Her Majesty the Queen Mother of Iraq

Lebanon, government and people, received His Hashemite Majesty Faisal II, accompanied by Her Majesty the Queen Mother, Queen Aliya. This reception was a splendid national festival in which Lebanon's love and reverence for the noble Hashemite house shone forth.

The Woman's Voice had the honor of accompanying the royal party throughout its stay in Lebanon. The editorial board delegated the writer Miss Salwa al-Husri to interview His Majesty King Faisal II and Her Majesty Queen Aliya, and she obtained from them what we have the honor of publishing on these pages with pride.

I have had the honor of knowing Her Majesty the Queen Mother since my childhood, and how greatly I have admired and revered her! She is of majestic presence, elegant in dress, keen of mind; she has mastered Arabic, English, and Turkish, and is exceedingly fond of reading. She is, moreover, Arab in feeling, devoting her life to raising His Majesty her son in a manner that will fulfill the Arabs' hope in him.

Her Majesty the Queen looks upon the Arab women's movement with a practical sympathy: she takes part in it herself and participates actively in the work of the Iraqi Red Crescent. When I told her that I was speaking to her in the name of The Woman's Voice, published by the Lebanese Women's League, she was greatly pleased and showed me her great admiration for this magazine, wishing that Iraqi women might read it for the benefit it holds for them. Iraq, in Her Majesty's view, needs a fine magazine such as this, to raise the banner of women's letters, to be a free forum upon which the views of Arab women in their various lands may meet, and to carry the news of the women's movements in Arab societies.

Then Her Majesty said to me: "I greatly admire the Lebanese woman. She is energetic, persevering in contributing her share of the duty of raising society to its proper level. I congratulate her and encourage her with all my heart, and I wish her every success in being a model mother with an effective influence in the march toward the true, free life. And how I favor the growth of friendly relations between the Lebanese Arab Women's Federation and the Iraqi women's associations! I extend a special invitation to the members of this Federation to visit Iraq, for such a visit would strengthen the bonds of friendship between the Lebanese woman and the Iraqi woman."

At this point His Majesty the King came in to us, and she suggested that he speak with me; so I thanked Her Majesty and sat before the first young man of the Arabs, delighting in his sweet conversation.