And they all go to the same finger-pointing school!
Posted on 06/01/2006 5:06:48 PM PDT by SJackson
Saudi Author Zaynab Hifni Talks About Women, Sex, and Taboos in Saudi Society
The following are excerpts from an interview with Saudi author Zaynab Hifni, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on May 19, 2006.
TO VIEW THIS CLIP, VISIT: http://www.memritv.org/search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=1155.
"Whenever We Go Near a Taboo - The Taboo of Sex, of Religion, or of Politics - We Always Highlight it"
Interviewer: "Why is there sex in all of your stories and works? In four or five works there is a lot of sex..."
Zaynab Hifni: "I don't know why whenever we go near a taboo - the taboo of sex, of religion, or of politics - we always highlight it emphatically."
Interviewer: "Because it's a taboo..."
Zaynab Hifni: "Because it's taboo. Ultimately, if you read... Let's go back to our ancient heritage. For example, Wallada, daughter of [the Caliph] Al-Mustakfi, said: 'I am fit for high positions, and am going my way with pride, and bestow my kiss on he who craves it.' If a poetess said these things today, I think they would stone her."
[...]
"Why has sex become such a sensitive issue with us? Sex is in our meals, in our food, and in our drink. Why shouldn't we use it to achieve a noble cause? Why not? It is a part of our lives."
Interviewer: "So you think sex should not be a prohibited subject."
Zaynab Hifni: "Of course not."
Interviewer: "Do you think it should be a common thing that people discuss freely?"
Zaynab Hifni: "Rest assured that... Let me go back to our religious heritage, or rather, our religious law. 'Aisha would sit with the men, and the Prophet Muhammad would say: You can learn half of the religion from her."
Interviewer: "That hadith is unreliable."
Zaynab Hifni: "An unreliable hadith?! I believe in that hadith, because it appeared in the collection of Al-Bukhari or of Al-Muslim, I think."
Interviewer: "If it had, it would not be considered an unreliable."
Zaynab Hifni: "I think it appeared in one of the two."
Early Islam had "No Taboo About Sex Like We Have, Unfortunately, in Our Society"
Interviewer: "OK, but this is an unreliable hadith that did not appear in either source."
Zaynab Hifni: "Let me tell you something. Our problem is that everything in favor of women we consider an unreliable hadith, whereas any hadith that favors men - like the one that says, 'Women are lacking brains and faith' - is considered a 100 percent reliable hadith. Why? Because it harms women. This doesn't make sense."
[…]
"The Prophet's companions learned from 'Aisha how she treated the Prophet, down to the most explicit sexual details. The same was true with regard to Umm Salama. Why do we always place constraints? Such constraints did not exist in the days of the Prophet and his companions."
Interviewer: "Do you think that what 'Aisha taught the Prophet's companions about the Prophet's relations with his wives is similar to the use you make of sex in your stories?"
Zaynab Hifni: "I'm not comparing myself to 'Aisha. I'm saying the degree of freedom that existed... There was no taboo about sex like we have, unfortunately, in our society."
Interviewer: "So you think sex should be taught at school, for instance?"
Zaynab Hifni: "Why not?"
Interviewer: "I mean, sex education?"
Zaynab Hifni: "Of course."
Interviewer: "From what age?"
Zaynab Hifni: "It could start at the age of 12, in junior high school. Why not? I am sad to say that when I wrote my collection of short stories, Women at the Equator, a friend said to me: 'I'm not familiar with the things you wrote.'"
[...]
"I Feel a Deep Sadness Inside, When I Remember... The Days I was Forbidden to Write and to Travel"
Interviewer: "You've been living in London for several years. Why do you live abroad?"
Zaynab Hifni: "For personal reasons."
Interviewer: "Did you leave Saudi Arabia because of a problem with its society?"
Zaynab Hifni: "I have a problem of... How can I put it... I'm going to cry. Do you mind if I cry?"
Interviewer: "Feel free. The truth is we wouldn't want, in front of everyone..."
Zaynab Hifni: "I don't want to ruin the mood on your show, but the truth is that I feel a deep sadness inside, when I remember what I went through, in the days I was forbidden to write and to travel, the days of Women at the Equator."
Interviewer: "You were forbidden to write and to travel?"
Zaynab Hifni: "Yes."
Interviewer: "Because of your book?"
Zaynab Hifni: "I was under tremendous pressure. That period greatly affected me. I won't lie to you, to this day, when I enter King Abd Al-'Aziz Airport, I feel pressure in my chest. But I hope I will get over it one day."
Interviewer: "Do you think the restrictions imposed on you were unjustified?"
Zaynab Hifni: "Of course. There was no justification."
Interviewer: "Zaynab, there is a question that always comes up: Do you think that you reflect society through your bold literature? Don't you think that society rejects this type of literature? You said that the critics see what the people want, and applaud it. This means that you are not popular..."
Zaynab Hifni: "That's true, but ultimately..."
"Critics Ignore This Type of Literature [Out of] Fear"
Interviewer: "You do not reflect society."
Zaynab Hifni: "We do reflect society. How can you say we don't? On the contrary, I think that the fact that the critics ignore this type of literature stems from fear. It is like stomping on cancerous growths, but being afraid of telling someone that he has cancer. This is just like our Arab custom of saying: 'Let him live out whatever time he has left.' How can he live his life? He must confront it. If we had warned him about the cancer from the beginning, the cancer might not have spread. It might have died out."
[...]
"In the days when Women at the Equator came under fire, many intellectuals called me and said: 'Bravo, you were wonderful in your book.' I said to them: 'People, write it in the newspapers,' but they said they couldn't: Isn't that a double standard?"
[...]
"I don't have a problem with religion or even with the veil. But I call for rationality, I call for women to..."
Interviewer: "How can you say you don't have a problem with the veil?"
Zaynab Hifni: "I don't view women who wear the veil as reactionary. But I'm sad to say that the problem of some veiled women is that they look down upon women who don't wear the veil."
[...]
Interviewer: "How do you view veiled women, or the veil itself?"
Zaynab Hifni: "I respect it. I consider it to be part of our precepts, but I believe that ultimately, it is a matter of individual liberty. But I'm sad to say there is a strange phenomenon in our Saudi society - women who do not wear the veil are viewed as if they will not enter Paradise. No, the decision of what will become of her is in the hands of Allah."
[...]
"Consider Me... [From] the Days of the Prophet's Companions..."
Zaynab Hifni: "Consider me as if I am of the days of the Prophet's companions..."
Interviewer: "To consider you as being from the days of the companions?!"
Zaynab Hifni: "I mean that you should consider me as being from the days of the flourishing Islamic culture, when all our authors and all the philosophers would write in a very bold way. I am following in their footsteps."
So ?
How does the existance of the word in the English translations contradict my assertion that a follower of the religion writing in Arabic would not have used a word to indicate that his leaders were engaged in illegal activity ?
That would be kind of like the Pope giving his blessing to The DaVinci Code - wouldn't it ?
You're getting harder to follow - are you saying this one that you mention -
"Thus, we find the first ‘Hadith’ book of the Shi’as is Usool-ul-Kaafi. This is the work of Muhammad ibn Ya’coob al-Kaleeni (d.328AH). This is considered a book of Hadith because according to the Shi’as, Imaam Mahdi attested to the correctness of this book. (Asaarul Hadith vol.1 pg.413) "
Is the same one that you searched for booty in the translation of ? How do you figure ? Are you under the impression that there is simply one hadith ?
But you do illustrate the point that the authenticity and validity of all of these are in question since the the "transmitters of the Shia Hadith" (whoever they are ) "reject the Sahaba of Prophet" ( whatever that is )
- personally, I don't think the lot is worth a bucket of dingoes kidneys.
"...- personally, I don't think the lot is worth a bucket of dingoes kidneys."
Now there's a new one on me. Stone the flamin' crows, mate.
As for the rest of your comment, maybe you should take the time to follow the links I provided.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/053.sbt.html
Volume 4, Book 53, Number 351:
Narrated Jabir bin Abdullah:
Allah's Apostle said, "Booty has been made legal for me."
Volume 4, Book 53, Number 344:
Narrated 'Ali:
Fatima complained of what she suffered from the hand mill and from grinding, when she got the news that some slave girls of the booty had been brought to Allah's Apostle. She went to him to ask for a maid-servant, but she could not find him, and told 'Aisha of her need. When the Prophet came, Aisha informed him of that. The Prophet came to our house when we had gone to our beds. (On seeing the Prophet) we were going to get up, but he said, 'Keep at your places,' I felt the coolness of the Prophet's feet on my chest. Then he said, "Shall I tell you a thing which is better than what you asked me for? When you go to your beds, say: 'Allahu Akbar (i.e. Allah is Greater)' for 34 times, and 'Alhamdu Lillah (i.e. all the praises are for Allah)' for 33 times, and Subhan Allah (i.e. Glorified be Allah) for 33 times. This is better for you than what you have requested."
But you do illustrate the point that the authenticity and validity of all of these are in question since the the "transmitters of the Shia Hadith" (whoever they are ) "reject the Sahaba of Prophet" ( whatever that is )
Sunni, are we?
Usually a physical handicap, and a real ratty beard.
And they all go to the same finger-pointing school!
It's as if having a handicap gives you more mojo with the masses.
I saw that! I favour Number Four as an adjective for the discussion I'm having on this thread...let's liven things up?
1. booty 641 up, 113 down 1. pirate treasure, plunder or other ill-gotten gains 2. butt, ass, specifically female posterior 3. sex, screwing 4. crap
Yep! You're on my wave-length...isn't he cute?
THE MULLAHS LIBERATE PARIS?
Interviewer: "You've been living in London for several years. Why do you live abroad?"
What an idiot! He needs to ask that question? Why do most people live in the West? FREEDOM of thought and expression.
Both severely lacking in islamic countries especially of you are a woman.
'Mullah' Omar - OBL personal fatwa-maker...remember him?
Didn't he have only one eye too? Or am I getting my mullahs mixed up?
Really surprised Fred, you used to have rational discussions where we would address each others points, but you seem to be fixated on, and repeating the same thing over and over.
Ping me if anything in this thread reaches above the level of a 2 year old being potty trained.
Those who have met Omar, say he's tall (6 foot, 6 inches) bearded, reclusive, and a lover of war stories. A fierce commander, he was wounded four times in the jihad against the Soviets, leaving him with one eye.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2001/1010/p1s4-wosc.html
It's a rule or something.
But what do you expect? Am I wrong in my understanding that rational, intellectual, theological discussions aren't encouraged in Islam, as it's considered disrespectful to Allah?
Personally, I get loads of insight and wisdom from Biblical word studies and so on. Sad that Islam apparently can't handle such scrutiny of the text's minutiae.
"Am I wrong in my understanding that rational, intellectual, theological discussions aren't encouraged in Islam, as it's considered disrespectful to Allah? "
I don't think so ... Here's a link for some info you might find interesting - http://www.islamonline.net/English/HadithAndItsSciences/MenofHadith/2005/07/01.shtml
Once you go beyond the Koran, the amount of different works is staggering.
It appears that there are thousands of hadiths, with greater and lesser authority based on the opinion of the scholars who collect and transmit them.
The disrespect might come into play when people like myself, who have not studied it or believe in it makes statements about it.
( but I think the hadiths are not worth anything anyway, so let'em sue me )
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.