Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1994

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 2

Chapters 3-5

Chapters 6-8

Chapters 9-11

Chapter 12-Conclusion

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Themes

The Role of Women in Islamic Societies

The primary theme in Nine Parts of Desire is the role and status of women in Islamic societies. Throughout, Geraldine Brooks is especially interested in exploring the tensions between contemporary ideas about personal autonomy and the pull of more conservative religious ideology, focusing on how these tensions are often embodied in clothing practices and the ideal of submission for women.

Central to this exploration is the hijab. Brooks explains that it is not merely a piece of clothing but a symbol laden with cultural and religious significance. Brooks argues that Islamic dress represents the tensions between autonomy and cultural structures in some Islamic societies:

[U]nder all the talk about hijab freeing women from commercial or sexual exploitation, all the discussion of hijab’s potency as a political and revolutionary symbol of selfhood, was the body: the dangerous female body that somehow, in Muslim society, had been made to carry the heavy burden of male honor (32, emphasis added).

Brooks regards the hijab as reflecting patriarchal societal norms about “male honor,” with the female body’s concealment representing the importance of regulating female sexuality and bodily autonomy to preserve gender segregation and ideals of Islamic femininity in shaping women’s roles.

Moreover, the book confronts the notion of submission, an intrinsic aspect of Islamic faith, and how it transcends religious practice to influence societal norms around women. In speaking of one of her female case studies, Brooks remarks, “Her religion, after all, was Islam—the Submission. It seemed to me that its rules had required her to submit to a lot” (76, emphasis added). In claiming that Islam expects women to “submit […] a lot,” Brooks implies that Islam demands more submission of its female adherents than its male ones, with Brooks questioning some of the religious tenets and their implications for women’s autonomy and agency within their societies. However, from an Islamic perspective, submission is traditionally conceived as an acknowledgment of a harmonious order within the universe, designed by a higher power and denoting peace, harmony, and spiritual alignment with the purpose of one’s existence. Brooks mentions how some women—such as the Egyptian belly dancer Sahar Hamdi (See: Key Figures)—voluntarily take the veil as a personal expression of faith.

Brooks’s analysis has been criticized by some for not delving more deeply into the stances of women who voluntarily or enthusiastically wear the veil (See: Background). Thus, while the book emphasizes the complexity of these issues, it also reflects Brooks’s critical perspective on the systemic inequalities faced by women in these contexts, with Brooks often making direct or implied connections between how Islamic women dress and what their role in society is.

The Diversity of Experiences Among Muslim Women

A central theme that permeates the narrative is the diversity inherent in the experiences of Muslim women. Through various case studies, Brooks interrogates the fundamental question of how diverse socio-cultural, political, and religious factors shape the daily lives and identities of Muslim women across different regions. Brooks delves into various aspects of Muslim women’s lives, from their participation in politics and education to personal stories of oppression and empowerment.

Brooks offers some important case studies to illustrate the diversity of these experiences. Queen Noor, the Queen of Jordan, is a Muslim woman whom Brooks depicts as having a considerable influence on her society. Queen Noor is actively engaged in making political changes in Jordan, openly advocating for women’s rights and educational opportunities and fostering cultural initiatives. However, Brooks notes that Queen Noor also faces some strong resistance from traditionalist elements within Jordanian society, who are suspicious of the American-born queen and her Westernized ideals. In detailing these tensions, Brooks highlights how women can sometimes face resistance when taking on more public roles.

Hadra Dawish is another of Brooks’s case studies who illustrates how dynamic Muslim women’s experiences can be, while also reflecting how their opportunities can change over time. Dawish initially pursued a career as a children’s therapist and conformed to a strict traditional dress code. However, she changed careers in 1990, becoming the first woman from an Arabian Gulf country to enroll for officer training at Sandhurst, the British military academy, after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Dawish’s success in the military is emblematic of how changing social and political norms can transform the experiences available to Muslim women.

However, Brooks also features women who reject ostensibly independent and autonomous roles in favor of more traditional ideals of Islamic femininity. Brooks covers the phenomenon of artistic women in Egypt choosing to relinquish their careers for a religious retirement, such as the belly dancers Souhair Zaki and Sahar Hamdi, who both publicly took the veil and retired from the stage. In acknowledging such women, Brooks also points to how Muslim women’s experiences do not necessarily conform to a strictly linear path—from traditional roles to more Westernized ones over time—but can instead reflect a return to more traditional and conservative ideals of femininity depending on their cultural and individual circumstances. In offering an array of case studies, Brooks emphasizes that Muslim women’s experiences are richer and more varied than many Western observers may assume.

The Impact of Politics and Society on Women’s Rights

Brooks probes into the nature of political power and its direct implications for women. The book questions how political and social structures shape the perception of women’s status and the rights that Muslim women may or may not have within their societies.

Brooks details how, in Saudi Arabia, both the role of the religious police and the concept of male guardianship perpetuate women’s marginalization and dependency. Women’s dress and behavior are strictly monitored, with women penalized for transgressions. The enforcement of these norms is usually a matter between men, as the religious police turn to the male guardian when they believe a woman should be punished or reprimanded:

If a woman transgressed a rule of dress or segregation, the mutawain would take the matter up with her husband, father or brother—the ‘responsible male’ deemed to be in charge of her […]. Women of all ages are infantilized by the Saudi system (169).

Brooks argues here that Saudi society infantilizes women and strips them of autonomy, equating them to perpetual minors under the supervision of a “responsible male” instead of equal citizens in their own right.

Brooks also offers the Egyptian artistic scene as an example of the pressures women may face when attempting to push the boundaries of personal and artistic expression. For example, in the heyday of the 1950s, belly dancers were at the height of their fame and prestige, making successful careers for themselves while representing an important tradition of dance in the region. However, a conservative backlash decades later sent the practice into decline, with many famous belly dancers retiring from the scene for religious reasons, and stricter government oversight regulating what is or is not permissible within the performances. Those who speak up against such repressions do not always fare well: Brooks points to Nawal Saadawi, a feminist critic who had to go into exile after facing threats by Islamic Jihad for her outspoken complaints against government and religious interference in the arts. For Brooks, the fate of women like Saadawi reflects the ways in which women’s rights and autonomy can be eroded, even after periods of relatively liberal cultural expression.

In conclusion, Nine Parts of Desire provides an analysis of the relationship between politics, society, and women’s rights in Islamic cultures, suggesting that rights can vary greatly between countries in the Middle Eastern world and that, even within countries, the nature and extent of women’s rights can fluctuate over time.