TITLE:
Gender Representation in Arabian Sirahs1: An Analysis of the Narrations of “Sīrat al-Amīrah Dhāt al-Himmah2” in Egypt
AUTHORS:
Hebatalla Omar
KEYWORDS:
Arabian Epic, Arabian Sirahs, Arabian Nights, Discourse, Matriarchy, Patriarchy
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Applied Sociology,
Vol.12 No.5,
May
26,
2022
ABSTRACT: Arabian Sirahs provide vivid depictions of
medieval Arab customs and events. Nevertheless, within gender-oriented
research, relatively few studies examine Arabian Sirahs, which can be regarded as cultural phenomena. “Sīrat
al-Amīrah Dhāt al-Himmah (hereinafter ‘Sīrat Delhemma’)”
is the longest of all Arabian Sirah, and its main hero is a woman. The
present study addresses this research gap by examining the Status of Arabian Sirah in Egypt and the position of women in these epics. Additionally, this study
appraises the prevailing gender relations of medieval Arab society with a focus
on “Sīrat Delhemma”, along with historical and social background which made it
possible for women to take the role of leaders. Significantly, this study finds
that Arabian Sirahs portray women as
having an active social role. However, this role has faded in the modern
narrative. Lastly, this study found that despite the transition from a
matriarchal to a patriarchal society, the influence of Islam played a major
role in empowering women. This study has found that the Gender discrimination
in Arab societies has deeper and more complex causes than those stated in the
current global discourse on feminism, which uses the concept of patriarchy to
criticise the overall structure of discrimination against women by men.