Taha Hussein

Taha Hussein's autobiography is titled ' Al-Ayam,' or, 'The Days.'

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Yomna Magdy

Photos = Wikipedia

Korea.net has launched a new collaborative project with its honorary reporters around the world. Each honorary reporter will write a story on the same topic, but from each of their own home cities. The stories will then be shared with our community of Korea.net readers.

For the first subject in the series, Korea.net asked our honorary reporters to send in a touching story from their home communities. Here's our 13th story on this subject, from Egypt.

Being asked to write a touching human story from my country for people who have overcome hardships and reached their goal, I couldn't help but to remember a lot of individuals who have reached their goals and inspired many generations. However, to me Taha Hussein's success has always been admired and I have idolized him for many years, as he has been an inspiration to me.

Taha Hussein was born in southern Egypt into a lower middle class family. At the age of 3, he had a simple eye infection, yet due to ill-treatment and ignorance he lost his eyes and became blind. Hussein's blindness caused him great suffering, for he was only 3-years-old and had not seen the world. Moreover, he was the seventh of 13 children, so he wasn't taken care of properly by his parents. He mentioned in his autobiography that his siblings always made fun of him because of the way he ate, and that this was due to the fact that he couldn't see. This caused him to, later, avoid eating with other people. Despite all the difficulties facing him, he craved knowledge and he kept memorizing what his elder brother was learning at Al-Azhar University. 

He succeeded in achieving his first dream, which was to be a student at Al-Azhar University. However, Hussein was not satisfied with Al-Azhar University's teaching method, for he believed it was way too traditional. Later, he attended the national university, which offered him new insight into the world, and he continued his studies there until he obtained a doctorate's degree. 

Having obtained his doctorate, it paved a great path for Hussein. The university sent Hussein on a scholarship to the Sorbonne in France. There, his intensive desire and his craving for knowledge pushed him to study French and he became a fluent French writer. Furthermore, he gained another doctorate and a post-graduate diploma from the Sorbonne.

However, the biggest bonus of all was his meeting of a French woman named Suzanne Bresseau who became his wife, mentor, assistant and mother to his children. Thus, Hussein's own will and eagerness to learn overcame his blindness and he confronted his disability. Moreover, his name and his achievements have been preserved until eternity.

Suzan Brusseau reads to Taha Hussein to improve his grasp of the French language.

Hussein is known as a leader of the Arab cultural renaissance. In the 1950s, he was appointed as minister of education and no one could deny that millions of Egyptians owe their literacy to Taha Hussein.

The life of Taha Hussein is a good example, for he was born into a disadvantaged situation, but was still successful in his life and became one of Egypt's most influential 20th century writers and intellectuals. Many people would have been discouraged if they were in Hussein's shows. However, Hussein proves that we can all overcome our surrounding conditions and overcome our hardships.

Taha Hussein (left) received the National Honors Prize in Literature from Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser.

wisdom117@korea.kr

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