Is this fairr??????? I don't thinkk soo!

on pages 32-33 in Dreams of Trespass they talk about the egyption king and how he divorced her because of giving birth to three children whom were all girls. Since she didn't give birth to any sons he didn't want her any longer. Do you think that is fair?? Also, they mentioned in that passage was that if he ever wanted her back that she had to come back to him right away if she liked it or not. If you ever divorced your husband and he told you to come back would you?? I know I wouldn't.

Another passage that made me feel sorry for these women was the fact that they had to share their husbands with other women. Imagine not being able to be with your husband for eight nights like the woman Yasmina who is the tough and open-minded woman of the house. She did not fear anyone and did everything to make her co-wives angry like Lalla Thor. What she did to make Lalla Thor angrey was naming her duck Lalla Thor because it was ugly. Lalla Thors character is ugly because she is too cocky and thinks highly of her self when she is just like all the other co-wives except she wears a tiara on her head. I think its funny because she threatens her husband that she will leave him if she does not name her duck something else. The husband who is the narrators grandfather loves Yasminas character because she tends to make him laugh and is very eccentric. He still tells Yasmina to name her duck something else. So, Yasmina reasons with him and tells him that she will call her duck lalla Thor in private. The point that I was trying to get across though was how would you feel being a "co-wife:?

Also, there was a cute passage within these two pages that reminded me of my childhood because we all go through the same phase as the narrator does. ""you need two to make a baby." and she was right about that, I knew. to make babies, the bride and the groom had to dress up nicely, put flowers in their hair, and lie down together on a very big bed. the next thing you knew, many mornings later there was a little baby crawling between them."(pg 32)

When I read this passage it made me giggle because it reminded me of how I used to think babies were made. I always thought or was told that all you had to do was ask for one and then the next thing you knew God placed a baby in my moms tummy. Its funny but I think we all had our own ideas of how babies were made until we actually found out the truth.

Traditions are being Lost?? In today's Society??

"Traditions is being lost."(pg26)

This line caught my attention because it related to society today. Of course tradition is being lost! Every generation new traditions are formed or could be used today in different ways. You always hear elders and parents saying this because their generation was different from ours today. The traditions over the past years have deffinetly changed drastically because of the newer technologies, the way children are these days are, and the freedom most people have.

Do you think tradition has changed drastically from your parents time? Is it somewhat similar or completly different? How about your traditions when you were younger have those changed as well?

I know my traditions from when I was younger has changed because most of my family has moved back to Lebanon. We don't have the same gatherings as we used to, we don't have dinner with one another everyday like when I was younger, we don't go on vacations every summer or spend time as a family anymore. It seems like everyone has gone their seperate ways, or are too busy with work and school to have time for each other. I don't think this only falls under my household but for other as well. Does this happen or had happened to you and your family?

Also, family tradition might not be the only thing that has changed within individuals families. What about cultural traditions or religious traditions? Has those changed in any way?

Dreams Of Trespass; Lockdown Women

Mother would say now and then. "If I only could go for a walk in the early morning when the streets are deserted. The light must be blue then, or pink, like at sunset. What is the color of the morning in the deserted, silent streets?" No one answered her questions. In a harem, you don't necessarily ask what is happening to you. Roaming freely in the streets was every womens dream. Aunt Habiba's most popular tale, which she narrated on special occasions only, was about "The Women with Wings," who could fly away from the courtyard whenever seh wanted to. Every time Aunt Habiba told that story, the women in the courtyard would tuck their caftans into their belts, and dance away with their arms spread wide as if they were about to fly. Cousin Chama, who was seventeen, had me confused for years, because she managed to convince me that all women had invinsible wings, and that mine would develop too, when I was older." (pg22)

Imagine if you had to be locked in a gated area trapped with women and children. Imagine never being able to experience life outside those gates, except in your fantasies. Just imagine your life without being able to do as you please because the men said so. How would you feel? Would you follow the rules or go against them and face the consequences, just to be free? Why do you think these women are following the rules? Why do you think these men act this way?(meaning why do you think they think they are superior?)

Also, what do you think cousin Chama means in this quote:
"Cousin Chama, who was seventeen, had me confused for years, because she managed to convince me that all women had invinsible wings, and that mine would develop too, when I was older."

I'm not really sure what she means but the impressions I got out of it was that maybe these women do sneak out of their Harems when nobody is paying attention. I would like to hear others opinions on these lines or if someone can give me a better understanding it will be helpful. Thank you :)

Video: The Agony of Islam

Your opinions....

Dreams Of Trespass by Fatima Mernissi

Dreams of Trespass is perfect for the topic that I am studing because it talks about how "women" have no say in anything in society.
On pages 1-2 the narrator is explaining to us her "Harem". Harem is a part of a Muslim palace or house reserved for the residence of women. (it includes the mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, councubines, entertainers, and servants).
Reading the first chapter of this novel already made me want to keep on reading. This novel also, had me fustrated at the fact of how they treat women in Morocco. They view them as if they are nothing but objects and can not do anything in their lives.


"The frontiers is in the mind of the powerful. I could not go and see this for myself because Uncle and father said that a girl does not travel. Travel is dangerous and women can't defend themselves. Aunt Habiba, who had been cast off and sent away suddenly gor no reason by a husband she loved dearly, said that Allah had sent the Northern armies to Morocco to punish the men for violating the hudud protecting women. When you hurt a woman, you are violating Allah's sacred frotier. It is unlawful to hurt the weak. She cried for years."(3)
This passage upset me because it made it seem like women are portrayed as being weak and not being able to take care of themselves. I know that in the Muslim religion women are suppose to be guarded by men but I don't like the fact that they say girls do not travel. I believe that girls should be able to travel where ever they want and not have to rely on a man to be with them. Also, I don't think women need men to protect themselves. Women have the will power to protect themselves and not have to rely on a man to do everything for them. What makes a women strong is doing things on their own. Do you think that society should portray women as the weak? If so, why? Are women still portrayed as the weak in American Society? How about around the world? Do you still see unequalness in a society that claims to be equal to all?

A Strong Poem

Read this poem and comment on your feelings toward this poem.





Who I Am !

What do you see when you look at me
Do you see someone limited, or someone free
All some people can do is just look and stare
Simply because they can't see my hair
Others think I am controlled and uneducated
They think that I am limited and un-liberated
They are so thankful that they are not me
Because they would like to remain 'free'
Well free isn't exactly the word I would've used
Describing women who are cheated on and abused
They think that I do not have opinions or voice
They think that being hooded isn't my choice
They think that the hood makes me look caged
That my husband or dad are totally outraged
All they can do is look at me in fear
And in my eye there is a tear
Not because I have been stared at or made fun of
But because people are ignoring the one up above
On the day of judgment they will be the fools
Because they were too ashamed to play by their own rules
Maybe the guys won't think I am a cutie
But at least I am filled with more inner beauty
See I have declined from being a guy's toy
Because I won't let myself be controlled by a boy
Real men are able to appreciate my mind
And aren't busy looking at my behind
Hooded girls are the ones really helping the muslim cause
The role that we play definitely deserves applause
I will be recognized because I am smart and bright
And because some people are inspired by my sight
The smart ones are attracted by my tranquility
In the back of their mind they wish they were me
We have the strength to do what we think is right
Even if it means putting up a life long fight
You see we are not controlled by a mini skirt and tight shirt
We are given only respect, and never treated like dirt
So you see, we are the ones that are free and liberated
We are not the ones that are sexually terrorized and violated
We are the ones that are free and pure
We're free of STD's that have no cure
So when people ask you how you feel about the hood
Just sum it up by saying 'baby its all good' ;)

May Allah make u smile, and guide you safely through every mile. Grant you health and most of all give u Paradise


This is from:
http://islam_info.blogspot.com/2004/07/who-i-am-excellent-poem-about-muslim.html

Critical Lives: Muhammad Ibn 'Abdullah

This book is about Muhammad the prophet of Islam. This book starts off with the history of Arabia before Islam came into the picture. The Reason why I'm reading this book as well is because its going to help me learn more about the Background or history of Arabia and how everything had started. Also, it will help me explain somethings about the religion and be able to connect it with the stories that I am going to read soon. It talks about how women had just a few rights back back then. "Tribal customs had a nightmarish side as well. Muhammad labeled the time before the coming of Islam Jahiliyya, the days of Ignorance, and rightly so. Arab Human rights were quite backwards, even for the time. Women had precious few rights. A women became the property of a man upon marriage, and no woman could refuse a match made by her father. Spousal abuse was rampant, with no recourse to any quarter for help. Upon the death of her husband, a woman could be inherited by her son and made her son's wife. Female infanticide in which newborn baby girls were buried alive in the sand was quite common in a society that considered surplus females a burden. Women had no divorce or well-defined inheritance rights and certainly no politcal voice. A man could divorce without reason and leave a woman penniless, and there was no limit to the number of wives a man could have, nor rules for how each should be treated." (Emerick 8-9) This all changed once Islam came into the picture, except for some of the people who kept that tradition going. People tend to think that this behavior towards women is part of the religion Islam. It is not part of the religion its just mere traditions that should not be allowed at all. This really goes against what the religion is truely about.

Tales from the Thousand and One nights

The novel Tales from the thousand and One Nights is a large collection of different stories that consists of fables,fairy tales, legends, adventure tales, parables, morality tales, etc. The novel has been translated from Arabic to English. The book that I am reading is Dawoods edition which is a much shorter version of the much longer versions. The tales consist of Indian, Persian and Arabian roots. They say it goes back to the Sassanid Kings predating the rise of Islam. The stories in a thousand and one nights are inspirations for other works through the centuries. Some of the things inside the tales is going to help me relate to the novels that I am going to read about the treatment of Muslim women in different regions.

Women's Roles in Societies

Why do Muslim men think that they can tell women what God wants them to do, when they are not God? Women’s roles in some Muslim societies are limited. They are forced to cover themselves completely with out having a choice. They get tortured and killed for all of the wrong reasons. The men on the other hand are allowed to do as they please and are the reason for this problem. In the novels Reading Lolita in Tehran, Dreams of trespass, A thousand Splendid Suns and Midaq Alley all focus on Muslim women. All of these novels bring us to these women’s lives and allow us to see the treatment they go through in their societies. Why do you think these women keep continuing to allow these men to oppress them? Why don’t they just find the power as a whole to stop everything and make their lives better?