Woman Who Fell From the Sky - Jennifer Steil [50]
One day, having noticed Zuhra’s decline, one of her maternal uncles persuaded her other uncles to work together to convince Aziz to let Zuhra go to school. One of these uncles had consulted a religious scholar who had said that it was forbidden to stop her from an education if she wanted one.
At first, Aziz refused. He didn’t want to admit he was wrong. By that time, Zuhra’s health was in danger. She had lost weight, was often faint, and had developed eye problems and allergies. Her family was afraid for her.
Fear at last prompted Aziz to relent. “He said that it seemed like I was going to die, and he didn’t want anything to happen to me.”
Zuhra still wanted to study medicine, but her brother said that was out of the question. If she insisted on going to college, she would go to the College of Education, which was a more suitable place for girls.
Hardly daring to believe she had been reprieved, Zuhra began classes, majoring in English. But still she struggled, feeling that she was being forced to study at a place she did not freely choose. The only thing she chose was English. “I chose this field because I knew that the English language would empower me,” she says. “Most of my diaries are in English, because I can speak freely. And through English I was exposed to another culture that I was curious to know.”
Her college years were difficult socially. Many of her peers were more conservative than she was, with rigid ideas about how to dress, how to study, and how to express an opinion. But Zuhra refused to be cowed. She spoke often in class and was not afraid to debate the professor. She worked feverishly, constantly fearful that her brother would change his mind and pull her out of school.
Despite the fact that she was training to be a teacher, Zuhra had nightmares about joining the profession. “I remember after I graduated I was praying day and night not to be a teacher. But it was hard for me to look for another job.”
When she was offered a teaching post at a school, she panicked and confessed her fears to her brother Fahmi. The school was run by religious zealots from the Islah (Reform) Party, she said. “They impose their opinions on others and I told Fahmi I hated that.”
Her supportive older brother told her that it was okay to follow her heart. But she didn’t know of an alternative to teaching. Her career choices were restricted by the fact that her family did not want her working with men.
Not knowing what to try, Zuhra put together the best résumé she could, adding a note at the bottom saying, “I know that I am not qualified, but I have what it takes to be successful.” And she set out on a quest.
Clutching this piece of paper, Zuhra walked into the offices of the Yemen Observer. It was the first place she tried.
At reception, Enass took her résumé and said she would show it to al-Asaadi. “I waited. Al-Asaadi came in. You know him, he likes to show off. But I still remember that I was very confident and he was saying to me, what do you want to be? And I said I want to work as a journalist, if not, then as a translator.”
Al-Asaadi told her that he would speak to Faris. Zuhra didn’t hold out much hope. Not only was she inexperienced, but she was sure that her family would not allow her to be a journalist. “It was a huge fear. Exactly like when I go to my college. As important