A month or so ago my hands caught those couple of novels that my mother was reading. They are Arabic Novels written with the famous Arabic writer Nawal El Saadawi.

Back then, I didnt realize the importance of this woman, but her writings grapped my attention with her liberal thinking and strong stand for women cause.

She is a novelist, a psychiatrist and a writer who is well known both in the Arab countries and in many other parts of the world. She fought hard against the ignorance of the Arabic society in Eygept and helped many many woman. She never feared of telling the truth, she even ended in jail at the Sadaat erra because she criticised his governemnt along with a lot of other political jornalists. They only
been released when he was shoot to death!

For 2 days, yesterday and before yesterday, Hala Sarhan hosted this amazing woman in her show on Rotana Cinema. Seeing her talking, defending her thoughts, and showing her intellectuality along with her writings made this woman like a role model to me. I came to admire her much.

She has been teaching the subject “Insurgence and Creativity” in college for many years. She says that creativity only comes by disobeying current systems, that is why we have lack of creativity and inventions in the Arab world because we are raised on fear of disobeying our parents and therefore our teacher, boss at work, and
political leaders!

What caught my attention, and I place it in the title is Circumcision. I have known for long the harm of circumcism to women, and read much about women activites in Eygept to stop this practice. Dr. Nawal has fought for this for 35 years till she succeeded in changing the rules in Eygept to protect those young women. BUT what
I found surprising is her stand on men circumcision (forgive me, I m not sure about the noun, verb, adj of the circumcise word).

She is against circumcision of men the same as for women. She said that science proved that it can be harmful and risky for men as well and doesnt recommend performing such operations. I have thought for years that it is better to be circumcised as a man! It came as surprise for me to know otherwise.

Nawal El Saadawi site URL: http://www.nawalsaadawi.net/

For more info about Circumcision: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumcise