 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (June 2011) |
Alifa Rifaat | |
|---|---|
 Alifa Rifaat (1988) | |
| Born | Fatima Abdullah Rif'at June 5, 1930 Cairo, Kingdom of Egypt |
| Died | January 1, 1996 (aged 65) Cairo, Egypt |
| Nationality | Egyptian |
Fatimah Rifaat (June 5, 1930 – January 1996), better known by her pen name Alifa Rifaat (Arabic: أليفة رفعت), was an Egyptian author whose controversial short stories are renowned for their depictions of the dynamics of female sexuality, relationships, and loss in rural Egyptian culture. While taking on such controversial subjects, Fatimah Rifaat's protagonists remained religiously faithful with passive feelings towards their fate. Her stories did not attempt to undermine the patriarchal system; rather they were used to depict the problems inherent in a patriarchal society when men do not adhere to their religious teachings that advocate for the kind treatment of women. Fatimah Rifaat used the pseudonym Alifa to prevent embarrassment on the part of her family due to the themes of her stories and her writing career.