Personal Info
- Country of residence: Portugal
Information
Yusra Al-Sheikh Adel Al-Sheikh Hassan Salah Al-Baqani was born in Nablus. She studied at the Sisters of St. Joseph, Fatimiyya, and Aisha schools in Nablus and completed her studies at the Friends School in Ramallah. Her father, the esteemed Azharite Sheikh Adel Salah, made the bold decision to send her to the American University of Beirut, becoming the first man in Nablus to send his daughter to university studies outside of Palestine. This reflected a distinctive and enlightened reform of the religion revealed by God to liberate humanity, both men and women. She enrolled at the American University in 1942, where her academic performance was as high as her character and upbringing, earning her a place on the honor roll for outstanding students. After graduating in 1946, she returned to Nablus to work as an Arabic and English teacher at the Aisha School. In 1948, she volunteered with other women to nurse wounded soldiers and Israeli troops. In 1952, she went on to Columbia University in the United States, where she earned a master's degree in English. She returned to Nablus in 1953, and her upbringing protected her from being dazzled by the size of America and infatuated with the lifestyle of its people, although her enlightened mind did not prevent her from being open to everything positive and beneficial that was suitable for our nation and homeland. She worked as a teacher in the Aisha School and at the same time as an inspector for girls’ schools in the Education Office.
In 1957, she served as the director of the UNRWA Teachers' Training Center in Nablus. In the early 1960s, she taught English at An-Najah National College for four years and contributed to the writing of a series of English textbooks. After the occupation, she led and implemented a boycott of the occupation, its goods, and all its associated activities. Had this serious, mature, and profound approach to resistance been embraced by decision-makers, media outlets, and influential figures, the situation would have been less dire and the gains greater thirty years later. She left behind three translated books and a unique and positive impact on the hearts, minds, and consciences of all who knew her.
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