Women
An old Levantine marriage
Marriage is the cornerstone of any society, and for Syrians, it has been a treasured establishment for centuries, practiced with rituals and festivities, from one generation to the next. Much has changed when it comes to arranged marriages in Syria, but a few details remain the same.
Syrian marriages in the past were arranged at an early age for both males and females. For young boys, it was common to get married by the age of 16 (or when they reached puberty). When a young boy was “ready,” female relatives (mothers, older sisters, aunts) would start searching for a suitable wife between 12 – 13 years old. When choices were limited, it was common for a family to hire a professional matchmaker, and together, they would scan the homes of Damascus, knocking on doors and asking, “Do you have girls for marriage?” The search process could take months, sometimes years, and only when a suitable wife was found would the examinations begin.
A tough woman,a fighter, a combatant
Unlike many intellectuals, who went to Damascus,
Paris, or London
to develop their careers, Haifa Bitar stayed in
Latakia, next to her church, to struggle with the pen for women emancipation in
Syria.
Like other writers and artists I met in Syria, Latakia-based Haifa Bitar had opinions about the September 11th at-tacks and the subsequent US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Gender roles in literature and the media
Women and men are
usually depicted as having extremely different roles in society, evident in the
way both literature and the media portray them. Before elaborating some gender
roles that confine both sexes to traditional duties and responsibilities, it is
important to reveal the difference between one’s sex and one’s gender. <Sex’
is used to refer to the bio-logical, anatomical differences between males and
females, whilst <gender’ is used to refer to the social and cultural differences
between them. Hence, sex is a biological construct whereas gender is a social
construct. A person’s sex is a biological quality, but a person acquires
his/her gender through a process called gender socialization. The development
of gender roles often begins as early as childhood. Children learn from their
parents, society, and school the conception of «feminine» and «masculine.»
Can Muslim women get a divorce free of humiliation?
Many Muslim countries are endorsing gradual yet distinguished measures towards progress in various areas such as economy, technology, education, health, etc. However, one finds few remarkable attempts to resolve intricate legal practices that continue to prevent Muslim women and children from basic rights.
Syrian women and the law
Women’s rights seem to be occupying everybody these days; jurists, scholars, states-men, and women activists from around the globe. Every regional or international conference tack-les the issue of women’s rights, in one way or another, and so do newspapers, magazines, and academic journals. The issue is becoming increasingly important in Syria.
In ancient times, people used to see women as taboos; a flesh without spirit, or when found, a spirit that is devilish. Then came world religions to prove the contrary. The monotheistic religions gave women rights, duties, and obligations. In Islam, women were addressed in the following verse of the Holy Quran: “You people fear your God who created you from one soul, then created its partner and many men and women out of them.” (The Sura of Women, Verse 19).
Celebrating the achievementsof Syrian women writers
Despite the fact that Syrian women writers are deeply
rooted in the social and political concerns of Arab society in general and the
Syrian one in particular, their literary achievements have largely been ignored.
Their creativity did not receive enough local acclaim. Although there are many
renowned Syrian women writers, most critics in the Arab world dissociated themselves
from women’s writings, and concentrated on the dominant works of men. There are
several books that are writ-ten on the status of the novel in Syria, without
a single woman writer being mentioned. In other words, female creativity is
deeply belittled in the dominant literary criticism, which did not celebrate
what Syrian women had achieved during the twentieth century. As for the global
literary scene, Syrian women writers have not been widely analyzed, except for
those who lived abroad, or those who managed to pave their way into public
politics. Hence, there is a dire need to revive the buried history of women and
to celebrate the achievements of Syrian women writers who have long been kept
in the shadow, and whose works are sometimes unknown even to Syrian readers.
Why Syrian women are so important?
Women
in Syria
are elected to office. They vote, run businesses, and families.
They act, sing, paint, and much more.
They act, sing, paint, and much more.
When I tell Americans about Syria, the land, the monuments, the people—and the incredibly warm and resilient families, they are surprised and pleased. The greatest source of interest is in Syrian women, who definitely break the stereotype. Syrian women are not submissive creatures who live in the shadow of their men. It’s true that some are especially religious, but they make their own choices. The women I have met in Syria are proud, independent, well educated, and resourceful. They decide to cover, or not; where to study; where to work; and whom to marry. Some of the women I have met work in government, others run their own businesses or have taken over the family business. Still others have served as elected officials. And my interest in art and writing has introduced me to a number of Syrian women who excel in these fields.
Lessons from Syrian Women on being Syrian in America—and more Syrian in Syria
“When you think of Syrian women, what’s the first image that comes to your mind?” I asked a friend in Washington DC over lunch. “Well, I imagine they’re like other women in the Middle East,” he stammered. “Some probably wear the hijab, but I don’t know.” He isn’t the only American that doesn’t know.
A progressive interpretation of women’s issues in Islam
Islam has evolved over the
course of historic and cultural events spanning more than a millennia. It has
proven to be a dynamic and progressive faith capable of adapting without conflicting
with modernity. The concept of ‘Ijtihad,’ or reinterpretation, is central to
this flexibility in Islam. It allows for the redefinition of religious laws and
practices in contemporary terms. Now more than ever, the Muslim world needs a
modern Islamic reinterpretation of women’s rights that is responsive to their
contemporary challenges and aspirations.