Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Huda Sharawi هدى الشعراوي





"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." -Benjamin Franklin 

I'm writing to free myself and free women from this prison. My writing is dedicated to all women over the world. I believe that history repeats itself, and for that reason, I am indebted to my namesake, Huda Al-Sharawy, an Egyptian feminist, and the first woman in the Middle East who called for female emancipation.
I see myself as a foreigner in my community. This is because my thoughts do not match their thoughts, and their thoughts do not match mine. My community doesn't consider me to be a real woman because they are unwilling to accept a woman who objects or defends her gender. To them, I am not a woman because I am strong and stand against them. They believe that strength is for men and weakness for women.


The only way to express my feelings and share my thoughts is through writing. In the writing of my experiences and thoughts, I found myself writing this book, Women between submission and freedom. I consider myself a messenger for woman, carrying their message, whether from the East or West, to define the true meaning of being a woman. This definition is a culmination of stories and experiences from different perceptions and angles of life, and I hope that they can make all women proud of their womanhood.




 "Start huge, foolish project like Noah.
 It makes absolutely no difference, what people think of you.''

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Two Words in One Word



"The human starts from one. One soul in two bodies. We can’t deny one body and favour another body. As far as my spiritual level of experience is concerned, the woman is the core part of humanity. This truth has been manipulated by culture and community." Huda Sharawi, Women Between Submission & Freedom

Women Between Submission & Freedom



 Women Between Submission & Freedom is a cultural, historical, and spiritual inquiry into the nature of contemporary Eastern and Western Society. Huda Sharawi highlights the gender inequality plaguing contemporary Arabian and Islamic culture. Her analysis begins by outlining personal stories and everyday instances of misogynistic behaviour suffered by herself and those around her. 

Next, Sharawi discusses the philosophical and historical origins of the Arabian and Western patriarchal system. She suggests that the subjugation of women is not the sole result of masculine domination, but also a consequence of the deeply-rooted insecurities of women themselves. Sharawi engages in a comparative study of female leadership and liberation movements across history, suggesting that today’s system of inequality is a recent phenomenon perpetuated by a mix of culture and religious misinterpretation. 
Sharawi concludes that employ gender-based social intimidation under the cloak of religion. The interpretation of these verses is based on the societal values and politics of those who lead and protect the patriarchal system. To them, religion is not an ethos, but a weapon.


https://www.sensepublishers.com/catalogs/bookseries/transgressions-cultural-studies-and-education/women-between-submission-and-freedom/