Professor Salma Ibrahim

My mother, Professor Salma Ibrahim, is from Syria. She teaches Arabic language and literature at the Sichuan International Studies University (SISU). She's been a teacher for 52 years. Before working at the SISU, she taught at the University of Aleppo in Syria. She came to the SISU alone, but now she is "Mom Sal" to hundreds of students.

A little girl's Chinese Dream

My mother is 73, the same age as the People's Republic of China. Her enthusiasm for this vast land with great history and civilization goes back to 60 years ago. She still remembers the day when her geography teacher put a map of China on the blackboard and asked in a charming tone: "What's the name of this country with a long history? Where is it located in the world? What's the historical relationship between this country and Syria and the Middle East?" At the end of the class, the teacher asked the students what they wanted to do in relation to China in the future. Some students said they wanted to buy Chinese porcelain, some said they wanted to wear Chinese silk, and when it was my mother's turn, she said, "I want to visit China and walk on the Great Wall." The teacher gave her a smile, as if telling her that it was impossible.

For that little girl and all the people around her, China was a country on the other side of the earth. Everyone told her that visiting China was an unrealistic dream, because it was too far away from her motherland. Nevertheless, geographic distance did not discourage the 12-year-old girl. Mother decided to embark on her journey alone. She began to read the works of such great philosophers as Confucius and Laozi and learn about Chinese history.