On Saturday night. I sat in this place. To hear the Glorious music and watch that gruesome unfolding of the inevitable in Giuseppe Verdi's Opera La Forza del Destino the power of Destiny, but some people the best of the human race don't think that Destiny is in someone else's hands. They take it in their own Anwar Sadat was that Rarity a leader who presume to break through the barrier of conventionally expert advice, which is always to do nothing cautiously. A person with a guts to ask why not? Why don't we try it anyway? It's more and more obvious those with visible responsibility for leadership are nearly always to visible to take the responsibility for change until it becomes more dangerous to stand there than to move on. That's why Anwar Sadat's crowning initiative the simple announcement. I will go to Jerusalem is one of the few great acts of personal leadership. I have witnessed in 40 Years of observing and practicing International politics. It's in a class with Gandhi's nonviolent resistance or Churchill's rallying cries or Roosevelt's Lend-Lease proposal or General Marshall speech at Harvard or Tito's break with the Kremlin or John F. Kennedy's nuclear. Test ban proposal. The list of examples grows thin in more recent years John Stuart Mill's comment is still up to date. That's so few dare to be eccentric marks the chief danger of our times. Jehan Sadat has dared to be different. She was not raised her official biography says to be subservient and helpless. A disciplined Early Education and a strong mother seemed to have taught her to have her own personality so that when she met Anwar Sadat a soldier recently out of prison for opposing British colonial rule. She married him despite her mother's objections. When in 1970 her husband succeeded Gamal Abdel Nasser as President of Egypt the couple made history by simply acting as a couple. As a new presidents very first at the new presidents very first official reception observers were astonished to see her walk in ahead of her husband. The point was reinforced when Anwar Sadat began his address with the words my wife and I Contemporary accounts speak of the 1970s at in Egypt as a time of quiet revolution in the status of women. John said Sadat did not assume that she had arrived by becoming Egypt's first lady. She went to Cairo University to earn first a college degree and then a master's in the Islamic literature and now despite the claims on her attention of for married children. Three grandchildren and her status as a as an Egyptian National Asset. She teaches at the University of Cairo and is produced by pursuing a PhD in 18th century English literature and its influence on Egyptian literature. She is especially a fan of Percy bysshe Shelley and herself rights published poetry. But so far under an assumed name, she has also founded Faith and Hope are Rehabilitation home for handicapped children poet parent and symbol of a quiet revolution in an ancient land Jihan setup. Mr. President. Mr. Cleveland. Mr. Carson, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends. I am indeed honored to be called upon to address the Hubert Humphrey Institute for public affairs in the University of Minnesota. Your Institute Bertha name which will long be remembered by lovers of Liberty and the Democratic spirit. It also stands for personal bravery in the face of crippling illness and patience and submission to the will of God. Allow me then to begin by saluting Hubert Humphrey a great Democrat and a champion of the human Spirit. My own bereavement was caused by the death of a dearly beloved husband and a lover of Liberty was whose commitment to peace was based on respect for the human person and pride in the achievements of his own patient and struggling Nation. His sacrifice will not be forgotten by people of all Races who believe that peace with honor is better than war and that love is better than hate and that it is better to cherish our human resources than to waste them on the desert of empty slogans. The theme of my address is not however to associate you in my private grief, but to call upon you to cast your minds on the tragedy of our times in a Spirit of Hope and realism. Let us agree about one thing at the outset piece is desirable in the world today yet difficult to attain. Development by itself whether economic or social is not enough to ensure the achievement of peace. Two world wars among the most developed nations of our Century have proved that conflict does not diminish as the rate of development increases and the terrifying massacres between recently the colonized countries are ample proof that Liberty and Independence are not enough to keep the dogs of war at Bay. Never has Killing been on such a large scale as it as it as in our century and the present tensions and strain negotiations and muffle threats threats are harbingers of worst times to come. I know I'm preaching to the converted when I say that the failures of international politics are gradually gaining on their successes. We're in many parts of Asia the agony of displaced persons fleeing the Roar of cannon from the Thai borders to Namibia the Berlin Wall the savagery of Civil War in Central America. They constantly renewed suffering in the Middle East the Hopeless massacres in Ireland the spread of terrorism in most of our cities. Add to this the constant struggle to create a new economic order which will ensure that the world's resources are distributed wisely among the inhabitants of our unfortunate glue the Paradox of overpopulation and under production. What darker picture can I paint to share with you a sense of helplessness as we all sit around watching ourselves destroying ourselves? The black joke which was once told of the Irish can now be told of most of humanity the question. How do you form a firing squad answer by forming a circle? That is certainly what we all seem to be doing. And yet never before our time has there been more talk about International standards of conduct international law peace and disarmament. Perhaps we should be grateful that we have not yet managed to blow ourselves into some black hole in the universe. But may but may ask but we may ask need the picture be so black. other not reasons to Hope on the apis on the up on the positive side. There has been a definite step forward in the social field in most western democracies the first stumbling steps of Roosevelt beverage social democracy and convert conservatism together have done much to improve the quality of life for the populations of the West in the third world. The wars of Liberation have laid the First Foundation stones of confident nationhood and self-respect. Racialism has become something to be ashamed of although it still survives in many parts of the world and economic slavery has not been eradicated by any means but there is hope the idea has has circulated very widely that men are born equal and that we all have the right to be but the right to a better life and the mutual respect. most people in the world whatever the forms of their governments were left to themselves will subscribe to the principles laid down in your own Declaration of Independence in the Declaration of the rights of man in the United Nations Charter and in the frequent restatements of this sacred value of the human being The mere fact that these ideas exist is encouraging not only in Africa and Asia, but in the very hearts of your big cities where frictions have happened and could happen again. Our main our means of self distractions have improved but there has also been an improvement in our skepticism about violence and and violent attitudes. We have all aged very rapidly and with age comes some sort of wisdom at least the wisdom to face our tragedies squirt squarely and without disassembling. What then can Institute or individuals such as ourselves to do to do to stem the tide of tragedy. Very little you might say but I would put before you the possibility of action not only in the council's of Nations but starting within our own very hearts. For too long, we have allowed ourselves to be manipulated by ideologies and propagandas which have given us ready made pictures of our supposed enemies. Surely the time has come to think for ourselves individually to discover for ourselves what other human beings are really like to engage in personal dialogue with those specters beyond our own psychological barriers whom we think of as enemies. Only by dialogue and by reaching out to communicate directly with other people of any persuasion or doctrine. Will it be possible to overcome prejudice? It can be done. It has been it has been done when Anwar Sadat took that great leap of faith in the humanity of an erstwhile. Enemy. He was able to overcome what appeared to be impenetrable barriers of hatred and superstition. And this leap of faith has given reassurance were there had been suspicion and fear a realization of our common Humanity. Were there had been a mythology of hate. My husband believed that piece on the battlefield was but the beginning of a hope in the hearts of Ordinary People. He felt that what he was accomplishing was not merely a gesture for the Middle East alone. It was a reminder to the world that we must love one another or die. peace Is the bridge between hearts? So what can be done? Took meet respect one another exercise did Demons of political Prejudice refuse ready-made dogmas obey the state but remain critical of its decisions. And above all recognize the common Humanity of all human beings. Thank you. We've asked those who had questions to pass them up on these cards and the first cards have reached me. The first one asks, is there a special role for women as world peacemakers? Sure, I believe women can play a very important to rule in peace. I'm planning for this. I said it before that. I am planning to start once a year a conference in every country for women to meet to discuss and to talk and to do something for peace because peace is very very deeply. Meant to everybody it's it's really something very important for us to survive. peace is a desirable to fulfill oneself. Really? I'm a great believer in women's role. And I know that they can do a lot for peace. First of all by Nature they they bring peace at home and they are against Wars and if we put our hands together all of us women from all over the world, I believe and I'm sure we can do something for peace and then peace will prevail and women will be playing this role as a follow-up question on that. Tell us something about how the status of women is changing in Egypt. My husband was a believ believe believed in women's right? I remember one day he was saying in a speech in Upper Egypt appreciating the role of women and when he also visited Jerusalem, he noticed that the majority in the streets were women and he appreciated very much. And also when he said his speech and he talked about women, he said lovely words and compliment. I remembered that they I phoned him and he told me Jihan you must be very happy about what I said about women. I said, no, he said how I said, well, I don't want compliment Anwar I want something concrete. He said like what I said, we have only six members in the Parliament and that's not enough to represent half of the poor. Of the population and going through elections with men. It's such a difficult task then if you can serve one chair in every Governor it to represent a woman then we'll have quite big number and they will go through elections between women and they have the right also to go through a with with men. And by the way, we have I have with me a dear dear friend. She's a doctor and she's a member in the Parliament and she's with you now and then it needed just adding a sentence in our Charter and then the next elections we had now 34 members in the parliament to women. This is one of the things which I'm very very proud of some of them. They asked me why don't you go through elections. I didn't think of it at all. I'm thinking of just Paving the way for women because it's as if I am Exactly in their place. Another thing also for women that I was working as a chairman of the people's Council, it's Town Council like a parliament in every Governor it I was the only woman and it was such a burden more than beside the the social activities which I was working and but I thought of also Paving this way for women to enter and to to be involved in now we have also by adding something in the charter. We have 20% of the members of these towns women through elections. They are representing the governor has 20% sharing men sitting beside men solving the problems of their governor it this means a lot for me and for our women, Another thing which is the low the Civil Rights Lou which we took recently and Anwar Sadat. Give us this also to our women. It's about when the woman is divorced before this law the the husband used to take the son his son at seven years age and the girl at nine years age which was such something very hard for little children to live with father or stepmother not father exactly because father of course loves his children, but maybe the stepmother of course will not replace the mother. Anyhow, now after the new low the girl is 18 years with her mother and then she decides if she wanted to go to her father or she wanted to stay till she married with her mother. She has the right to decide but not before Teen years the boy 15 years and then he goes to his father after that the alimony for instance for the the divorce wife before they slow choose to go to the court and stay several months asking for her alimony and imagine if she's not working or she she had nothing to spend from no income for her. Imagine how she will suffer with her children and that happened before this law. Now with this low few years. We took it she can take her alimony the next day she is divorced from a certain bank till the court says it's worth. The very important thing also the flat of course there is shortage. Four flats and housing everywhere. I believe even here must be the flat when they divorce wife when the the the our divorce. She used to leave the flat with her children and she goes out the husband stays after the new law. She is the one to stay with her children and he is the one to leave the flare and and maybe really maybe they did this is one of the things which men in our country or let me say narrow minded men are very I don't know what to say are very Furious from me and attacked me very severely for this they forgot about everything except the flat. But anyhow, it's me this low to be fair. Not only for the wife. It's believe me for the the harmony of the house for bringing up the children in a normal atmosphere for the man not to find divorce easy as it was not to find to marry another woman as it was very easy before this law we couldn't say he has he cannot marry because this is in our religion, but we put obstacles in front of him so that he can't marry easily. This is what we have done in the law which is called the civil rights law, but some of them they could your hands low which has when anyhow anyhow, I'm very very proud that our women really deserve what they took because they are very very active. They are involved in many fields. I remember during the last two words in 67 when my husband was at Time the speaker of the parliament the next war in 73 when my husband was was President the two Wars the women in our country were working in the hospitals were working day and night and because of that I believe in women's role because I have seen them working and really sacrificing with everything just to to serve their country and to share in building our community and because of that, I believe that women not only in our country but all over the world when they have the opportunity really they do a lot for that Society. There are naturally several questions about peace in the Middle East. What in your opinion should be the destiny of the Palestinian people? they should I hope I hope the Palestinians will realize That they have to do what my husband has done. This is the only way Really? This is the only way to negotiate with Israel and to sit down and to solve their problem. Otherwise, it will not be sold. They have to sit and we can see this with Lebanon now. I'm really happy and very very optimistic of what's going on and I believe and I'm sure that other countries will follow what Egypt started Lebanon is now having an agreement with Israel and I hope other countries will follow so that peace will prevail and let us feel that we are one family Palestinians Israelis Egyptian Lebanese syrians. We are really want family from one father and one mother. Why do we wage war against each other and if you I'll tell you a very little thing. During the war the 73 War. I was working in the hospitals day and night with our War veterans. And I was very very you know, as well. I was working with my heart and at that time some of the soldiers used to tell me mrs. Stoddard. I hope you will visit us next time in Tel Aviv and immediately. I used to tell them no Tel Aviv is not ours. Let me tell me that I hope you'll meet me in Irish or Sinai. That's our land but Tel Aviv is not ours then I remember quite well that there were be there were some Israeli soldiers and they told me come and visit them. To tell you the truth and to be honest, I refused because when I was working with our soldiers, I was working with my heart. I couldn't go to our enemies at that time and tell them all. What do you want my son's or something like that? I didn't feel it and I couldn't be rude also in the same time because it's a matter of principles. I couldn't be rude with them because they are in our country at that time as prisoners. But when I visited - with my husband after the peace initiative and after we became friends and brothers and sisters and I found the very warm greeting in Haifa in Israel, it couldn't be an order from prime minister begging or it couldn't be orders from The Authority at all. It was the people themselves all of them were greeting us in a very warm way that I was telling my Why we were enemies, why do we wage war why we were enemies really? We are cousins. We are brothers and sisters. It's believe me if we feel the peace between us if we love each other is it makes such a big difference and that was between Egypt and Israel now even before I came here, I was visiting my husband to him the day before I came here a group came and kissed me and hugged me and they said mrs. Said that we are coming from Israel. And this is something you know, I love them. I said, well, it's I hope the Palestinian we reach this decision so that the Palestinians and Israeli will feel the same love the same friendship will be between them and let us concentrate on our our problems. Let us solve our problems and raise the standard of our people are at the gate the eradicate the illiteracy in our Country in the Arab countries, let us concentrate on the things which we need to concentrate on and peace when when peace Prevail, of course, everything will be much better. Can you give us some insight as to why the syrians do not want to leave Lebanon why they want Lebanon not to be at peace with Israel. I think you can go and say this question to president Assad. He knows more than me, but for myself, I'd love Lebanon to be not occupied by any other nationality. They had to be Lebanon for the Lebanese only but how asks another questioner. Can we have peace when we were dealing with such Hardline zionists as Megan and Ariel Sharon? I beg your pardon. What's happening? We have peace when we're dealing with we're dealing with zionists such as Bagan and Ariel Sharon. Well, my husband did dealt with big there is nothing wrong in this at all at all. Mr. Beggin. Maybe he is a difficult man. Yes, but he's an honest man when he gives a promise we made he keeps and I remember to tell I remember through the elections in Israel. I told my husband done were I hope Perez will succeed because he's much easier to deal with he said no Jihan, I prefer to deal with a very strong personality like bacon. It's much better for me to deal with a strong personality in spite of the difficulties, but they respected each other. I must tell you this. Do you see relations with Israel and Egypt developing in such a way as to resume tourist trade and cultural exchange? Yes. Yes, we have tourist that is culture exchange. We have some things in the market which you can find Israeli things and they told this will be increasing in the future. I hope so gradually everything will increase and older the normal relation will be normal in the future. Of course. What do you as an Egyptian feel about nuclear warfare and the nuclear confrontation? Should I'm against or I'm not with war at all but I am with strong countries. When we feel the United States a very strong country. We feel secure even in the Middle East. This is something which is very very important. One questioner asks who chose you to represent Egyptian women you well. For this occasion. I think you have to say the University of Minnesota did yes, and thank you to the University of Minnesota for this. There are a couple of questions here about American policy. One is should the u.s. Recognize and negotiate directly with the PLO. Should they have to yes, yes, because they are a partner. They have to negotiate with them. Yes, and how would you evaluate the efforts for peace in the Middle East so far of the Reagan Administration? I believe in President Reagan is doing his best and we can see this in Lebanon. This is a fact nobody can deny it really I hope all the best for him to continue a strong as he is now. Do you have any news about the Shahs family? Sure should we are dear friends. We call each other every two weeks. I'm going to meet former Empress Farah in New York. When dr. Kissinger's is celebrating his birthday. He invited Farah. He invited me. He invited so many friends. I'm going to see her she comes and visited us and she's living here half of the year and the other half is around the other countries. We have a we have a question that is a result of somebody reading your biography. Under what name is your poetry written and where can it be purchased? It's a very secret and the rehab roof. My middle name is Jehan roof. And then I thought of rehab roof. Nobody knows Even in our country the word might get out from this secret place at this time. How do you think Egypt will progress toward the re-establishment of relations with the other countries of the Arab world? Will Egypt in the past during my husband time? Now during our president Mubarak Egypt is doing her best to keep the good relation between her and the Arabs really and they are doing their best. But when my husband paid his visit to Jerusalem, they boycott their relation, then we couldn't say anything unless they will realize later on and my husband believed even at that time when we when we restore again our land when sign I will come back he knew that if he was still alive he knew that the Arabs will come and they will come I'm assured because we are one family divided between countries, but we are one family really we quarrel with each other, but at last we are for one family. I think the presence of the president I should really ask this question since it asks about International Education. Would you comment on the importance of learning foreign languages? Should we all learn Arabic as well? As you have learned English? Well, by the way, I'm teaching Arabic literature not English, but I'm ready to come and teach here if you allow me. I'll be happy. Your contract will be in the next male. Thank you. What can minnesotans do for you and for Egypt? Well, I have a project for the disabled whom I'm very concerned if we could exchange and I know that you have a very Advanced project which is called courage Institute. I would love if we can exchange. Ideas exchange, I can't say exchange equipment because you are much more advanced, but we can help each other in this field for the disabled can benefit from this ready if you would like to help I'd be very grateful for it. Have time for just a couple more questions. There's one question from a woman who says like yourself. I'm a widow in Middle essence. How have you coped with this situation in your own life? What suggestions might you have for courage and strength to go forward alone. To keep yourself busy as much as possible as I always say the busiest people are the happiest. I always keep myself busy and I adapt myself to the changes to everything. I am I lost my husband. It was such a great loss for me because we were two partners completing each other. He was a great politician. I was working in the social activities, but in spite of this grieve and great loss. I can't sit and cry and say well I lost my other half or especially after 32 years marriage. It's not this any woman can continue and continue Kroger Aegis lie and face the life and this will please her husband. This is I always believed in to please Anwar Sadat is to continue in my work. I'm teaching in the University. I have the project for the with oml the disabled. I have another Village has three villages already completed and I am going to start the fourth for the orphan children. I have also a project which I started first for the women in the rural area to raise the standard of women in the rural area areas by giving them a handicraft to earn money to have salary to depend on themselves and this really gives me energy the world gives me energy, especially the volunteer work. If you are a widow, then you have time to work as a volunteer and it is very very rewarding and it will keep you busy and it will keep you extremely happy and it will fulfill your time all the day. Just one other question and you have partly just answered it with what causes will you now allow yourself. Now that you have become a much more public person. feminist to think about myself. What are you what will you be advocating and and thinking publicly about now that woman you are a public women. What a woman who cares was very concerned about. Peace. Well as a woman I cared for so many things this is something but the main thing is what I am planning for in the future also is as I told you at the beginning is for peace how to make this theme spread all over the world. This is what I'm thinking and planning for and of course women will help me in this and That's all. Thank you.