Jihad of Words: Gender and Contemporary Karbala Narratives.

Hamdar, Abir

Abstract

This paper discusses the discourse of female jihad in contemporary Karbala narratives of Shi'i Islam, specifically Twelver Shi'is. It argues that a gender-dynamic transformation has emerged with regard to the transmission of the Karbala narrative, as well as a renewed attention to the role of women in the aftermath of this battle. Today, the retelling of the story of Karbala involves positioning the role of women within a discourse that can only be described as a 'Jihad of Words' that the female descendants of the Prophet, such as Zaynab, undertook. Moreover, the paper highlights the fact that the gender-infused themes within the Karbala narratives have been influenced by contemporary socio-political events in certain countries such as Lebanon and Iran.

Citation

Hamdar, A. (2009). Jihad of Words: Gender and Contemporary Karbala Narratives. Yearbook of English Studies, 39(1/2), 84-100

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: 2009
• Deposit Date: Sep 29, 2012
• Journal: Yearbook of English Studies
• Print ISSN: 0306-2473
• Electronic ISSN: 2222-4289
• Publisher: Modern Humanities Research Association (MHRA)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 39
• Issue: 1/2
• Pages: 84-100
• Publisher URL: http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublication?journalCode=yearenglstud