In Adnan’s novel, Marie Rose is a character that defends the social rights of the Palestinians although they are “enemies” due to their association with their respective religions. As a result, she is abducted by the militiamen regarding her relationship with a Palestinian man and for also aiding the Palestinian refugees. This is the outcome of religion and its connection with one’s region. For example, the majority of Palestinians are Sunni Islam and a greater part of the Lebanese population is Maronite Christians. Of course, this overlooks the fact that there are indeed some Palestinians who are Christians and vice versa. Since this generalization has been passed down through generations it creates a misunderstanding of the people as a whole.
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For instance, Arabs have been stereotyped into being “barbaric” beings that mistreat and oppress the women in their society. It has become a predominant ideology that many people do not question. Suad Joseph and Susan Slyomovics explain the role colonialism had in supplementing this patriarchal ideology through their book Women and Power in the Middle East. They explain that, “while patriarchies obviously predate colonialism, contemporary patriarchies are products of the intersection between the colonial and indigenous domains of state and political processes” (Joseph and Slyomovics 10). Furthermore, colonization dates back to the Ottoman Empire and after its fall when the British and French colonized the Middle East. They distorted the Middle East’s culture to fit into their power and influence over them. Colonization was led by men that invaded foreign lands to civilize the Middle East through education and new ideals that they brought with them. These men then put other men within the region in authority positions such as officers or had them work alongside the colonial regime in their society. By favoring the men over the women, this encouraged misogynist ideas within the Arabic culture. In turn, men were the direct targets of colonizers by being given a form of power within their colonized Arab society. As a result, patriarchies in the Middle East were reinforced due to the influence that the colonizers had, in addition to the roles that were already given to women within their
For instance, Arabs have been stereotyped into being “barbaric” beings that mistreat and oppress the women in their society. It has become a predominant ideology that many people do not question. Suad Joseph and Susan Slyomovics explain the role colonialism had in supplementing this patriarchal ideology through their book Women and Power in the Middle East. They explain that, “while patriarchies obviously predate colonialism, contemporary patriarchies are products of the intersection between the colonial and indigenous domains of state and political processes” (Joseph and Slyomovics 10). Furthermore, colonization dates back to the Ottoman Empire and after its fall when the British and French colonized the Middle East. They distorted the Middle East’s culture to fit into their power and influence over them. Colonization was led by men that invaded foreign lands to civilize the Middle East through education and new ideals that they brought with them. These men then put other men within the region in authority positions such as officers or had them work alongside the colonial regime in their society. By favoring the men over the women, this encouraged misogynist ideas within the Arabic culture. In turn, men were the direct targets of colonizers by being given a form of power within their colonized Arab society. As a result, patriarchies in the Middle East were reinforced due to the influence that the colonizers had, in addition to the roles that were already given to women within their