The experience of transitioning from one world to another can be prevented due to obstacles that can possibly be challenging which may result in the growth of an individual. One may encounter barriers that can prevent successful transition, thus having an effect on their perception and the perception of others. The remarkable play ‘Shafana & Aunt Sarrinah: Soft revolution’ -2010 by Alana Valentine portrays the experience of venturing into a new religious world as both protagonists exhibit their juxtaposing perspectives on devotion towards religion as the cultural significance of the hijab becomes a barrier between generations. This provides the audience with an insight into Muslim women’s world, exploring their own identities in regards to
The collapse of France during World War II was as abrupt as it was unforeseen. A major work of art that reflected the provocative history of France during the German occupation and the lives of the captives was that of Irene Nemirovsky’s Suite Française, a book she wrote in 1941. The French women that were portrayed in the novel come from different backgrounds and played different roles. The roles that these women depicted in the book were roles that women in reality played; roles that they didn’t necessarily choose, but rather was forced upon them by the French society and the circumstances that the war has brought upon them. Irene Nemirovsky was born in Kiev in 1903 to a wealthy family, and like most prominent Russian-Jewish families, hers had made the transition to French life impeccably (Kaplan 4).
The Middle East has long struggled to show their women the rights and freedoms offered to most other women of the world. The struggle to gain equality amongst men has been unsuccessful as women today are still oppressed. They’re forced to cover the bodies and sometimes their faces, they can’t leave their homes without the company of a man, and they aren’t allowed to receive an education usually past middle school. These are just some of the things women are forced to deal with. Despite these restrictions seeming cruel and pointless, there are people who support this, including women.
During this week, we have covered numerous topics, none more prominent than the oppression of women. Everyone had different opinions, allowing me to take into account different views on the issue. In one of the texts we examined, “Oppression”, Marilyn Frye, a philosopher, debates the subjugation of women. She states the cultural customs that causes oppression of women. I do agree with her view that women are oppressed, but I do not agree that it is just women.
In 1939, Reza Shah’s unveiling declaration sparked a worldwide debate as to what the veil actually symbolizes. Ever since the beginning of Islam, women throughout the Islamic world have had to adopt the hijab as part of their cultural and religious attire due to various interpretations of the Islamic dress code. In addition, the Koran emphasizes purity in the name of Islam by asking both men and women to be modest when it comes to the way they dress. Furthermore, in his efforts to modernize Iran, Reza Shah failed to satisfy the needs of his people, as he gave women no say in what they could and could not wear in public. This eventually resulted in the division of Iranian women, as there were those who favored the Islamic tradition, and those who supported the regime and its adoption of Western values.
Everybody has unconscious bias. But what role does it play in our daily lives? And how does it affect us? In the TED talk “What Does My Headscarf Mean to You”, speaker Yassmin Abdel-Magied aims to encourage the audience to acknowledge that everyone has unconscious bias, and to look past their own bias in order to promote equal opportunity, particularly when it comes to the workplace. “We all have our own biases.
The issue of the veil has come to represent the essence of Islam, not only to the West, but also to Muslim Conservatives and Fundamentalists. To some in the West, the veil represents repression and constriction of women’s freedom and choice, limiting their capacity for self-determination. However, some Muslims would argue that women must veil because it is a first step towards restoring true Islam and a defiance against the West Interventionist policies (Lazreg, Why Women Should Not Wear the Veil, pg. 113). Additionally, the idea of freedom as the ultimate value, is a western standard and that for some, piety is more important. Lila Abu-Lughod and Marnia Lazreg have contrasting views on the veiling of Muslim women and the affects it has on their lives.
There is an established thought that every person must be an active participant in their life, and this is done by making choices; however, it is accepting responsibility that controls our lives and the people around us. Marjane Satrapi is an outspoken female, who is not afraid to stand up for something she believes in. As she grew up, Islamic Fundamentalists created strict moral and dress codes for the people of Iran. As a woman, she was forced to wear a hijab in a certain manner. At the time, Marjane was studying at an art school.
In her 1975 article, “Feminism in the French Revolution,” Jane Abray provides a dismissive view of women’s movements during the Revolution. In the article, Abray emphasizes the failures of revolutionary feminism. In her opinion, the most compelling reason for revolutionary feminism’s failure was that it was a minority interest that remained inaccessible to the majority of French women who accepted their inferior status to men. Abray suggests additional reasons for the movement’s “abject failure,” including its inability to garner support from the male leaders of the Revolution, the disreputable characters of the feminist leaders, the strategic errors made by the movement’s leaders, and a “spirit of the times” that emphasized the nuclear family
The Women’s March on Versailles struck a conversation pertaining to women’s rights beyond traditional roles in the household setting. Following the National Assembly’s “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen” in August 1789, tensions between the French government and
Have you ever wondered why girls and women in the Middle East are obliged to cover their heads wearing a black veil? Have you ever wondered why the Shah of Iran was executed? You can find the answers to these questions in the book entitled Persepolis. A nine-year-old, rebellious Marjane lives in Iran in the 1980s during the Islamic Revolution when the new Islamic governmental law forced all young girls to wear a veil and to move to female schools. Her parents and extended family fought against the new Islamic regime, but after four years, fearing for their daughter’s safety they sent her to Austria alone.
During the time of the Iran Revolution, modernists are being presented as a rebellious group. The modernist attend demonstrations to showcase their rebellious attitude towards the government. The group chants ‘“guns may shoot and knives may carve, but we won’t wear you silly scarves’” (76). During the revolution it is obligatory for women to
It was later called The Islamic Revolution” (Satrapi 3). The readers see right away that every students entered school was asked to wear veil due to the fact that “1980: The Year it became obligatory to wear the veil at school” (Satrapi 3). The veil symbolizes the restriction of social liberties for
After the Iranian Revolution, it became compulsory for women to wear the veil as the Islamic dress code and all women were removed from government positions, leading to increasing oppression and inequality in Iran. The use of black and white on the first page of the book creates a very clear image that a lot of people are unhappy with the new rules that are introduced by the government. The use of images shows us the oppression of freedom in a way that it would be hard to imagine with words. The first panel shows Marjane in a somber mood, crossing her arms to show her defensive thinking against the veil and the world. In the following panel, the girl’s expressions range from neutral to dislike or discomfort, which shows the general thoughts from people on how they think of the veil.
For many, feminist movement is about giving women liberty, equal opportunity and control over their own destiny. C. ISLAMIC FEMINISM In many Muslim countries, the “f” word (feminism) has sparked tensions, conjuring images of domineering, family-hating woman; similar to other labels such as “Muslim” conjuring images of subjugated woman in the mind of the West. Although these stereotypes are true in a specific historical context, these may not be so when compared to a larger reality. Thus, this does not justify the hostility that follows.
