The book of night women review5/27/2023 The overall meaning of these texts is juxtaposed with counter-narratives that have evolved along a different trajectory in which Western Muslims resist the iconization of the " Muslim Woman " as a fixed representative of an oppressive, misogynist religion and culture. This entry examines three of these recent works as representing a new turn in the imperialistic construction of the image of the downtrodden Muslim woman invoking Western emancipation. The writers show awareness of the post-9/11 context and utilize stereotyped generalizations to contribute further to essentializing Islam, its culture, and Muslim women everywhere. These writings aim to appeal to the traditional " voyeurism " of the harem complex in the Western imaginary and share features that link it to the typical colonial image of the Muslim woman. This is a more powerful gaze as it is presumed more authentic. Recently, a genre of women's personal narratives has appeared, claiming to provide an insider's look at Muslim culture using the dissenting voice of a woman of Muslim origin and upbringing. Postcolonial studies analyzed the notion of the Western imperialist " gaze " toward the Muslim woman as a cultural icon embodying oppression and backwardness. The Orientalist phenomenon of the imperialist or colonial harem gave rise to scholarship on the cultural representation and construction of symbols in service of empire.
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