Qasim Amin (1863–1908)
Born 1863 CE, died 1908 CE.
Qasim Amin (pronounced [ˈʔæːsem ʔæˈmiːn], Egyptian Arabic: قاسم أمين; 1 December 1863 – 12 April 1908) was an Egyptian jurist, Islamic Modernist and one of the founders of the Egyptian national movement, as well as a co-founder of Cairo University. Qasim Amin was one of the Arab world's "first feminists" though his "feminism" has been the subject of scholarly controversy. His advocacy of greater rights for women catalyzed debate over women's issues in the Arab world. He criticized veiling, seclusion, early marriage, and lack of education of Muslim women. Greatly influenced by the works of Darwin, Amin argued for the modernization of Egypt along European lines. He was also influenced by the works of Herbert Spencer and John Stuart Mill who argued for equality of the sexes. Amin believed that heightening women's status in society must greatly improve the nation. Amin blamed traditional Moslems for Egyptian women's oppression, saying that the Quran does not teach this subjugation but rather supports women's rights. His beliefs were often supported by Quranic verses.
Text from the Wikipedia article Qasim_Amin, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.