While women in the West have made significant gains since the 1900s, Arab women have had a much harder time. Feriel Ben Mahmoud's documentary examines the history of feminism in the region, beginning with a look at reformers in the 1930s who believed that Arab countries could only keep up with the wider world by abandoning outdated practices. In Tunisia, author Tahar Haddad spoke out against polygamy and the veil as traditions that kept women from fully participating in society, but religious conservatives interpreted the former theology student's views as anti-Muslim. Chérifa Saadaoui, a member of the Union of Women, recalls that her disciples also fought against French colonialism. In 1956, when Tunisia became independent, women made further strides. Huda Sha'arawi, the first prominent Arab feminist, stopped wearing the veil and formed the Egyptian Feminist Union. Algerian women also advanced in the 1950s, but not as much as in Tunisia. According to Lebanese political historian Ghassan Salamé, "'67 is not the defeat of Arabs [by Israel], but of modernity." Although oil-rich Saudi Arabia made moves towards modernity in the 1970s, the changes were mostly superficial, since women still can't drive or participate in other activities that would decrease their reliance on men. The situation worsened over the next two decades, due in part to the conservative clerics who appeared regularly on television. But the film ends with signs of hope: inspired by a group in Malaysia, Muslim feminism has found a foothold in Morocco, and the rise of social networking has also made it easier for women, like Lebanon's Yalda Younes, to share information and provide encouragement to other Muslim feminists. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)
Feminism Inshallah: A History of Arab Feminism
(2014) 52 min. In Arabic & French w/English subtitles. DVD: $89: public libraries, $350: colleges & universities. Women Make Movies. PPR. Volume 31, Issue 4
Feminism Inshallah: A History of Arab Feminism
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