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Quote by Nawal El Saadawi

“Words should not seek to please, to hide the wounds in our bodies, or the shameful moments in our lives. They may hurt, give us pain, but they can also provoke us to question what we have accepted for thousands of years.”

Quote by Nawal El Saadawi

Author

Nawal El Saadawi

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. more

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“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

“Many people come here and they think my apartment is a poor relative to my name. But you cannot be radical and have money, it’s impossible.”

People Thinking Names Poor Impossible Radical Relative Apartment

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“Home to me is the world because my books have been translated into more than 30 languages. People feel they know me and the minute they talk about my life or books I feel at home. Home is where you are appreciated, safe and protected, creative, and where you are loved – not where you are put in prison.”

People Knows World Feels Has Beens Book Home Language Creative Minutes Safe Prison Where You Are Protected Know Me Appreciated Home Home

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“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.”

“Doubt is the first step towards knowledge, not faith.”

Firsts Steps Doubt First Steps

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“Danger has been a part of my life ever since I picked up a pen and wrote. Nothing is more perilous than truth in a world that lies.”

World Has Beens Lying Danger Pens

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“When we live in a world that is very unjust, you have to be a dissident.”

World Humanitarian Unjust Dissidents

Author:Nawal El Saadawi

“Why would anyone even bring up the issue (of the statues) in a country where there are more than 10 state-owned institutions that teach sculpting and more than 20 others that teach the history of art?”

Art Country States Teach Issues Institutions Statues Sculpting

Author:Gamal El-Ghitani

“I entered the water as naked as when my mother bore me. When I first touched the cold water I felt a shudder go through me, then the shudder was transformed into a sensation of wakefulness.”

Firsts Mother Felt Water Cold Naked Touched Sensations Transformed Bores Cold Water

Author:Tayeb Salih

“Modern Arabic literature achieved international recognition when Mahfouz was awarded the Nobel prize in 1988 (.....) Mahfouz also rendered Arabic literature a great service by developing, over the years, a form of language in which many of the archaisms and cliches that had become fashionable were discarded, a language that could serve as an adequate instrument for the writing of fiction in these times.”

Writing Years Form Literature Language Fiction Modern Instruments International Recognition Developing Prize Adequate Cliche Fashionable Nobel Nobel Prize Discarded Great Service

Author:Denys Johnson-Davies