Week 8 Readings

The main focus of these readings was the relationship between the state and women and their feminine roles. Najmabadi's article "Vatan, the Beloved; Vatan the Mother" outlines the homeland's personification as a female figure, and how it promotes nationalism, patriotism and loyalty to the state. What is interesting about this personification is that it is a dichotomy: there exists an erotic character of the homeland and a maternal role of the homeland. As Najmabadi indicates, when an individual is writing or speaking about vatan, he usually speaks in terms of sexuality and eroticism. The relationship between him and his homeland is that of a man and his beloved. However, when referring to the men as a group, as a brotherhood, as fellow kin, vatan is referred to as a mother. It is this latter relationship that creates the loyalty to the state. As religion indicates, because one comes directly from one's mother and father, there is an inherent responsibility to respect and care for them. Therefore, there is a natural bond between citizens of the homeland. The question is, can the state manipulate this relationship for its own purposes? Could this relationship be considered a weakness?

Kandiyoti's "Introduction" from Women, Islam and the State shows the relationship between women and the state in terms of their societal, political and familial roles and their. The relationship seems incredibly contradictory and convoluted. After reading this, coming from a Western perspective of feminine roles, I question the intentions of the state. Do they really want to eventually grant women freedoms or is it a tool of manipulation in order to enact the policies that they want? Is it even possible for women to have these secular freedoms (or the Western idea of freedom) in a society where religion and politics are so deeply integrated into everyday life?