“As long as you breathe, it’s not late to learn”

Story by  ATV | Posted by  Aasha Khosa • 2 Years ago
Jihad Mohammad Abdallah Battu
Jihad Mohammad Abdallah Battu

 

Ramallah (Israel)

"As long as a person can breathe, it is not too late for them to achieve their dream. And remember, your dreams are not handed to you on a silver platter. You have to strive and do your best to succeed.”

These words coming from a woman, who became a graduate at the age of 85, make a lot of practical sense.

Jihad Mohammad Abdallah Battu, the mother of five children and grandmother to numerous grandchildren, has become the world’s oldest woman to get a college degree and proved that it’s never too late to try and achieve one’s dream.

She became a social media celebrity overnight with people sharing her inspiring story on different platforms:

Jihad, who lives in al-Mujaydil in the West Bank, Israel, recently wore the graduation gown to receive her degree from the Kafr Bara’s university of Islamic studies, Israel. She had enrolled in the college at the age of 81 and graduated four years later.

Jihad’s curriculum subjects included language and religion as well as mathematics. Thus, he obtained a bachelor's degree in comparative religion.

Like many Palestinians caught in the conflict, Jihad was forced to give up her studies first due to turmoil caused by the family’s eviction from their home in Nazrath as the Israelis moved in there and the continuing conflict that saw schools closed for two years and later due to her mother’s illness.

Speaking to the Middle East Eye (MEE) website, Jihad said the difficult circumstances of her childhood made her more determined to study. She also said, “sadness and regret for the past do not change the future.”

She also told the MEE, "As long as a person can breathe, it is not too late for them to achieve their dream. And remember, your dreams are not handed to you on a silver platter. You have to strive and do your best to succeed.”

Jihad Battu was born in 1936 in Nablus, West Bank. She attended school till 1948. Even though she was a bright and precocious student, her mother got her married at the age of 17 in 1954. She had five children who are today well-settled.

Reading had always fascinated Jihad. She was also a keen learner since her childhood. She would read books in Arabic, English and Hebrew and when she turned 81, she decided to get a formal education and enrolled herself for an undergraduate course.

Jihad Battu told MEE that she chose to learn Islamic law because she loves Muslim culture and Islamic law. She added that she worked very hard, devoting her time to study and research late at night so that she could excel in academic subjects.

Jihad wants to impart knowledge she obtained while studying for her degree to her community.