Dr. Nawal Saadawi is a Egyptian writer and psychiatrist who has been
Egypt’s most outspoken feminist. She delves into
taboo subjects such as
women's sexuality.
Her writings on women's issues have led to her being thrown in jail, stripped of her job, even forced to flee the country for a time because of her controversial views. In 1972 she lost her job in the Egyptian government and the magazine
Health that she edited was shut down. President
Anwar Sadat had her thrown in jail in 1981 where she remained until after his death.
On June 15, 1991, the Egyptian government issued a decree which closed down the Arab Women's Solidarity Association an organization that she helped found and over which she presided and hand over its funds to another organazation, Women in Islam.
Now the latest move by her critics are trying to take away her husband. Using an obscure and rarely applied Islamic principle called hisba, a lawyer, Nabih Wahsh, has filed suit against Nawal Saadawi seeking to have her forcibly divorced from her husband of 37 years Dr. Sherif Hetata on the basis of statements she made that the attorney says are insulting to Islam. This is only the second time hisba has been applied in modern Egypt, and in both cases it has been used by fundamentalists against academics whose views they disagree with. Judge Hussein Wakeel of Cairo's Personal Status Court agreed to consider the matter even though the general prosecutor had told Wahsh that there was no evidence in the case. A final decision is scheduled for July 9, 2001.
Works by Nawal Saadawi:
Check out this website for Dr. Nawal Saadawi and her husband for more information:
http://www.geocities.com/nawalsaadawi/index.html