Salama Moussa

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Salama Moussa (1887-1958) (Ar: سلامه موسى) was a notable Egyptian journalist and reformer in the 1920s. Born in Zagazig to a Coptic Christian family, Moussa was known for his wide interest in science and culture, as well as his firm belief in the human intellect as a guarantor of progress and prosperity. In 1908, he travelled to Europe where he studied literature, philosophy, social and natural sciences. He continued studying these subjects critically throughout his life.

Moussa belonged to a group of intellectuals who vehemently demanded the simplification of Arabic and its grammar and the recognition of Egyptian Arabic as the Modern Egyptian language, which inflamed the criticism of his conservative opponents. Standard Arabic had remained unchanged for generations, and the majority of the Egyptian people were illiterate, prompting Moussa and other thinkers to advocate writing in the vernacular. The simplification and modernization of language in Egypt remains under discussion to this day. Salama Moussa's writings continue to be in demand, perhaps even more than before.

Nobel prize-winner and fellow countryman Naguib Mahfouz was mentored by Salama Moussa, who is quoted as saying to Mahfouz: "You have much talent, but your essays are no good." After this incident, Mahfouz relates that he chose his topics more carefully.

Salama Moussa became seriously ill and died on 4 August 1958.