nine parts of disire
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In novel Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women, Geraldine Brooks brings an intriguing look into the lives of women living in the Middle East. Brooks gives a respectful account of several different women's views of their country and the religion they live by. Although she has taken on a difficult task of accurately portraying the Islamic religion and the affect it has on the lives of its women followers, herself being neither Islamic nor growing up in the Middle East; by opening her heart and her mind to different ideas she is able to objectively open the doors to the world of Islamic women. Each chapter of the novel is a different aspect of the female Muslim life. Subjects examined include virginity, weddings, education, commerce, politics and a queen among others.
"Whom no man shall have deflowered before them," the title of the second chapter tells us the law of the Koran that says women shall remain virgins until they are married. Should a woman choose not to put up with it they may be murdered by their own family in what is known as an "honor killing." Brooks says that "In most Muslim countries women are the custodians of their male relatives' honor. If a wife commits adultery or a daughter has sex before marriage, or is even suspected of having done so, they dishonor their father, their brothers and sometimes the whole family that bears their name." (pg...