Tahtawi Reformer of Egypt

Rifa'a al-Tahtawi was a prominent historian, man of letters, translator, and journalist. He was one of the most distinguished and outstanding literary figures of his time. He was characterized by a conscious thought, penetrative insight, and extraordinary ideas which were thought to preced his age. He was, and still is, seen as one of the banners of enlightenment in Egypt. In fact, he succeeded in tackling the most difficult economic issues, and expressing his worthy …

…Rifa'a was taught by Sheikh Hasan al-Attar, one of Al-Azhar's scholars. He then moved on to work in France, and while there, he wanted to liberate the women and emphasized that women should be equally educated, along with men. Tahtawi can be called the "reformer" of the women's movement, for it was him that taught all of the wonderful things about educating women and appreciating them for their minds and intellect, not for their bodies.