User:LEADERR007/Labiba Hashim

Labiba Hashim (1882-1952) was a Lebanese author who founded and published Fatat al-Sharq (Girl of the East) magazine, one of the first women's magazines in the Arabic world, in Cairo, in 1906. In Fatat Al-Sharq, Hashim focused on values and morals that fix societies. She believed that morals and values are more important than knowledge as educated societies with no morals may lead to conflict. This thought process allowed her to become one of the most decorated female authors of all time. Moreover, she was an active feminist and part of the women's movement and girls' education. Today, many researchers are working to collect information about Hashim in order to preserve her heritage and make it memorable.

Childhood
Labiba Hashim, the daughter of Nassif Madi, was born in Kfarshima, Lebanon in 1882 AD.

Education and the beginning of her career
Her father sent her to a nun school  "Sisters of Love School and the English Missionary School" in Lebanon. She learned French and English in her teenage years. Then, Labiba Hashim studied at the American University of Beirut, also known as AUB. At 15 years old, Labiba Hashim and her family moved to Cairo, Egypt, where she made connections with famous authors in her region and met with them in her salon. She used to teach in the female department of the Egyptian university, in which she used to give lectures.

Labiba Hashim caught the attention of the linguistic author Ibrahim Al Yazigi who encouraged her to start her own magazine. He also taught her the basis of the Arabic language, its grammar and its literature.

She contributed to the publication of "Al Hilal", "Thurayya", "Al Bayan", and "Al Diya2".

Marriage and children

 * Abdo Hashem (unknown). He was an author.

Death and Afterward
Labiba Hashim passed away in 1952, leaving behind a great legacy in literature and journalism which had a big impact on society in her time. Labiba proved that women can work and be successful in their life, just like men if they have the opportunities, and she left behind Fatat al-sharq (Girl of the East) magazine that remained for several years concerned with the information and activities of women.

Career
In 1900, Hashim moved to Cairo, where she encountered the Warda al-Yaziji, a group of writers and thinkers. She learned much about Arabic literature from Ibrahim al-Yaziji, and in 1904 she published the novel Qalb al-rejul (A Man's Heart) a romantic tale featuring an Egyptian girl of Syrian heritage. She also translated several novels into Arabic such as the Arabic and French lectures for the Egyptian University. After Ibrahim encouraged her to publish her own magazine, Labiba established Fatat al-sharq (Girl of the East) magazine in 1906, which achieved glamorous success which made her known in the whole Arab World. After this success, she was invited by the Cairo University to become a lecturer while she kept working in the magazine, to be the first Arab woman in History to teach in universities. She set up an office in Cairo which employed a number of women freelancer journalists, editors, and typesetters. In 1919, after she become famous in Arab Mashriq, King Faisal and his government appointed her as the general inspector of women's schools in Damascus, to be the first women to be appointed to this position. After King Faisal left Syria after the Battle of Maysalun,she went back to Egypt and then she traveled to Chile in South America in 1921. In 1923, she established a magazine with a name of "East and West" in Santiago, and Hashim was successful in managing the new magazine, and while she was in South America she learned more about different cultures. Then, she returned to Egypt in the next year to work in her first magazine Fatat al-sharq for 24 years, and she was doing most of the work since she was the translator, author, distribution manager, editor-in-chief of the magazine. By achieving success, Labiba proved that women can manage their work just like men by working hard.

In her magazine, she included problems of society that made it cultural, but also part of literature. Hashim even went to casinos and created a campaign against gambling, because she believed it caused problems in the society, blaming the West. For that, in her magazine, she focused on the fact that a woman that has values helps society improve more than an educated woman. To do so, she took various examples of successful and famous women from the West and the East to prove her point. She explained the social conditions of Egypt and the reason of its decline, due to habits adopted form the East, such as gambling, as it was already stated.

She also authored the Kitab al-tarbiya (The Book of Education) that includes her lectures in Egypt, Beirut, Zahle, Bhamdoun, and Damascus, a compendium on her teachings and differences in education between genders, Jawame' al Kalem, in which she talked about wisdom, Kalb al Rajol (The Heart of a Man), and Mabahis Fil Akhlak.

Hashim also discussed and compared the way men talk about women's life, and how women themselves talk about their life. She believed women know about themselves more than a man, from their own experience and feelings. However, men hear and know about women, which is why the representation of women's life differs, depending on the point of view.

After Labiba Hashim became very famous, her teacher the great Ibrahim al-Yaziji said: "She is the student who surpassed her teacher."

Views on Women
= Personality = ""

Fatat Al-Sharq
Labiba Hashim wrote and published several works, but the one that made her stand out and gain recognition was Fatat Al Sharq published in 1906. The magazine addressed social, historical, moral, artistic, sports and educational topics publishing 28 volumes till 1939. It was at the same time scientific, literary, historical and fictional. Fatat Al Sharq was supervised by Michel Tahan, and was released for the first time on October 15th, 1906 on a monthly basis, except in August and September.

Causes of Publishing the Magazine
In the introduction to the first issue, Labiba stated the reason to the publishing of the magazine. She published it because she highly valued the importance of the press in any society. The press in her opinion has the power to transform societies and changes individual's minds. However, at Hashim's time, most magazines and newspapers were published by men, which triggered her, as she believed that men do not know or understand the experiences women go through. Which pushed her to publish her own magazine that is primarily centered to serve the women of her society. Her magazine's goal was to elevate women's awareness and knowledge whether it was in literature or basic life lessons for housework.

Contents of the magazine

 * An introduction in which she specifies the purposes of publishing the magazine. On pages one to three.
 * An article under the name of "Men of the East and Economics", رجال الشرق والإقتصاد. Labiba says that economics is an important subject that needs to be taught to children. On pages three to six.
 * "A child's smile" إبتسامة طفل, about how a child's smile can give reassurance and make people forget about their problems. On pages six, seven and eight.
 * "The Egyptian University," written by Zeinab Fawaz, in which she stands against ignorance, illiteracy and talks about the importance of education. On pages nine and ten.
 * "The duties of a wife towards her man" واجبات الزوجة نحو رجلها, that includes tips any woman could need to become a good wife.
 * "Antagonists names" أسماء الانصارية, in which she intends to talk about Yazid's daughter ; one of the important Arab women that tells about women's duties, on pages sixteen and seventeen.

Magazine's Topics
In Fatat Al-Sharq, Labiba Hashim tackled a wide variety of topics using simple and direct language in order to target a wide audience. Her magazine included scientific, historical, and social topics. Not only that, the magazine even included translated stories, art, and sports. The aim of the article was to educate women in different fields. However, Labiba occasionally did minor modifications to some of the titles and sections. And in the ninth issue of the twenty-second year, Hashim affirmed that she added new pages and new sections that push her to work more.

From the magazine's topics:


 * "Famous Women": a section that listed famous eastern and western women who contributed to society through art or literature. From the women mentioned in the article were: Aisha Taymur, Fatima Aliya, Hind Nawfal, and more...
 * Articles by herself, Labiba Hashim, and other famous women authors at that time. The articles' purpose was to advise, direct, and mentor women in many aspects of their lives.
 * Recent scientific research in agriculture, business, and industry...
 * Several extracts from poetry and music.
 * A section entitled "jokes" فكاهات, that appears on the last pages of the magazine. It contains funny anecdotes and humorous tales for readers. The aim of writing this section is to raise awareness and educate people. In this section Labiba published he story of "Shirine".

Magazine's Recognition
Many people, specifically famous authors and historians, highly valued Labiba Hashim's magazine Fatat Al-Sharq and its mission to support and give women their right to be heard. One of famous authors mentioned: "Fatat Al-Sharq is the first real magazine for women in the east."

Conditions of Publishing the Magazine
The magazine passed through hard circumstances as Hashim was not able sometimes to find constant financial income. This forced her to have a shortage in supply and to print her magazine for members only. Not only that, the publication of the magazine ceased during World War 1, as Labiba was not able to keep following up with it as she was in Chile. Therefore, Labiba entrusted her magazine with Asaad Dagher one of her close relatives. Afterwards, she returned to Egypt and re-administered the magazine.