Egyptian president’s wife rejects ‘first lady’ title
The wife of Egyptian president-elect Mohammed Mursi, Naglaa Mahmoud, has said she prefers to be called “Um Ahmed” (mother of Ahmed, her eldest son). (File photo)
Naglaa Mahmoud, wife of Egypt’s newly elected President Mohammed Mursi does not want to be called “first lady” like her predecessors and prefers instead to be referred to as the servant of Egypt.
“Islam does not distinguish between one woman and
another. We are all Egyptians and we have to unite for our nation,”
she told the Muslim Brotherhood’s official website Ikhwan Online.
Nariman, wife of late Egyptian king Farouk
Mahmoud said she prefers to be called “Um Ahmed” (mother of
Ahmed) in reference to her oldest son or the “hajja,” the
designation of women who have completed the Muslim pilgrimage in
Mecca.
“And if I need to have a title now then let be
‘Egypt’s first servant.’”
Mahmoud’s veil has been
the subject of intense debate in Egypt as she will be the first lady
in modern times to wear a veil.
Tahia Kazem and her husband late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser
Starting from Queen Nariman, wife of late Egyptian King Farouk,
who was ousted by the 1952 Revolution, and ending with Suzanne
Thabet, wife of Hosni Mubarak, the first lady’s outfit ever had any
religious connotation and was of the type referred to as “western”
or “secular.”
Queen Nariman was known for her elegance and
being up to date in the latest trends in fashion.
Jihan Sadat
Tahia Kazem, wife of late Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser,
was subtle in her elegance generally maintained a low profile and had
no role in politics. It was only after Nasser passed away that she
broke her silence and published her memoirs about her life with him.
Jihan Raouf, wife of late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, was
not only distinguishable by her modern outfits, but also because was
the first wife of an Egyptian ruler to engage in public life. She was
involved in several charity projects and was especially interested in
the empowerment of Egyptian women.
Suzanne Mubarak
Suzanne Thabet, wife of former president Mubarak, stood on equal
footing with first ladies around the world as far as elegance and
trendiness are concerned. Like Jihan, she was also involved in public
life but on a larger scale. In addition to her work for women and
children, she also made several initiatives related to eliminating
illiteracy and encouraging reading.
As for the new first
lady, it is hard to predict what her role, if any, will be. Since
little is known about her, no one can tell whether she will take part
in community work, accompany her husband on some of his international
trips, or just stay away from the limelight.
(Translated
from Arabic by Sonia Farid)
Source: Al-Arabiya
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