WISstory: Fatima al-Fihri, founder of the world's longest-standing university

Fatima al-FihriBorn 800 AD, Died 880 AD (years are approximate)Scholar, founded the oldest operating educational institution in the world “She dug deep into the land, unearthing yellow sand, plaster and stone…”~ historian Hassan Hosni Abdelwahab The world’s oldest university, the University of Al-Qarawiyyin, stands in Fez, Morocco as a timeless monument to scholarship.  Early algebra was invented within these walls. Pope Sylvester II studied here, later bringing his knowledge of Arabic numerals to the rest of Europe and giving us the number system we use today.  The library at Al-Qarawiyyin is one of the oldest in the world, housing more than 4,000 ancient manuscripts. The very first formal degree ever issued came from the University of Al-Qarawiyyin, and it continues to matriculate students to this day. The University of Al-Qarawiyyin was founded by Fatima al-Fihri, an immigrant from Tunisia to Morocco.  Unfortunately, we know very little of her personal life; in 1323, a fire destroyed virtually all written records of Fatima.Early Life Fatima al-Fihri was born in Qayrawan (now called Kairouan, Tunisia) to a family of modest means.  Her family was devoutly religious, and she and her sister, Mariam, were both well-educated. The family migrated to Fez sometime around 824 AD, during a migration of Arabs expelled from Cordoba (southern Spain) and Qayrawan.  In Fez, her father found great success and became a very wealthy merchant. When he passed away, Fatima and her sister inherited this fortune. Due to the great migration, mosques in Fez were overflowing with worshippers.  To accommodate the increased religious demand, both Fatima and Mariam used their inheritance to build new mosques.  Mariam founded Al-Andalus, named for the immigrants from the Andalusian region in southern Spain. Fatima founded Al-Qarawiyyin, named for the immigrants from her home city. 

The University

Fatima wanted to expand further than the mosque, and subsequently purchased much of the land surrounding Al-Qarawiyyin.  She personally supervised construction of the University, and insisted on mining her land for the resources needed. Historian Hassan Hosni Abdelwahab noted, “she committed to only using the land she had purchased... so as not to [appear extravagant for using too many resources].” The University of Al-Qarawiyyin opened in 859 AD, initially teaching only religious studies.  The curriculum later expanded to include studies in various sciences including mathematics, medicine, and astronomy.  The University welcomed students from all over the world, regardless of nationality or religious affiliation. Fatima herself studied there, and her degree is still on display today. Today, the University of Al-Qarawiyyin is recognized by the UN as the oldest operating educational institute in the world.  The library underwent a great restoration effort, opening a wing to the public for the first time in 2016. The project was led by female Canadian-Moroccan architect Aziza Chaouni.  A member of the modern restoration team, Abdullah al-Henda notes, “[the University of Al-Qarawiyyin] was a bridge of knowledge of researchers, between Africa and between the Middle East and Europe.” Following In Her Legacy

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (1938 - current)

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made history as the first woman elected President of a country in Africa.  She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 “for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work.”  During her presidency, Liberia joined the Global Partnership for Education. When schools were closed in 2015 during the Ebola crisis, President Sirleaf stated, “it is unacceptable that… 30 million girls in Africa are denied their basic human right to a quality education.  Ensuring that every child goes to school, stays in school, and learns something of value will require firm commitments and action by governments to invest in education and prioritize the education of its girls.” 

Marley Dias (2005 - current)

At age 10, frustrated that all of her assigned reading featured white boys or dogs, Marley Dias decided to make her own change to her world.  With the support of her mother, Dias started a book drive, #1000BlackGirlBooks, with the goal of collecting 1,000 donated books featuring black girls as protagonists to donate to a book drive in Jamaica.  Her book drive was a resounding success, collecting more than 9,000 books in just a few months. Since then, she has written her own book, Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You!, and made it to Forbes’ “30 under 30” list in 2018.    Referenceshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatima_al-Fihrihttps://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/articles/fatima-al-fihri-founder-worlds-first-university/https://www.whyislam.org/muslim-heritage/fatima-al-fihri-founder-of-worlds-very-first-university/https://www.girlboss.com/identity/2018-3-27-fatima-al-fihri-historyhttps://www.dailysabah.com/portrait/2017/11/18/fatima-al-fihri-founder-of-worlds-first-universityhttps://rumahkitab.com/true-story-fatima-al-fihri-founder-worlds-first-known-university/https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/05/21/476045944/the-delicate-task-of-restoring-one-of-the-worlds-oldest-librarieshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marley_Diashttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Johnson_Sirleafhttps://www.globalpartnership.org/blog/15-women-leading-way-girls-educationhttps://www.forbes.com/pictures/5a05aad34bbe6f37dda22148/2018-30-under-30-youngest/#4a67d38cf2a4