May Intermission: I Killed Scheherazade: Confessions of an Angry Arab Woman - Joumana Haddad

Hi there!

Welcome to our May Intermission for Joumana Haddad's 2010 novella, I Killed Scheherazade: Confessions of an Angry Arab Woman.

Trigger Warning: Mentions of War, Abortion, Rape, Misoginy, Patriarchy, Religious and Political Trauma

Overall

Joumana is a direct voice with a bold truth that is clearly written out in this short novella (we both finished it within two hours), preserving the powerful voice of Ms. Haddad and her statements regarding womanhood, feminism, and her experience as an Arab woman.

This was a really powerful piece in the sense that it didn't mince words. She doesn't give a shit what you think, and that's the point - women need rights - that's the point. There's no pussy-footing around the point with Joumana. Which is exactly what people need these days when attempting to understand a different or new point of view.

We chose this book because April is National Arab-American Heritage Month. We are a few weeks late with this post for sure, but by all means, this book was well worth pushing into our schedule.

Joumana Haddad

Having created a name for herself globally, Joumana's I Killed Scheherazade is a short but poignant source of how she became the Joumana of 2010, and where she strives to improve not only her local community, but the global community moving forward. This book contains a collection of essays, prose, and a small selection of her poetry that reflect specifically on the Arab woman. The Arab woman in herself, the Arab women around her, and more overall, the global opinion of the Arab woman that affects the Arab woman's societal image, both in Western and Eastern societies, and what that truly means for the women affected most.

The Political Side of Things

Joumana's political opinions are clear, concise, and frankly, a breath of fresh air. Women are not to have their roles or futures determined by anyone else but themselves, including those aforementioned global opinions that are rooted in fear of women's power.

Is that what true liberation and emancipation are about, or are they about ensuring that her rights as a mother, as a daughter, as a wife, as an employee, as a human being, are respected, and about getting her protected by an impartial and equitable legal and civil framework? - p. 122

As women, we deserve the same rights as men, and those rights deserve to be respected in the same way that men's rights are respected. Plain and simple.

In Scheherazade, Joumana explores the Western concepts of liberation and equity, as compared to the Eastern views on the same needs for women.

The Creative Side of Things

Ms. Haddad's look into women's creativity is another major exploration in this novella. How creativity is connected to women's intellect, sexual experience, as well as our external experiences, is the name of the game here. Women are not just objects to be used, but we contain multitudes, just as men do.

Freedom as a neccessity: the freedom to write unambiguously, as much as the freedom not to; the freeom to shock, as much as the freedom not to. In short: the right to CHOOSE. To decide for oneself what one wants to say, and live, and feel, and do. Nothing is more important on both the intellectual and personal levels. And that freedom is what poetry is all about. - p. 74

As women, our creative endeavours deserve the same space and respect as those belonging to men. Just because we are typically treated and defined by society a certain way does not mean we don't deserve the freedom to create art in any way possible that we resonate with. We write and paint and perform and sing and dance and do more than just cook and clean and submit.

The Body

A final major theme in this book is the body, and what that word means in the grand scope of things. The body is not just the physical sensations we experience - hot or cold, soft or hard - but more about the existence as a creature of the earth and how we experience ourselves. Our sexual nature and our creative and intellectual sides are all wrapped up into one flesh.

If I write about the body and sex, about my desires and needs, I don't do that to titillate readers, as the machismo of some Arab critics accuses me of doing, but in order to be true to what I live inside, and what preocupies me. - p. 67

Conclusion

This book is a must-read, for sure. Go out of your way for it, and keep it on your shelf to share with others. Not only does it speak to the experience of Arab women in war-stricken areas that have gone through major political and religious power shifts, but it also speaks to how Western and Eastern societies treat women as a whole, and provides solutions towards a better world for every individual.

4.5/5 Stars

With love, see you soon!

Ceraya & Brieanna