As a leading advocate for womens rights in the muslim world, mernissi is praised for her insightful commentaries on. Mernissis subject is the domestic harem of her extended family. Dreams of trespass descrribes the familys culture on many levels. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. France overrun, occupied by germany nazi controlled vichy regime in place. Fatema mernissis most popular book is dreams of trespass. Mernissi was a leading moroccan sociologist and a one woman answer to all of those people who claim that islam and feminism are fundamentally incompatible.
Beyond the veil is the result of her doctoral research. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle. Dreams of trespass tales of a harem girlhood quotes. Basic, 1991 the question of the role of women in islamic political and economic ends. In her new introduction, she argues that womens invasion of. A school established by national movement secondary. Fatema mernissi moroccan sociologist and writer britannica. The missiological implications of the islamic feminism of. Fatema mernissi has 33 books on goodreads with 24239 ratings. Most essential of all is the argument advanced in this paper about. Tales of a moroccan girlhood, and is still known by that title in the uk. Tales of a harem girlhood by fatima mernissi, ruth v. Patriarchal dominance and misinterpretation of sacred texts in islamic countries.
Tales of a harem girlhood themes fatema mernissi this study guide consists of approximately 31 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of dreams of trespass. Abstract this paper seeks to evaluate missiological approaches to muslim women in the light of the analysis of moroccan islamic feminist, fatima mernissi. Fatema mernissi, moroccan sociologist and writer born sept. It speaks of the womens beauty secrets, what the family does for fun together in the evenings, the experience of living in a home where ones father has multiple lives, the political landscape of french colonization and world war ii, the music and movies of arabic pop culture. Tales of a harem girlhood is a memoir by fatima mernissi in the us, its original title was the harem within.
Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Discussion points for dreams of trespass bridging cultures. Peritextual transformation in fatima mernissis dreams of trespass and nisa ala ajnihat alhilm. Although her parents had a monogamous marriage, she grew up living in a harem with her mother and grandmother, who was one of her grandfathers nine. Readers expecting a narrative about a sultans harem where voluptuous venuses loll in silkdraped palaces will be disappointed. The book almost seems a cross between an autobiography and an ethnographic study of french colonial morocco, just as the stirrings of an. Fatema mernissi, a moroccan sociologist who was one of the founders of islamic feminism, whose work included studies of the sexual politics of islamic scripture and a book based on her childhood. So begins fatima mernissi in this illuminating narrative of a childhood behind the iron gates of a domestic harem. Born in fez to a middleclass family, mernissi studied at the mohammed v university in rabat and later went to paris, where she worked briefly as a journalist.
A feminist interpretation of womens rights in islam, translated by mary jo lakeland new york. Beyond the veil by fatema mernissi english news portal. Quotes of interest continued islamic feminism continued moroccan women, thirsty for liberation and change, had to export their feminists from the east, for there were no local ones as yet famous enough to become public figures and nurture their dreams. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. In her memoir dreams of trespass 1994, she describes how the harems hudud. Tales of a harem girlhood in the us, the book was originally titled the harem within. Hudud, or the sacred frontier, is defined by fatima mernissis father as necessary because. Her writings are mainly concerned with islam and womens roles within it. All girls school funded by french protectorate college. Beyond the veil by fatima mernissi overdrive rakuten. It describes her youth in a moroccan harem during the 1940s and brings up topics such as islamic feminism, arab nationalism, french colonialism and the clash between the traditional and the. Tales of a harem girlhood is a coming of age story, set in morocco during wwii, an account of yasminas attempt to decipher the cloistered world within and the greater world beyond the family home in fez. Tales of a harem girlhood by mernissi, fatima isbn.
Perseus books publishing 1994 mernissi, fatima the veil and the male elite. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Tales of a harem girlhood takes place in fez, morocco, in the 1940s and early 1950s. Mernissi is obviously one of the most important feminist writers and she has influenced other feminist muslim writers. Mernissi explains in her book that early muslim scholars portrayed women as aggressive hunters who forced men, reduced to weak hunted victims, to control women by imposing requirements such as veiling, which confined women to the private space. Mernissi contrasts what is known about the life of women before rise of islam with the rules that were imposed afterward and finds that women had a great deal of sexual freedom in many cases, especially due to uxorilocal marriage, which means that wives kept their own tents in their own tribes and were visited by their husbands. Dreams of trespass details her life growing up in a domestic harem in 1940s morocco. If you are interested in her work, her memoir dreams of trespass, is a wonderful place to start.
Basic, 1991 the question of the role of women in islamic public life has provoked debate both within and without the community since the earliest days of the prophet. Freebooknotes found 10 important quotes from 8 key chapters of dreams of trespass tales of a harem girlhood by fatima mernissi. Books by fatema mernissi author of dreams of trespass. The missiological implications of the islamic feminism of fatima mernissi author. Dreams of trespass tales of a harem girlhood, basic books, 1994 242. Doctorate degree at brandeis university author details. What links here related changes upload file special pages permanent link page. Tales of a harem girlhood follows the protagonist, fatima mernissi, through her childhood and early adolescence in. An historical and theological enquiry, mernissi shows her anger due to the. Beyond the veil, revised edition indiana university press. Fatema mernissi is a moroccan feminist and sociologist who is renowned for her work on womens rights within islam. Elizabeth fernea, the university of texas at austin if a reader were to select only one book in order to gain insight into womens status and prospects in islamic society, this study should be the one chosen for its clarity, honesty, depth of knowledge and thoughtprovoking qualities. Mernissi is a sociology lecturer at the mohammed v university of rabat. Download pdf of discussion points for dreams of trespass.
In dreams of trespass, mernissi weaves her own memories with the dreams and memories of the women who surrounded her in the courtyard of her youth,women who, deprived of access to the world outside, recreated it from sheer imagination. Tales of a harem girlhood is a memoir by fatima mernissi it describes her. Perseus books publishing 1991 mernissi, fatima women and fundamentalism middle east report 153 1998 pp. Dreams of trespass is a tale of mernissis harem life from age 5 to 10. Dreams of trespass by fatima mernissi harvard university. Nationalist didacticism in fatim a mernissis dreams of. The harem of this memoirs title is a large house with. For your reference, we provided these dreams of trespass tales of a harem girlhood quotes with page numbers using the following version of the book. The christian perspective on womens status and role in islamic societies is. Arab book world in this expanded and updated edition, with a new. The childs naive attempts to understand the meaning of the word harem lets us experience her moroccan family with fresh eyes, without the screen of western condemnation. She tries to demonstrate that there is a fundamental contradiction between islam as interpreted in official policy and equality between the sexes.
In dreams of trespass, mernissi weaves her own memories with the dreams and memories of the women who surrounded her in the courtyard of her youth women who, without access to the world outside, recreated it from sheer imagination. Pdf download for empowerment through disempowerment. In 1994, mernissi published a memoir, dreams of trespass. A feminist interpretation of womens rights in islam london.