85-year-old Palestinian woman completes degree in religious studies

85-year-old Palestinian woman completes degree in religious studies

She went to school in Al-Mujaydil, near Nazareth, until 1948, when the Nakba took place and Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their homes

After dropped out of school decades ago, at the age of 85, a Palestinian woman was able to obtain a bachelor’s degree in religious studies.

Jihad Battu was born in 1936 in the West Bank city of Nablus. She was named Jihad by her family, an Arabic name meaning “struggle or fight against the enemy.”

She went to school in Al-Mujaydil, near Nazareth, until 1948, when the Nakba took place and Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their homes, according to media reports.

The same year in 1948, her mother became very sick, and Jihad was forced to drop out of school.

In 1954, Jihad married and had five children. However, her passion for studying and learning never died. She took several courses in Arabic, English and Hebrew, as well as courses in mathematics.

At the age of 81, this Palestinian woman was still enthusiastic about studying. She decided to enroll in a college to obtain a university degree and wear a graduation gown.

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In an interview with a local website, Jihad said that she chose to study Islamic Sharia because of her love and devotion to the Islamic traditions and rules. Jihad would like to teach the same to people within her community.

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