The First Women's Society in the Arab World

The idea of literary societies is of recent date in our Arab lands; it goes back one hundred years — apart from the religious confraternities that preceded it by some years — most notably in Syria and Lebanon.

They appeared first in Beirut, drawn from the various communities, their guide learning and letters, their means research and study, their aim the enlightenment of thought, the spreading of the sciences and letters, and training in the methods of debate and the rules of meetings.

The first of them was "the Syrian" in 1847, followed by "the Oriental" in 1850, "the Literary" in 1851, "the Scientific" in 1868, "Shams al-Birr" in 1870, "Zahrat al-Adab" in 1873, "al-Funun" in 1874, and others of their kind.

Most of them did not last more than a few years; but our Shams al-Birr lasted forty-five years, until 1914, and it was my good fortune to be lit by its rays for thirteen years.

Before the formation of "the Scientific Circle" in 1881 and the founding of "the Oriental Scientific Academy" in 1882 — which lasted five years, and which we revived after a third of a century under the name "the Syrian Scientific Academy" in 1920, though it did not last a single year despite obtaining an official license; and before the government of Lebanon created "the Lebanese Scientific Academy" in 1928, whose pillars tottered after a few years, in 1932, and whose revival the government renounced in 1944 after having counted upon it; and before the multiplication of our learned and literary societies in the twentieth century — the ladies of Beirut formed the first of their societies in the second half of the nineteenth century, sixty-seven years ago.

They formed it first under the name of "the Christian Sisters," on Saturday, November 22, 1879, and its first session convened in the home of Fumiya Kassab, mother of Marie, founder of the Ahliah School in 1917. It was attended by the founding members Julia Hourani, Yaqut Sarruf, Mariam Makarios, Nafja Rayyis, Sarah Ibrahim, Jamila Yaziji, and Katie Yusuf, together with the lady of the house. Miss Rayyis delivered an address on "the condition of our country and its need of societies," and they deliberated on organizing the society and preparing its bylaws.

Its second meeting was on December 13 at the home of Mariam Makarios; there the bylaws were confirmed, and it was decided that no one should preside. The lady of the house undertook the recording of the minutes, Yaqut Sarruf the treasury, and Sarah Ibrahim the writing of correspondence, with Julia Hourani and Nafja Rayyis as assistants. At the third meeting an official board was confirmed, and Helaneh Baroudi and Saada Adib joined them, along with the two regular members Jamila Yaziji and Katie Yusuf.

At their fifth meeting, on January 24, 1880, they changed the society's name, fixing it as "Bakurat Suriyya," and accepted Miss Collette, Miss Sibley, and Katibeh Khoury Trad as honorary members. Farida Hobeiqa, Hafiza Abd al-Nur, and Rawa Mansi attended, desiring to join with them. And so, at their following meetings, did many of their companions and some of their mothers, until within ten years they numbered about one hundred.

"Al-Bakura" printed its bylaws in its fourth month and gave them to all the members, and reprinted them in its second spring, 1881, as its constitution, together with six addresses by its members, in a booklet of 32 pages. Its preamble: "The aim of the society is to raise the literary condition of the women of Syria and to refine their morals."

Among the rules of its constitution: the promotion of letters; moderation in all doings; resistance to extravagance and to every harmful custom, in knowledge and in practice, old and new; the keeping of good conduct; attentive listening and complete silence, with a ban on two speaking together at one time.

The society consists of a board, regular members, honorary members, and corresponding members. The board and the regular members must present addresses and discussions and attend the sessions; the honorary and corresponding members, whenever occasion permits them. All must visit the sick and the needy, or teach in the Sunday schools.

Its sessions open with the reading of a chapter from the Holy Scriptures and a prayer for God's blessing; then comes the reading of the members' names and the minutes of the previous session, and addresses or discussions are presented, of the speaker's own composition, without the least assistance save from books.

A member pays five piasters in advance for every three months, and one absent from a regular session without a compelling excuse is penalized the payment of one piaster. Of the monies gathered in dues and gifts, part is spent on aiding the needy of all communities, and part on the purchase of useful books and the printing of essays and booklets composed or translated by members of the society.

Its year begins on the first Saturday of November and ends on the last Saturday of June. It meets twice a month, and its meeting lasts an hour or more. Its annual recess is four months.

In this fashion, and under these rules, the society pursued its meetings for ten years, exceeding one hundred meetings. And hardly had a certain languor come over it before it returned once more to its struggle in it, down to the year 1893 — a span of fifteen years.

On March 12, 1881, "Bakurat Suriyya" resolved to elect a president for itself, annulling the decision of "the Christian Sisters" of December 13, 1879, that no one should preside. Hanna Atiq was elected president, and Sarah Khairallah succeeded her afterward.

When the formation of the society was complete, its echo reached London, and the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) presented it with edifying booklets, and repeated this for years. When it established its library, Dr. Cornelius Van Dyck, the American missionary, presented it with 25 books, and the like came from Ellen Jackson, Eliza Everett, Jirji Yanni, and Jabr Dumit, besides the rest of the members.

The two magazines al-Muqtataf and al-Jinan and the newspaper Lisan al-Hal asked it for its members' addresses, to publish them in their pages. Its members delivered at its meetings about one hundred addresses and forty discussions, of which I possess fifty addresses.

Those who gave the most addresses in it: Farida Hobeiqa, Hanna Atiq, Helaneh Baroudi, Hafiza Abd al-Nur, Sarah Khairallah, Yaqut Sarruf, Mariam Makarios, Nafja Rayyis, Mariam Antonius, Julia Hourani, Jamila Yaziji, Fumiya Gharzuzi, Ellen Bustani, Liza Thabit, Anastas Khoury, Esther Azhari.

It held a celebration on June 29, 1888, at which Sheikh Muhammad Abduh, "Mufti of Egypt," and Dr. Bishara Zalzal spoke. His address, "The Progress of the Homeland," is printed as a booklet.

Najib Antonius sent it an address on "The Etiquette of Refinement" in December 1884; Dr. Ibrahim Thabit attended the session of April 2, 1885; and Salim Sarkis wrote to it in June 1887, asking it to set down some thoughts on the manners of women, to include in a treatise he was composing on that subject.

"Al-Bakura" aided the St. George Hospital with two liras at its founding in 1883, took part in Dr. Van Dyck's jubilee in 1890, attempted to establish a branch of itself in Damascus in 1884, resolved upon a branch in Egypt in 1885, and adopted an emblem of its own.

Its meetings were held most often in the homes of Mariam Makarios and Sarah Khairallah and in the English school. Its members reached fifty active, thirty honorary, and twenty corresponding, from the various communities and countries. There joined it also, from among the American and English ladies, Miss Jackson, Miss Everett, Miss Thomson, and Miss Watson.

We lost "Bakurat Suriyya" half a century ago, and most of its members have followed it, the last of them Evdokia Saad four months ago. Our consolation is that its president, Sarah Khairallah, one of its founders, still reminds us of it — may God prolong her life.

Nor do I forget its remaining pillars: Esther Azhari Moyal, who has kept on writing in the press for fifty-six years.