Aisha_Taymur
Aisha Taymur
Egyptian social activist
Aisha E'ismat Taymur (Arabic: عائشة عصمت تيمور or 'A'isha al-Taymuriyya عائشة التيمورية; 1840–1902) was an Egyptian social activist,[1] poet, novelist, and feminist[1] in the Ottoman era. She was active in the early 19th century in the field of women's rights. Her writings came out in a period of time where women in Egypt were realizing that they were being deprived of some of the rights that Islam granted them. Taymur was one of the earliest Arab women to be alive while her poetry and other writings were recognized and published in modern times.[2]
In the assessment of Mervat Fayez Hatem,
Taymur used her work of fiction, social commentary and poetry to expand the definition of the nation-building process to include different social classes, ethnic groups and women of different generations and nationalisties. In this sincere effort, she was able to transform her very narrow social class rootes putting them into the service of the larger community. As such, she deserved, not just her poetry, the title of the "Finest of Her Class", which was one translation of the title of her poetry, Hilyat al-Tiraz.[3]