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

“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