Assignment Task: Expand and extend this essay into five pages
The Role of Gender in Islam and Culture Islam and culture often have conflicting views on gender roles and expectations. In Islam, men and women are seen as equal in the eyes of God, but cultural practices and traditions can often result in women being treated as inferior. In Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood, author Fatima Mernissi explores this conflict through her experiences growing up in an Islamic household in Morocco during the 1940s and 1950s. One example of the intersection of Islam and culture in the novel is the expectations placed on women to conform to certain standards of behavior. Mernissi states that "women who were born Muslim had no choice but to accept both the Islamic and the Moroccan cultural codes that regulated their behavior" (Mernissi, 1995, p. 126). This highlights the fact that women are expected to live according to both Islamic and cultural norms, and any deviation from these norms can lead to significant consequences. At the same time, Mernissi also explores how women can use their position to their advantage. For example, Mernissi's mother is able to manipulate the situation to her benefit by playing on the notion of her own "feminine power" in order to gain her freedom (Mernissi, 1995, p. 176). This serves to illustrate the fact that while women may be expected to conform to certain standards, they can also use their position to their advantage in certain situations. Throughout the novel, Mernissi also examines the tensions that arise when Islam and culture clash. She notes that in her home, "the clash between the Islamic and the tribal codes was obvious" (Mernissi, 1995, p. 67). This serves to illustrate the fact that while both Islam and culture are important to her family and community, there are often times when the two do not agree with one another. Despite these tensions, Mernissi's family is able to find a way to compromise between these two worlds. Her grandmother, for example, is able to find a middle ground between the Islamic and the tribal codes, despite not accepting "the total subservience to Islamic law that the male members of the family demanded" (Mernissi, 1995, p. 71). This demonstrates the possibility of bridging the gap between Islam and culture, even in the face of significant tensions. In conclusion, the role of gender in Islam and culture is a complex and multifaceted issue, as exemplified in Dreams of Trespass. The conflict between Islam and culture often results in women being caught in the middle, expected to conform to both sets of expectations and norms. However, Mernissi also shows how women can use their position to their advantage and how it is possible to find a compromise between Islam and culture.