Beyond the Veil, Revised Edition: Male-Female Dynamics in Modern Muslim Society

by Fatema Mernissi and Fatima Mernissi

Book Overview

"Required reading . . . " --Elizabeth Fernea, The University of Texas at Austin

"If a reader were to select only one book in order to gain insight into women's status and prospects in Islamic society, this study should be the one chosen for its clarity, honesty, depth of knowledge and thought-provoking qualities." --Arab Book World

In this expanded and updated edition, with a new introduction on Muslim women and fundamentalism, Mernissi...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0253204232
• ISBN13: 9780253204233
• Release Date: April 1987
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (Ips)
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.4"
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

First book by a Muslim feminine writer

When this book originally appeared, I did write a review and got in published in print media. In her work, I was happy to have been introduced for the first time from a pen of (western, muslim, voracious) female writer as to how this gender looked at Islam. I am glad that Fatima continues to provide interesting insights, and she is striving to keep people informed on the subject.

Very compelling, just a bit too academic

This book is like going through someone else's medicine cabinet. A fascinating look into the homes and bedrooms of the Middle East from a scholarly feminist perspective. The only problem is, it's a bit too scholarly to be a really quick and concise read. Still, Well worth buying.

A much needed book

Excellent book on the female condition in many Muslim societies. ... More books like this need to be written to stimulate debate and hopefully change.

An Excellent Study in Male-Female Relations in the MidEast

The topic of male-female dynamics in Muslim society is one of the main issues covered in the book, Beyond the Veil, by Fatima Mernissi. Mernissi covers a wide range of categories, all of which pertain to the female position in a Muslim society. Though much of the data comes from Moroccan society, the general subject matter attempts to describe all Muslim society. This book has two parts, one of which focuses on the traditional view of women, and the second, which focuses on a more modern and changing view of women¡¯s place in society. A fascinating look at women in Muslim society, this book pushes the reader to question previous biases, and take a look at women in a Muslim society from a Muslim perspective. Beyond the Veil starts out by contrasting views on female sexuality. One view is that of Imman Ghazali, and the other view is that of Sigmund Freud. Ghazali claims that the female sexuality is active, and equal to the male sexuality. Therefore, females need to be restrained in order to prevent fitna (chaos) in the social order. Freud, on the other hand, sees female sexuality as passive, and therefore masochistic. Ironically, both theories attempt to prove the same point: that women, as uncontrollable beings, are destructive to the social order and need to be restrained. Part two of the book starts out with interviews and data collection from Moroccan society. This information is mostly focused around sexual desegregation. Mernissi¡¯s conclusions basically say that the traditional/older generation is more sexually desegregated, while the more modernized/younger generation encourages desegregation. She also points out that rural societies are more sexually traditional than urban societies. This book reveals much about Muslim society in a simplified manner. Mernissi draws her writings from various sources, including historical viewpoints, other writers on the topic, and interviews with Muslim women. Beyond the Veil is not simply a one-dimensional view of male-female dynamics in Muslim society. The book covers all aspects of relationships between males and females, as well as the various positions women can take in a Muslim society. Mernissi allows for the reader to look three-dimensionally at the Muslim society, especially in regards to sexual space boundaries and desegregation, and form his or her personal opinion about the topic. Mernissi makes it somewhat simpler for the reader to understand the goals of the book by outlining the various dimensions as well as writing conclusions that draw from the section but also incorporate other ideas. The objective of this book, explaining male-female dynamics in Muslim society, was quite clear and the writings of Mernissi certainly operationalized that objective. A non-fiction book that relied heavily on breakdowns of various interviews, Beyond the Veil, was more analytic than descriptive. However, this was an extremely effective way of scrutinizing the subject at hand. The inf

This book is gound-breaking, provocative, and daring.

It is not easy to be a Muslim female and to read FatimaMernissi's book "Beyond the Veil". This book was simplyenlightening and it helped me a lot in finding many of the answers that I simply dared not ask without been regarded with scorn. It also led me to inquire further on the subject of women and Islam. The greatness of this book is in the fact that Mernissi tried to erase many of the misconceptions about women's rights in Islam as a doctrine. According to her, when it comes to women's rights, the practice of Islam in the Arab and Islamic world is not necessarily compatible with the doctrine of Islam. Rather, it is influenced by the patriarchal tradition that was born far before Islam, and which also influences the practice of religions such as Christianity and Judaism.