Thuraya al-Hafez (Arabic: ثريا الحافظ; 1911–2000)[1], was a Syrian politician who campaigned against the niqab and fought for women's rights.
[4] In May 1942, al-Hafez led a protest march by one hundred women to the government headquarters in Damascus, where they all lifted their veils.
"[1] In 1947, she became an instructor in Arabic literature at Damascus's prestigious Tajheez School, and in 1953 al-Hafez established the Sakina Forum.
[6][7] Although she was subsequently defeated, her endeavours were significant steps toward achieving their goal of elevating the status of the women in the Arab world.
[5] Sami M. Moubayed, Steel and Silk: Men and Women who Shaped Syria 1900-2000 (Seattle: Cune Press, 2006)