Islamic Feminism and the Literature of Torture

8/8/2019 Islamic Feminism and the Literature of Torture

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Islamic Feminism and the literature of torture

Islams relationship with the West has always been a fraught one and

continues to be so; even in the light of globalisation and the increasingly

pressing calls for international co-operation. It has severely deteriorated in

the aftermath of that landmark event- the razing of the twin towers of the

World trade Centre in September 2001. As many political analysts observed,

on these brazen attacks on the nerve-centre of Americas political might, the

Pentagon and its economic hub could wake up America and the rest of the

world, which ironically, to most Americans is confined to America to the

reality of Islamic terrorism. Many would allege that the CIAs veiled and

often, blatant intervention in world affairs, particularly at the height of the

Cold War back-fired quite spectacularly back-fired on America.

Subsequently, the disastrous military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraqdemonstrated American high-handedness amply. Americas naked

aggression in the afore-mentioned countries wreaked havoc and destruction-

the law and order situation degenerated drastically in the face of civil war

and insurgency. Looting, murder, kidnapping, rape and other crimes became

rife, increasing manifold in the wake of political instability and unrest. The

motive of the US invasion was to deliver the hapless and oppressed

inhabitants of Iraq from the authoritarian regime of Saddam Hussein as well

as on the grounds of suspected possession and manufacture of biological,

chemical and nuclear weapons. But the real intention behind the war was to

acquire an unshakeable grip on Iraqs oil wealth. In the Islamic world in

general, even among the staunch allies of the United States in the Arab

world there was bitter condemnation of American aggression. The world in

general, along with these countries was profoundly disturbed and appalled

by the many atrocities committed against civilians as well as rampant human

rights abuse by detention centres like the now infamous and notorious

Guantanamo bay. Already festering wounds and memories of humiliations

in the Islamic world re-opened in the light of such events. They have felt

increasingly threatened and secure- hence the need to re-adhere to religious

conservatism by means like the veil to assert ones personal identity whichbecomes part of a larger religious and communal framework. The mistrust

and suspicion, deep-rooted and all -pervasive has served to widen the rift

between the Islamic world and the West even further. The Islamic world has

been naively demonised and generalised as bigoted and rabidly fanatical.

Many have remarked that it is the battle of the Cross and Crescent yet again-

a modern crusade.


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It is in this context that Islamic Feminism has come to occupy a place of

necessary protest. The West has traditionally romanticized the concept of the

harem in conjunction with the exotic Orient. The accounts of the English

suffragist Grace Ellison in a book titledAn English Woman in a Turkish

Harem published in 1915 detail her experiences among women in Turkey.

She shows genuine understanding of the manner in which reforms were

bettering the lives of women and records the observation that womens

emancipation even found favour among men. She was only interested in the

raging debate of the day regarding the traditional Islamic dress. But like

many feminists of her day and even contemporary ones, she rued the

growing number of women donning western garb, tending to romanticise the

veil. Interestingly, when her Turkish friend, Zegreb Hamun visited her in

England the tables were neatly and rather hilariously turned on Ellison. In

Hanums collection of letters collectively published asA Turkish WomansEuropean Impressions she dismissed the London ladies Club as dull andapathetic, lacking the mystery and charm of the harem. The veil is still

remains a contentious issue- some women shun it vigorously, saying that

Islam cannot be used as a premise to subjugate womens freedom. Others

find it liberating, saying that it grants them the freedom to move without

hindrance and work at professions like medicine and law, by allowing them

the scope to avert sexual harassment.

Women in the Islamic world have been traditionally perceived as mute

creatures subject to the excesses of the predatory and barbaric Muslim male

who rules supreme over their ill-fated destinies, claiming loyalty and fidelity

even higher than Allah himself. The rise of the torture novel seems to feed

into this Western purview of the status or rather more aptly, so-called non-

status of women in the Islamic world quite neatly. Authors like Jean Sasson

specialise in this highly sensational yet incredibly popular and extensively

read genre of writing. Sasson has written a number of books like with titles

like The Rape of Kuwait,Daughters of Arabia,Desert Royal,Esters Child

and Mayada: Daughter of Iraq. In the Authors note toPrincess, which is

apparently the real-life account of the lives of Saudi Arabias royal familyshe reveals herself to have been a close friend and confidante of Princess

Sultana, whose family is closely related to the Saudi king. She confidently

declared herself to the instrument of conveying to the unsuspecting larger

world the reality of Saudi Arabian society. She is the Princesses voice as

Sultans risks the castigation of the Saudi kingdom should she herself

disclose the details of her life publicly. Saudi society is riddled with


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contradictions and extremes and is openly and unabashedly discriminatory

towards women. As Princess Sultana tells us through the pages of Sassons

story, in spite of enjoying grandiose luxuries and living the high life replete

with royal privileges, she is only valued as the progenitor of male offspring.

She has no right to mingle freely in a mixed society, drive in public, let

alone vote in elections. The book is filled with shocking incidents that

convey the degree of brutalisation of women and the atrocities they are

subjected to irrespective of rank, wealth, or status. For instance, the

princesses beautiful sister Sara is drugged heavily to coerce her into

marrying a man more than thrice her age, as his third wife. This is stated to

be an obviously economic match to further her fathers business prospects.

Sara eventually attempts suicide as a result of sexual torture and though her

father ruthlessly insists she remain married to the man in question, it is

Sultanas mothers brave resistance that eventually succeeds in annulling the

hellish union. Sultanas fathers fourth wife is her age and her father is seento divorce her during the course of the book. Perhaps Sasson claims rather

ambitiously, to be the instrument of a vast improvement in the condition of

women the world over-

These books about a feisty Saudi princess have changed have changed lives

all over the world. Many young women worldwide now work to create an

awareness and change. Students write to tell me that college courses are

changed so that they can work on issues related to women. Mothers write to

tell me that they are raising their sons to look upon their sisters, and other

women as equal beings. Working together, we can make a huge difference

in the role of women worldwide. I urge you to join Princess Sultana and me

in our cherished goal to live in a world where every female has the right to

live a life of dignity.

The book is an acclaimed international best-seller and has gained world-

wide renown and has a faithful readership. At times, Sassons tone of

narration seems to pander towards satisfying her readers curiosity about the

inner workings of a royal family and their closely guarded secrets. There is

voyeuristic pleasure to be gained from the debaucheries indulged in quiteshamelessly by the princess brother and her father- it is a male sport

which the father initiates the son into. The stories of the silently women,

leading schizoid lives behind the cover of the veil are told with the right

dose of sentiment and the abuse of Islam in the hands of monetary wealth

and influence is meant to shock quite rudely.


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It is a compelling, high octane drama with expected and unexpected twists

and turns, sweeping in range and focus as it attempts to provide a panoramic

overview of the ills of Saudi society. It largely concentrates in focus on the

lives of the Saudi royalty but also ventures abroad with Sultana as she

explores the chronicles of ordinary Saudi women and delves into the tales of

misfortune that are the lives of servants who are mostly migrants and the

harassment they face as women. The feisty princesses protests are portrayed

small sparks of rebellion in an otherwise gloomy and suffocating

atmosphere.

Tehmina Durranis autobiographical bookMy Feudal Lordis another

international bestseller which tells the story of her marriage with Mustafa

Khar, a noted political figure in Pakistan and once Governor of the Punjab

province. Khar is a misogynist, pervert, wife-beater who shattered Durrani

psychologically and emotionally, subjecting her to a conjugal life of terriblehumiliation and misery. His regular tortures made her live in a state of

perpetual terror. The relentless and unabated abuse, which she had to

conceal family honour almost succeed in unhinging her.

It is, of course, like other books of the genre a riveting tear-jerker of a read

made all the more appealing to a Pakistani readership with Durranis rather

nave anti-India and even anti-Hindu stance especially with respect to her

views on the bi-lateral issue of Kashmir which she claims as Pakistans by

right and the extreme discomfort, unease and even the suggestion of

pollution she feels on a visit to the Ajmer Sharifdarga in the company of

Hindu security personnel. Its capacity to shock increases ten-fold as

compared toPrincess, as Durranis is a no-holds barred account whichdiscloses the personal lives of well-known public figures of Pakistan and

also her family members without disguising their identities and even

divulges information about failed clandestine operations undertaken with her

then husband, Khar supposedly with Indian assistance to overthrow General

Zias regime. The mindless violence and horrific brutality which the reader

is bombarded with at times fails to provoke any response of outrage or even

outrage. It ceases to be real.

However, Durrani sees the journey from being an innocent, nave, guileless

woman, terrorised by her demon lover and yet attracted to him as one of

self-discovery and survival. She becomes a politically astute woman, who

learns the roles of party politics and serves as her husbands companion and

aide helping to revive his political career by campaigning on his behalf to


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regain his voter bank. The claim to truth is undoubtedly a huge factor in

escalating the sales of such writing.

The question is, can such literature have claims to being feminist or is it

melodrama masquerading as feminism?

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Islamic Feminism and the Literature of Torture