Give a sister a break
June 26, 2005
Hey guys. So I wrote this entry a few days ago, but then felt unsure about posting it, seeing as I haven�t read the book against which I was ranting. In any case, I found some confirmation for the reaction I had when I first read the NYTimes article sent to me by both BK and Mr. Inkwell, and thus I now feel free to post my original entry below, along with a link to an excerpt of the novel in question. But just to sum up what I was trying to say a few days ago, just because an Arab woman is writing about sex, doesn�t mean she�s writing it well, and it definitely doesn�t mean she�s the only one. There are plenty of Arab women writers who write about sex, not under a pseudonym, and not in French, and apparently much better than this Nedjme person. If you must, if you really, really must, you can see what I mean by reading an excerpt from the �ground-breaking� novel under discussion here.
Otherwise, read on below if you want to better understand the above:
Yesterday (Jun 24) I awoke to find that both BK and Mr. Inkwell had emailed me this article from the New York Times, asking me what I thought. [Quick summary: the article is about this supposedly sexually explicit novel written by a North African woman in French, which is supposed to be this woman�s feminist tome about learning to accept female sexuality in Muslim society. Or something like that.]
Having just read this article, I�d like to say that I think it�s bullshit. �Nedjme� (the author�s pseudonym) claims that there is no discussion of female sexuality in Muslim literature, which I think is a pretty bullshit claim (first of all, because the Islamic world is a lot broader than North Africa or even Arabia). If you want fairly explicit and frank discussions of sex and sexuality read The Story of Zahra, read The Ship, read The Yacoubian Building (which I am almost done with, and which contains various explicit discussions of sexual acts, including a few between a homosexual couple), or read, if you must Ahlam Mustaghanami�s writing (but only if you absolutely must, ugh). Perhaps not every single act is discussed frankly and in full detail, but honestly, how many western novels, aside from the oft-derided ones written by the likes of Danielle Steel or Sidney Sheldon, give you the full play-by-play?
Now, I don�t want to be one of those Muslim apologists. Yes, there is a lot �wrong� with Islamic society. Yes, women are to a great extent oppressed, in some areas or levels of society more than others. But, frank, healthy, and open discussions of sex DO exist, when given the right context. My parents, despite wanting to kick the ass of any man who comes to me without a ring and a Quran in hand, have always been available to openly discuss sex with us. I know that my aunts, who are much more conservative, do the same with their daughters when they feel that the time is right. And, if you get into a group of older, married women, especially rural ones, you will find that they often share gossipy stories of what�s been going on in their bedrooms. And as for Nedjme�s claim that women in Muslim society do not enjoy sex? Well, yes, I�m sure some don�t, but I personally know a hell of a lot who do, and who are often just gagging for it.
Mostly though, I think I�m just feeling snotty towards this woman and what�s been written about her because, because I hate that one North African woman�s writing is being taken as some sort of banner for the whole Muslim women�s cause.
And seriously y�all. As far as I�m concerned it�s not that bad. Sex and sexuality are alive and�at least not deathly ill in the Arabo-Islamic world, and there are much better places to read about it than in a novel which contains lines [�His fingers had soon slipped under my panties and parted my petals, discovering my clitoris, as hard as a chickpea, pressing it with a delicate and thoughtful gesture.�]that would put Jackie Collins to shame.
UPDATE: Read this story. It's so good.