VOICING THE VOICELESS: FEMINISM AND CONTEMPORARY ARAB MUSLIM WOMEN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHIES Taghreed Mahmoud Abu Sarhan A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December 2011 Committee: Ellen Berry, Advisor Vibha Bhalla Graduate Faculty Representative Radhika Gajjala Erin Labbie iii ABSTRACT Ellen Berry, Advisor Arab Muslim women have been portrayed by the West in general and Western Feminism in particular as oppressed, weak, submissive, and passive. A few critics, Nawar al-Hassan Golley, is an example, clarify that Arab Muslim women are not weak and passive as they are seen by the Western Feminism viewed through the lens of their own culture and historical background. Using Transnational Feminist theory, my study examines four autobiographies: Harem Years By Huda Sha’arawi, A Mountainous Journey a Poet’s Autobiography by Fadwa Tuqan, A Daughter of Isis by Nawal El Saadawi, and Dreams of Trespass, Tales of a Harem Girlhood by Fatima Mernissi. This study promises to add to the extant literature that examine Arab Muslim women’s status by viewing Arab women’s autobiographies as real life stories to introduce examples of Arab Muslim women figures who have effected positive and significant changes for themselves and their societies. Moreover, this study seeks to demonstrate, through the study of select Arab Muslim women’s autobiographies, that Arab Muslim women are educated, have feminist consciousnesses, and national figures with their own clear reading of their own religion and culture, more telling than that of the reading of outsiders. Key terms: Arab Muslim women, Transnational Feminist Theory, Contemporary Arab Muslim Women’s Autobiography, Third – World women, Western Feminism, Women’s Movement in the Arab Muslim world. iv DEDICATION First, I dedicate this dissertation with the deep love from bottom of my heart to the light of my eyes, the love of my life my two lovely kids Yanal and Ghaith, who were there for me while researching, reading, and writing my dissertation. They are the ones who shared me all the details of my trip all through the process of writing this dissertation. Promise my precious sons, I will pay you back all the minutes I was busy and you were nicely, wisely playing with each other like you are giving me the peace of mind to do my readings and writings. Although you were four years and three years when I finished my dissertation work, I always looked at you as mature sons who understand what mommy is going through. I hope a day comes and I stand there for you while you are working on your PhDs. Second, I dedicate this dissertation to the great lady, the mate of my soul, and my mentor Mrs. Patricia Muwafaq Salti, the British Jordanian lady who always stands for me in my ups and downs. She is the one who took my hand in the darkest stages of my life. She believed in me, supported me in all the means. I sincerely do not find the words that may say thank you in a proper way. I know Tricia; you have done all what you have done for me without waiting a thank you. Is it fair enough to tell you honestly that without you I would never be what I am on today? I hope dictating the fruit of my work all these years is a proper way to say I am so grateful to you and many thanks. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In this acknowledgment, I thank initially and always GOD for his guidance and blessings all through my life. Then I would like to thank some of those who have their impact on my life and those who helped me or participated in any way to let my work see the light. First of all, I cannot say enough how much I am thankful to my supervisor and chair Dr. Ellen Berry. Dr. Berry was not only my teacher who supervises my work as a profession; she is the woman who has a belief in women of the Third world in particular and women of the glob in general. She did not only support me in my writing, but she was always there when I faced any cultural shock or downs in my way. She has always believed that I can do it although I did not have the enough time to do it. Thanks to Dr Ellen Berry because her fruitful information and great feedback were always the paved road in all the stages of my dissertation. My thanks also extend to the members of my dissertation’s committee who supported my work, enjoyed reading it, and provided me with their wide insights and great ideas. An individual thanks to all of you, Dr Erin Labbie, Dr Vibha Bhalla, and Dr. Radhika Gajjala. Special thanks to Dr. Gajjala for her support and continuous encouragement from her position as the Director of the American Culture Studies Program. I also want to thank the former Director of the American Culture Studies who never hesitated to provide his students with what they need in order to do their work precisely. My deep thanks go to Gloria Enriquez Pizana, the secretary at the American Culture Studies who was not a big helper in all what I needed, but also she made a great friend. I also thank deeply Ms Angela Garner for her proofreading of my dissertation. Many thanks to Ms Jamie Stuart for the hard work she did in editing my dissertation. vi I would like to thank the Fulbright Organization for this great opportunity of educating in the United States of America and gaining this great experience that for sure will take me back home full of deep insights and big ideas to start projects that I wish are going to help people in my country, especially women. Special thanks for Mr. Alain McNamara from Fulbright in Jordan. Also, I would like to thank AMIDEAST organization and all the employees in Washington D.C. and in Amman. They were always there to support students and provide all what they needed. Many thanks to my friend Roberta for all the support and caring for both me and the kids all the time I was working on my dissertation. My deepest regards and gratefulness go to the Public Security Directorate in Amman Jordan for their continuous support for me all the years of pursuing my Doctorate. I am grateful to the late Director of the PSD General Tahseen Shurdum and Late Director of the PSD General Mohammad Al – Eitan, God bless their souls, for giving me this opportunity and giving me the five years leave off my work to do my PhD. I am also thankful to the current Director of the PSD General Hussein Hazza’ El – Majali for his continuous support to me while I am in the United States of America. I will always mention the many privileges that I got while working for the PSD and representing it. Without the support of the PSD, I would not be able to pursue a PhD degree in America. Many thanks and I hope I come back with many positive projects for my country and my people so as to pay you back what you have done for me. My thanks extended to my husband, my family and friends in Jordan. In particular, I would like to thank my friend Maha Rantisi who never stopped calling me. Many thanks to you; your encouraging words and believing in me always gave a push forward. Your words were like a cure to a sick body. I cannot stop thanking my mother, sisters, and brother for believing in me and supporting me. Thank you mother for being so patient waiting for me vii this long without even showing me any complains. I heard your heart weeping every time we were talking over phone and I could not do anything but holding my tears and say to you I am coming back soon while I know it is not that soon. Finally, I would like to thank those who were trying to hold me back of my goals, pursuing what I am in and at the time I was waiting their support and caring, they played the role of constrains and frustrated me. Thanks to you because each time you were pulling me a foot backward you were stimulating me to double my efforts and push two feet forward. viii PREFACE In the year 2001, the director of the Public Security Directorate, where I work in Jordan, decided to withdraw all the hard work I have done for a year preparing for a Chevening Scholarship. In just few words he ended my life dream by stating that trip to UK for my Masters is no longer applicable. At the same time he gave his consent to my colleague at work who is a male. My colleague did not achieve higher scores in his preliminary tests than mine. Anyways, my colleague continues his travel and started his masters in UK while I stayed pursuing all my efforts to follow him, but failed. Two weeks later, the Jordan women Union conducted a workshop talking about violence against women and gender issues. They talked about my case as an example. One of the attendances called me to tell me that my name was mentioned in the conference as a victim of a patriarchal society and that I was a victim of discrimination between men and women in Jordan. I got mad and remember calling the boss there telling her that they directed the issue the way they like and never studied my case as a whole.