French, colonial educational system. And it's very, very lacking - there is no sexology. I never read the word clitoris in any medical book when I was educated.”

Firsts Book Taken Educational British Profession Medical Educated Hated Lacking Egypt Educational System Medical Profession Medical Education

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“The medical profession [in Egypt] is also very commercial. Health is not given to the poor. You know, if you have money, you have medical care; if you do not, then you are in trouble. I was not ready at all to build my economic security on the diseases of people, on suffering, especially of women and children. So, in a way, I rebelled against it.”

People Ifs Knows Way Children Care Suffering Given Poor Trouble Economic Security Ready Disease Profession Medical Egypt Not Ready Medical Profession Medical Care Economic Security

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“There is not a revolution that succe Saudi Arabia paid $7 billion for the Salafists to come, and the United States and Israel are pouring a lot of money into Egypt. Why? To divide the country by religion.”

Country States United United States Revolution Paid Israel Billions Divides Lots Of Money Egypt Pouring Arabia Saudi Arabia Saudis Succes

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“I've lived here [in Egypt] among Christians and Muslims, and we never had a conflict. Now you have a conflict between Christians and Muslims and Baha'is and Sunni and Shia. The Salafists are trying to abort the revolution and make it religious, though the revolution started secular.”

Trying Christian Religious Revolution Conflict Secular Egypt Shia Baha

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“There was not a single Islamic slogan [in Egypt]. 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.”

Men Want Facts Strong Revolution Weapons Men And Women Islamic Divides Very Strong Secular Egypt Slogans Unified

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“The family code in Egypt is one of the worst family codes in the Arab world. Polygamy. The husband is having absolute power over the family.”

World Worst Husband Absolutes Code Egypt Polygamy Absolute Power Arab World

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“Here the oppression of women is very subtle. If we take female circumcision, the excision of the clitoris, it is done physically in Egypt. But here it is done psychologically and by education. So even if women have the clitoris, the clitoris was banned; it was removed by Freudian theory and by the mainstream culture.”

Ifs Done Culture Theory Female Oppression Subtle Mainstream Egypt Banned Circumcision Mainstream Culture

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

About the Author

Born: October 27, 1931
Known for: Writer
Quotes: 108

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Books & Sources

Woman at Point ZeroRelated source material

Woman at Point Zero: Second EditionRelated source material

موت معالي الوزير سابقاًRelated source material

The Hidden Face of Eve: Women in the Arab World, Second EditionRelated source material

The Nawal El Saadawi ReaderRelated source material

In CameraRelated source material

Walking through Fire: The Later Years of Nawal El SaadawiRelated source material

A Daughter of Isis: The Early Life of Nawal El SaadawiRelated source material

The Hidden Face of Eve: Women in the Arab WorldRelated source material

Two Women in OneRelated source material

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