A nation takes pride in some of its citizens. And people give some public figures titles to distinguish them. Dr. Aisha Abdel Rahman was given the title of ‘Daughter of the Beach' just as Om Kolthoum was called ‘Star of the East' and Ahmed Shawki was called ‘Prince of Poets'. Dr. Aisha came from Damietta. She has excelled in her scientific path and she had a distinct cultural vision. She met her tutor Amin el-Kholy in Berlin. He was a great Azhar scholar sent by King Fouad to Berlin as part of the scholarships that Egypt was giving to its sons to cope with Renaissance and Enlightenment. Dr. Aisha was the mother of my colleague in the Faculty of Economics of Cairo University, Adiba Amin el-Kholy. I have always admired Dr. Aisha for her mastering of the Arab language. I could recognize her writing style right away. Her book on the wives of the prophet would have been enough to distinguish her. And her articles in Al-Ahram will remain an intellectual reference for all Arab scholars whenever they long for a gentle breeze of Arab and Islamic civilization. I will never forget how she followed up some of what I wrote, although I am like a student to her. Her encouraging my generation gave me love and hope. When I was ambassador to Vienna, I was always keen to invite Adiba and her Austrian Muslim husband to the embassy. And when Osama Amin el-Kholy, the late scientist, was attending some scientific conference there, I was happy to see him and hear from him about his mother and father. Osama is equal to many other great Egyptian scientists, such as Mohamed el-Halafawy, the Dean of the Egyptian community in Vienna. I also remained in touch with Dr. Aisha through the wife of my friend Rizq Teima who was a daughter of Amin el-Kholy. And I cannot forget the late Dr. Samha el-Kholi, another daughter of Amin who was also prominent in her field. I bow today in respect for Aisha Abdel Rahman and her contribution to Arab culture and Islamic thought, and her distinguished role in modern literature. I also bow to her husband's prominent family members. Dr. Aisha was a great woman of great times.
