Safinaz Kazem, also written Safynaz Kazem (

Egyptian Arabic Egyptian Arabic, locally known as Colloquial Egyptian ( ar, العامية المصرية, ), or simply Masri (also Masry) (), is the most widely spoken vernacular Arabic dialect in Egypt. It is part of the Afro-Asiatic language family, and o ...

: صفيناز كاظم, born 17 August 1937 in

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

), is an Egyptian author and literary critic. After obtaining her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Cairo University in 1959, she wrote many articles. Safinaz Kazem began her training as a journalist at ''

Akhbar El Yom ''Akhbar el-Yom'' ( ar, أخبار اليوم, ) is an Arabic language weekly newspaper published in Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Afr ...

'' newspaper in November 1955, while still a student at the Faculty of Arts, Cairo University. Later she worked at the magazines ''

Akher Saa ''Akher Saa'' (Arabic: آخر ساعة; ''the Last Hour'') is an Arabic-language weekly consumer magazine published in Egypt. The magazine is also described as a photo magazine. Launched in 1924 it is among the oldest publications in the country. ...

'' and ''Al-Geel Al-Gadeed'', then she moved to Al-Helal Publishing House as a writer and theatrical critic for the magazines '' Al-Musawar'', ''Al-Helal'', and ''Al-Kawakeb''. Currently, she contributes to the Egyptian ''

Almasry Alyoum ''Al-Masry Al-Youm'' ( ar, المصري اليوم ', , meaning ''The Egyptian Today'') is an Egyptian privately owned Daily paper, daily newspaper that was first published in June 2004. It is published in Modern Standard Arabic, Arabic as is it ...

''. and the Saudi '' Asharq Al-Awsat'' daily newspapers. On 24 August 1972, Safinaz Kazem married the renowned

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

ian

vernacular A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

Ahmed Fouad Negm Ahmed Fouad Negm ( ar, أحمد فؤاد نجم, ; 22 May 1929 – 3 December 2013), popularly known as el-Fagommi الفاجومي (), was an Egyptian vernacular poet. Negm is well known for his work with Egyptian composer Sheikh Imam, as well a ...

and their only daughter, Nawara, was born in October 1973, during the

October War The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab state ...

. Kazem and Negm divorced in July 1976.

Her experience in Iraq

After suffering harassment by the

Sadat Sadat ( ar, سادات) is a suffix, which is given to families believed to be descendants of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. In Iran, after the revolution, it is mandatory to mention "Seyed" or "Sadat" in the names of or whose descent from Muham ...

regime, which she used to criticise, Safinaz Kazem went to

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

and joined the staff of the

Al-Mustansiriya University Mustansiriyah University (Arabic: الجامعة المستنصرية) is a university in Baghdad, Iraq. History The original Mustansiriya Madrasah was established in 1227 (or 1232/34 A.D. by some accounts) by the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mustansir ...

Faculty of Arts in

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...

as a

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

lecturer (1975–1980).Safinaz Kazem writes about her experience in Iraq (Arabic)
16 June 2003 She later documented her experiences under the Saddam regime and its 'atrocities' against the

i people in a controversial book that she published in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

under the title of ''The Bagdad Diary'' (Arabic: يوميات بغداد) in 1982.

Her writings

* ''Romantikeyyat'' ('Romantics'; Arabic: رومانتيكيات), Al-Helal Publishing House, 1970. * ''Yawmeyyat Bagdad'' ('The Bagdad Diary'; Arabic: يوميات بغداد). * ''Talabeeb Al-Ketaba'' (Arabic: تلابيب الكتابة). * ''Al-Khade'aa An-Nassereyya'' ('The

Nasserist Nasserism ( ) is an Arab nationalist and Arab socialist political ideology based on the thinking of Gamal Abdel Nasser, one of the two principal leaders of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, and Egypt's second President. Spanning the domestic a ...

Trick'; Arabic: الخديعة الناصرية). * ''Fi Mas'alat As-Sofour wal-Hijab'' ('On Sofour and Hijab; Arabic: في مسألة السفور والحجاب). * ''Ro'aa wa Zaat'' (Arabic: رؤى وذات). * ''Al-Hakika wa Ghaseel Al-Mokh'' ('Facts and Brainwashing'; Arabic: الحقيقة وغسيل المخ). * ''Men Malaff Masrah As-Setteeneyyat'' (Arabic: من ملف مسرح الستينيات). * ''Masrah Al-Masraheyyeen'' (Arabic: مسرح المسرحيين). * ''Men Daftar Al-Molahazaat'' (Arabic: من دفتر الملاحظات). * ''An Al-Hobb wal-Horreyya'' ('On Love and Liberty; Arabic: عن الحب والحرية). * ''Taxi El-Kalam'' (Arabic: تاكسي الكلام). * ''San'et Latafa'' (Arabic: صنعة لطافة). * ''Soorat Saddam'' (Arabic: صورة صدام). * ''Resaleyyat fi Al-Bayt An-Nabawy'' (Arabic: رساليات في البيت النبوي).

References

1937 births Living people Egyptian journalists Egyptian writers Egyptian Muslims People from Alexandria Cairo University alumni Al-Mustansiriya University faculty {{africa-journalist-stub