Woman at Point Zero : Nawal El Saadawi

Non-Fiction

Verdict: Read it

This book came to my attention through either a book list or the suggested reads in the newspaper - I can't quite remember now. Either which way, it was an interesting read. The author takes us through the story of a woman, Firdaus, in prison who has been there for a long time and is on her way to execution. A Psychiatrist goes to the prison to meet her and is met with silence. The woman refuses to speak. After a short while, she begins to share her story and the audience comes to understand that her story isn't a simple one. Sometimes women resort to the only recourse they can when they are abused, and are held accountable for it though the ethics of it are grey. 

The story is a bit slow sometimes, but I got the feeling that was intentional. It's almost like the woman is taking back the small amount of control that she can by controlling the story. You can see dignity there and power. She understands she is going to die and has accepted the verdict.  

The Middle East has a long and complicated history with women's equality. Iran has recently again become regressive, and the Taliban, inspite of numerous promises in Afghanistan has again steadily marched back towards the dark ages for women. This isn't a new story nor is it one that is rare. But the poignancy with which the story is displayed - with a woman in jail awaiting death - relays the helpless and futile situtaions women find themselves in clearly. Sometimes the only choice is to die, either by your oppressor's hand or by the governments if you defend yourself. It's a terrible place to be in. 

Read it.

~Becky~

Goat Days - Benyamin

Fiction

Read it

This was a recommendation from I can't remember where. Well well worth the money and read. 

Goat Days follows a Muslim Keralite, Najeeb, in his journey to the middle east to raise money for his family and the chaos that ensued from there. He finds himself without contacts when he lands and is picked up by an "Arbab" or boss, who wasn't actually supposed to pick him up, but takes advantage of ignorance. Najeeb finds himself in the midst of a desert on a goat farm. His life is quickly subsumed into taking care of goats. Feeding, watering, herding, etc. His horror at the hygiene of his fellow worker and the Arbab fade as he too becomes one with the goats. He eventually attempts and escape and almost dies as they trek through the desert. Najeeb submits himself to the police and spends some time in jail. His Arbab does come to claim him one day, but is not able to as he doesn't have proper papers and Najeeb is sent back home.

This book was a very interesting book (said to be based on a true story) on the plight of some Malayalis who travel to the middle east to work and earn money for families back home. As with any other vulnerable population, there are plenty who are subjected to exploitation of every sort. It's painful to watch Najeeb struggle because he comes across as so child like. His innocence is never completely dissolved and he never really grasps how he came to be in the situation he found himself it. Rasising money to support a wife and child he hasn't met cause him to go into debt just to get to the middle east. Of course the channels he goes through are slightly suspect so there's a trust about what will be waiting for him on the other end. 

Beyond Malayalis who go to the middle east for work, it makes you considere the difficulties of other economically vulnerable populations who are just trying to make it but get exploited at every turn. As in Goat Days, some never make it back and die in places they will never be found.

Read it.

~Becky~

My Feudal Lord - Tehmina Durrani

NonFiction
Verdict: Meh.

This is another story about how men are sexist and do not treat women right. Especially Middle Eastern Men. It's one woman's account of her marriage and how her husband thinks he runs the world. Unfortunately these stories are a dime a dozen, and there's nothing earth shattering or particularly interesting in this story. 

Please note that I think the author is brave and has a valid point. My Meh was not about her experience - it was about it being the same story told yet again.  The writing was nothing that caught my imagination and the hook-line about Feudal Lord was quite a bit overused.

If you're interested, by all means dig in, otherwise, nothing unusual here.


Becky

Stranger to History - Aatish Taseer

Aatish Taseer takes the reader on an abridged tour of the middle east in an effort to understand the religion and culture of his estranged father. Taseer has an interesting viewpoint in that his mother grew up in a Sikh family. A man searching not only for the identity and support of his father, but also for a culture in a house that has always had two.

Of course it didn't really bring him closer to his Muslim Pakistani father even if it did help him understand himself, which is generally how these things go.

That being said, it's an interesting view into the different subtypes of Islam. I think it may interest a Muslim more than non Muslim, but it's still interesting to read.


Verdict: Read it.