The Hidden Face of Eve : Women in the Arab World

This powerful non-fiction account of the oppression of women in the Muslim world remains as shocking today as when it was first published, more than a quarter of a century ago. Nawal El Saadawi writes out of a powerful sense of the violence and injustice which permeated her society. Her experiences working as a doctor in villages around Egypt, witnessing prostitution, honour killings and sexual abuse, including female circumcision, drove her to give voice to this suffering. She goes on to explore the causes of the situation through a discussion of the historical role of Arab women in religion and literature. Saadawi argues that the veil, polygamy and legal inequality are incompatible with the essence of Islam or any human faith. The Hidden Face of Eve remains a classic of modern Arab writing. This powerful account of brutality against women in the Muslim world remains as shocking today as when it was first published, more than a quarter of a century ago. It was the horrific female genital mutilation that she suffered aged only six, which first awakened Nawal el Saadawi's sense of the violence and injustice which permeated her society. Her experiences working as a doctor in villages around Egypt, witnessing prostitution, honour killings and sexual abuse, inspired her to write in order to give voice to this suffering. She goes on explore the causes of the situation through a discussion of the historical role of Arab women in religion and literature. Saadawi argues that the veil, polygamy and legal inequality are incompatible with the just and peaceful Islam which she envisages This is a personal and often disturbing account of growing up into womanhood in the Islamic world. The author ranges over a host of topics, from sexual aggression against female children and the circumcision of young girls, to prostitution, sexual relationships, marriage and divorce. She relates women's position in the Middle East to the struggles between the left and right in Islam, and shows how the political priorities of Western and Third World women differ.-- Publisher's description Monograph analyzing the social status of women in Arab country, with special emphasis on Egypt - considers historical trends in sex discrimination in relation to physical integrity, value systems (religion), social roles (family), the woman worker, etc., and relates the feminist fight for equal opportunity and human rights to national liberation movements, economic and social development and the political behaviour of social classes. Bibliography after each chapter Presents An Account Of Brutality Against Women In The Muslim World. This Work Explores The Causes Of The Situation Through A Discussion Of The Historical Role Of Arab Women In Religion And Literature. It Argues That The Veil, Polygamy And Legal Inequality Are Incompatible With The Just And Peaceful Islam. Front Cover; More Praise; About the Author; Title Page ; Copyright ; Dedication ; Contents ; Foreword by Ronak Husni ; Preface to the English Edition ; Introduction ; Part I: The Mutilated Half ; 1: The Question That No One Would Answer I was six years old that night when I lay in my bed, warm and peaceful in that pleasurable state which lies half way between wakefulness and sleep, with the rosy dreams of childhood flitting by, like gentle fairies in quick succession. Beschrijving van allerlei aspecten van het vrouw-zijn in Islamitische landen en van de man-vrouw verhouding tegen de achtergrond van het sociale, politieke religieuze leven