Stanley Lane-Poole

“ومما يلاحظ على المرأة المصرية , أنها في العادة - أو على الأقل حين تظهر في المجتمعات - متواضعة إلى حد كبير , فهي تختلس نظرة الغريب في سرعة سحرية حتى ولو بدا للجميع أنها تنظر إلى الناحية الآخرى من الطريق , وفي الحال نجدها تحكم وضع النقاب على فمها ورأسها , وإذا ما أتيح لها أن تلقاك وجهًا لوجه , فإنها لا تسبل عينيها الواسعتين كما تفعل الغربيات , وإنما تحولهما عنك في بطء يأخذ بمجامع القلوب.”
― Stanley Lane-Poole, سيرة القاهرة The Story of Cairo

“There is no greater mistake than to imagine that the Arabs, who spread with such astonishing rapidity over half the civilized world, were in any real sense a united people. So far was this from being the truth, that it demanded all Mohammed's diplomatic skill, and all his marvellous personal prestige, to keep up a semblance of unity even while he was alive. The Arabs were made up of a number of hostile tribes or clans, many of whom had been engaged in deadly blood-feuds for several generations, and all of whom were moved by a spirit of tribal jealousy which was never entirely extinguished. Had the newly-founded Mohammedan State been restrained within the borders of Arabia, there can be no doubt that it would speedily have collapsed in the rivalry of the several clans;”
― Stanley Lane-Poole, The Moors in Spain