JPA Daily Buzz - Edisi 16 2026

A MuslimWoman Founded a University, Long Before Oxford, Harvard, and Yale When people talk about the “oldest universities,” the same names always come up, Oxford, Harvard and Yale. But here’s what most people don’t know: One of the world’s oldest continuously operating centers of higher learning traces back to a Muslim woman . Her name was Fatima al-Fihri . Fatima lived in the 9th century and settled in Fez, Morocco . After her father passed away, she and her sister inherited a large fortune and Fatima chose to invest it in something bigger than herself, knowledge that would outlive her . Around 857–859 CE , she founded what began as Al- Qarawiyyin Mosque , with an associated learning institution that grew into a major intellectual center over centuries. UNESCO has described Al-Qarawiyyin as the oldest university in the world in its write-up connected to Fez’s World Heritage listing, and the “oldest continuously operating educational institution” claim is also widely repeated. 16th Edition/ 2026 24th February 2026 The Buzz Crew So instead of letting history get erased, let’s say it clearly: A Muslim woman used her inheritance to build a home for knowledge. Not for fame. Not for attention. For the future. That’s more than history. That’s legacy, that’s leadership and that’s girl power, 1,100 years ahead of its time. Dr. Diyana Hassim Head of Corporate Communications Public Service Department Now, compare timelines: Oxford: teaching existed by 1096 Harvard: founded 1636 Yale: founded 1701 So yes, long before Oxford, and centuries before Harvard and Yale, a Muslim woman was already building an institution rooted in learning. Honestly? This is why I love Morocco so much. Morocco isn’t just “beautiful places and cute riads”. Morocco is legacy. Fatima al-Fihri and Al-Qarawiyyin in Fez. Ibn Battuta, one of the greatest travellers in history, born in Tangier, Morocco (1304). Even the Amazigh communal granaries (Igoudar/Agadir) often described as an early community “banking-like” system for storing valuables collectively (historians debate “oldest,” but it’s definitely ancient and fascinating). Here’s what gets me: We live in a world that talks nonstop about “progress,” but somehow people still act like Muslim history contributed nothing to education, science, or civilisation. Meanwhile, a Muslim woman literally put her inheritance into building a learning institution that became part of a knowledge ecosystem still admired today, centuries before the Ivy League existed. Behind every story, there is a team that works with heart. The Pulsekeeper Dr. Diyana Hassim The VisionWhisperer Norazizul The Pixel Alchemist Sabrina The Buzz Architect Lidyawati The Buzzkeeper Nurfazlina The Light Catcher Syukran