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A review by stennyi
Beyond the Veil, Revised Edition: Male-Female Dynamics in Modern Muslim Society by Fatema Mernissi
4.0
I have very mixed feelings about this book. For the most part, I don't know enough about Islam and the Koran and the Prophet Mohammed to know whether the author is misrepresenting information or not. I do think that the information and the history and the interpretations are presented in an informative and sometimes speculative way.
One major disagreement that I have with this book is in the conclusion: she states that Arab women's liberation can surpass it's western liberal counterpart. She says "American women will get the right to abortion but it will take a long time before they can prevent the females body from being exploited as a marketable product". It's statements like those that make me feel she is more than a little biased and she fits into the American stereotypical critique of an "oppressed" Muslim woman. She goes on to say "Muslim women, on the contrary, engage in a silent but explosive dialogue with the fragile ruling class whose major task is to secure economic growth plan for the future without exploitation and deprivation".
Now, this book was written in the 70s and revised in the 80s, I think modern Muslim woman today would have to disagree with Mernissi's speculation on Arab women's liberation. It's happening, but it's happening slowly.
One major disagreement that I have with this book is in the conclusion: she states that Arab women's liberation can surpass it's western liberal counterpart. She says "American women will get the right to abortion but it will take a long time before they can prevent the females body from being exploited as a marketable product". It's statements like those that make me feel she is more than a little biased and she fits into the American stereotypical critique of an "oppressed" Muslim woman. She goes on to say "Muslim women, on the contrary, engage in a silent but explosive dialogue with the fragile ruling class whose major task is to secure economic growth plan for the future without exploitation and deprivation".
Now, this book was written in the 70s and revised in the 80s, I think modern Muslim woman today would have to disagree with Mernissi's speculation on Arab women's liberation. It's happening, but it's happening slowly.