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Layyah Faris Anton Alkazin Barakat (circa 1858— December 4, 1940) was a Lebanese-born Christian missionary, writer, temperance activist, and prison reformer, based after 1882 in
''A Thrilling Experience of Rev. M.E. Barakat, B.A.: The First and as Yet the Only Minister Preaching in this Country from Damascus''
(Swedish Publishing Company 1896): 23.
In the United States Layyah Barakat took an interest in reform work, especially prison reform and temperance. She served on committees of the Pennsylvania Prison Society, touring and inspecting prisons with other concerned men and women. She was a delegate to the fourth world conference of the
"Mrs. Elias Barakat"
''New York Times'' (December 6, 1940): 25.
A photograph of Layyah Alkazin Barakat as a younger woman
in the Wylie House image collection, Indiana University Libraries, Bloomington.
A photograph of Layyah Alkazin Barakat later in life
in the Faris and Yamna Naff Arab American Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. 1857 births 1940 deaths Presbyterian missionaries in the United States Lebanese Christian missionaries Lebanese emigrants to the United States Female Christian missionaries People from Aley District Activists from Philadelphia Woman's Christian Temperance Union people {{authority control
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. She was the first Lebanese American woman to write and publish her autobiography, when ''A Message from Mount Lebanon'' was published in 1912.
Early life
Layyah Faris Anton Alkazin was born inAbeih
Aabey, also spelled Abey ( ar, عبيه), is a village located in Mount Lebanon, in Aley District of Mount Lebanon Governorate. It is located from Beirut and has an altitude of 800 m (2,600 feet). It is bordered by Kfarmatta (South), Al ...
in the Double Qaim-Maqamate of Mount Lebanon
The Double Qaim-Maqamate of Mount Lebanon (1843–1861, , or simply, ; ''Al-Qāʾim maqāmiyyatayn,'' ) was one of the Ottoman Empire's subdivisions following the abolishment of the Mount Lebanon Emirate. After 1843, there existed an autonomous Mo ...
. Her father died in the 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war
The 1860 civil conflict in Mount Lebanon and Damascus (also called the 1860 Syrian Civil War) was a civil conflict in Mount Lebanon during Ottoman rule in 1860–1861 fought mainly between the local Druze and Christians. Following decisive Druze ...
. She was educated by German missionaries, and at an American girls' school in Beirut.
Career
In Beirut andCairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
, Layya Alkazin Barakat worked with Presbyterian missionaries as a teacher. She escaped the ‘Urabi revolt in 1882 and immigrated to the United States that year, with her daughter, her husband, his brother, and other family members.Muhanna Eisa Barakat''A Thrilling Experience of Rev. M.E. Barakat, B.A.: The First and as Yet the Only Minister Preaching in this Country from Damascus''
(Swedish Publishing Company 1896): 23.
In the United States Layyah Barakat took an interest in reform work, especially prison reform and temperance. She served on committees of the Pennsylvania Prison Society, touring and inspecting prisons with other concerned men and women. She was a delegate to the fourth world conference of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union
The Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) is an international temperance organization, originating among women in the United States Prohibition movement. It was among the first organizations of women devoted to social reform with a program th ...
in Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
in 1897. She was "a delightful public speaker... much in demand" for women's church groups, where she was admired for her "sweet face and simple story", but also for her "fervent eloquence".
Layyah Barakat's autobiography, ''A Message from Mount Lebanon'' (1912), is believed to be the first autobiography by an Arab-American woman to be published. In 1919 she carried donated food and clothing to Syria. In 1922, a small orphanage for girls in Abeih
Aabey, also spelled Abey ( ar, عبيه), is a village located in Mount Lebanon, in Aley District of Mount Lebanon Governorate. It is located from Beirut and has an altitude of 800 m (2,600 feet). It is bordered by Kfarmatta (South), Al ...
was opened by Protestant missionaries and named after Layyah Barakat, in recognition of her fundraising work. She traveled back to her hometown to attend the opening.
Personal life
Layyah Alkazin married Elias Barakat, a fellow Christian missionary in Egypt; they had three children. Her brother-in-law was Muhanna Eisa Barakat, an ordained Presbyterian minister and lecturer. She was widowed when Elias Barakat died in 1909. Layyah Barakat died in 1940, aged 81 years.''New York Times'' (December 6, 1940): 25.
References
External links
A photograph of Layyah Alkazin Barakat as a younger woman
in the Wylie House image collection, Indiana University Libraries, Bloomington.
A photograph of Layyah Alkazin Barakat later in life
in the Faris and Yamna Naff Arab American Collection, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. 1857 births 1940 deaths Presbyterian missionaries in the United States Lebanese Christian missionaries Lebanese emigrants to the United States Female Christian missionaries People from Aley District Activists from Philadelphia Woman's Christian Temperance Union people {{authority control