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Selma Rıza  Feraceli

Selma Rıza Feraceli

The first Muslim female journalist of the Ottoman Empire
"Freedom…Freedom!"

Date of Birth: 05/02/1872 1872

Place of Birth:

Date of Death: 05/10/1931 1931

Place of Death:

Burial Site:

Topics

Gallery

Field of Activity

Press

Selma Rıza Feraceli decided in 1898 at the age of 26 to travel to Paris and live there with her brother Ahmet Rıza, leader of the Young Turks. In Paris she wrote articles about the participation of women in social and cultural life in the French supplement of the "Meşveret" newspaper printed in Paris, "Mechveret Supplément Français", and in the newspaper "Şura-yı Ümmet" printed in Turkish.

After the proclamation of the 2nd Constitutional Monarchy in 1908, Selma Rıza returned to İstanbul and continued to write in women's newspapers such as Hanımlara Mahsus Gazete (Newspaper for Women) and Kadınlar Dünyası(Women's World).

Politics

Selma Rıza Feraceli was the only female Member of Party of Union and Progress (İttihat and Terakki Cemiyeti).

Novel

Selma Rıza Feraceli wrote 1892 her novel "Uhuvvet" (Brotherhood) at the age of 20 but did not publish it. An edited edition of "Uhuvvet" (Brotherhood) was published in 1999 by the Ministry of Culture.
"At the first creation there were no human beings. Yes, the earth was more peaceful, untroubled… The human being is also a slave to its own kind!.. Humankind is a slave to religion, to the system and tradition!.... Slaves, slaves to everything!....Oh God, what is this ?!... Is there no escape? (…) Oh, to fly, to cast off these chains of slavery! Freedom, Freedom!
Selma Rıza Feraceli in: Uhuvvet [Brotherhood], 1892

Awards

(No information available)

Memberships

  • 1898 – 1908 The only female member of the Committee of Union and Progress (İttihat ve Terakki Cemiyeti, in existence from 1889 to 1918)
  • 1908 – 1913 Secretary General of the Red Crescent Society (Hilal-i Ahmer Cemiyeti)

Education

(No information available)

Contributions to Society

Selma Rıza Feraceli worked on the restucturing of Hilal-i Ahmer Cemiyeti (Red Crescent Society) and became the Secretary General of that body between 1908-1913.

She played an important role in converting the Palace of Adile Sultan into a High School for Girls with the goal of education and cultural development of girls.

Family and Friends

  • Mother: Naile Hanım (native Austrian)
  • Father: Ali Rıza Bey (politician, diplomat)
  • Brother: Ahmet Rıza (Leader of the Jeune Turks, Speaker of the National Assembly in 2nd Constitutional Monarchy, Publisher of "Meşveret" newspaper )
  • Friends:(No information available)

Commemorative Projects

(No information available)

Further Reading

Sources

Quoted Sources
  • See the "Further Reading" section
  • Abdullah Uçman, "Selma Rıza'nın Mektupları", Tarih ve Toplum, S: 235, 2003, s. 40.
  • Murat Uraz, Kadın Şair ve Muharrirlerimiz, İstanbul, 1941, s. 465
  • .
Source of Visual Images
(No visual images available)

Translation into English: Çetin Alanya, Istanbul, Turkey
Editing: Judith Cederblom, Seattle, Washington, USA

©2012 Meral Akkent
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