A R C H I V E S
Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| An open letter to Sultana and others |
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| Chris |
| 03/11/02 at 14:46:07 |
| I could not find her email address on site, so please could anyone who knows her bring this to her attention. Anyone else who wishes to comment, please do so, debate is the way to understanding. Dear Sultana I read with great interest your article on this site, on the link below, and found it very interesting. However I would like to raise a few points and questions. I am, I suppose, one of the people who wonder, if not asking, if you are forced to dress like that. I Believe that people have the right to choose what they wear of their own free will, free will is God's greatest gift to the human race, and we must use it to find our own path to truth. I would never force someone to wear a veil or burka (I hope I spelled that right) against their will, however, I suspect most Muslims (if that term can be applied) would not be so accomidating. Does this make me evil? I don't know. You are wrong though, when you say that it makes it impossible to judge you by your undoubtedly beautiful form. To someone brought up in a society where men and women are equal, and such a state being regarded as natural and right, it says 'here is someone who has allowed male customs to hide her individuality'. To some men, this represents a state which they think that 'their' women should be treated the same way, to some women it represents a bastion of male thinking that they must resist. No wonder Islam is sometimes feared and hated. I concede your point about people sometimes judging others on the basis of how they look, but that is changing now. Other problems abound. I watched as no less the five friends, good, true, muslims all, were forced to marry against their will to sometimes compleate strangers. Even my (admittedly limited) understanding of Islam says that that is banned, but it happens anyway. Whenever I have confronted a person who is trying to spread Islam on this topic, he has always muttered something about different cultures, and changed the subject. Ah well, I suppose, if you are reading this, that you might have decided that I am nothing better that a racist. I believe that I stand for Free Will and that is the most important thing of all. Yours in Peace Christopher [url]http://www.jannah.org/sisters/sultana.html[/url] |
| Re: An open letter to Sultana and others |
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| eleanor |
| 03/11/02 at 15:50:55 |
| Hi Chris! Nice to meet you :) I'd like to comment on a couple of points in your email to Sultana: [quote author=Chris link=board=madrasa;num=1015875967;start=0#0 date=03/11/02 at 14:46:07]Anyone else who wishes to comment, please do so, debate is the way to understanding.[/quote] [quote]I am, I suppose, one of the people who wonder, if not asking, if you are forced to dress like that. Â I Believe that people have the right to choose what they wear of their own free will, free will is God's greatest gift to the human race, and we must use it to find our own path to truth. Â [/quote] Agreed :) [quote]I would never force someone to wear a veil or burka (I hope I spelled that right) against their will, [/quote] Good! :) [quote]however, I suspect most Muslims (if that term can be applied) would not be so accomidating. [/quote] Why do you suspect this? And why are you not sure whether to call the "unaccomodating" people Muslim or not? This is a little confusing.. [quote]Â Does this make me evil? Â I don't know.[/quote] Does what make you evil? That you wouldn't force anyone to wear hijab? No of course it doesn't. The same way that forcing someone to wear hijab is also not rewarded. There is no force in matters of religion. That's what it says in the Qur'an. [quote]You are wrong though, when you say that it makes it impossible to judge you by your undoubtedly beautiful form. Â To someone brought up in a society where men and women are equal, and such a state being regarded as natural and right, it says 'here is someone who has allowed male customs to hide her individuality'. Â [/quote] I think Sultana meant that she cannot be judged on her body. Whether she is fat, thin etc. But of course the hijab cannot protect against the impression it makes. It all depends on the knowledge and wisdom of the observer what kind of judgement they make. In your case, you believe the hijab to be a symbol of female oppression, male elitism. This is your impression of hijab. Another onlooker may respect the hijab wearer for her religious conviction, and a third may respect her for her modesty. A fourth may see her to be a terrorist, and yet a fifth has no idea what she represents or why she dresses like that. The ideal Islamic society is also one where men and women are equal. Equal but not the same. For men and women can never be the same. If you claim they can, then I'd like to see the man who is capable of having a baby. In your society, which you claim has equal rights for men and women, women are victims of appearance and fashion. Try to deny it, but the evidence is there - anorexia, bulimia, women walking around almost naked so that someone will just look at them.... In your society of equal rights women are beaten, raped, mentally abused and murdered. In your society of equal rights it's okay for a man to sleep around but when a woman sleeps around she is a woman of ill repute. I'm not claiming that all this doesn't happen to Muslims or that Muslims never commit crimes, but before you denounce the Islamic society, you should take a look at your own first. In your society women are pressured into trying to be just like a man, in terms of career and social position, while at the same time trying to run a home and raise children. The emancipated woman never has minute to herself from morning till night because she is trying to live up to her male colleagues, acquaintances, friends, family.... Why do women want to be like men? Can you answer that, Chris? Don't you know that imitation is the highest form of flattery. And therefore a woman trying to be as good as or better than a man is in fact demeaning herself even more in the process. In Islam, women have their own, very respected, postion and role. It's like freedom compared to your society. This is probably why Sultana says at the end of her article she has been freed. Freed from the trappings of the world you live in. [quote]To some men, this represents a state which they think that 'their' women should be treated the same way, to some women it represents a bastion of male thinking that they must resist. Â No wonder Islam is sometimes feared and hated.[/quote] I agree. Some men do think like this and some women do think like this. As a matter of fact I would even dare to say that a great deal of men and women think like this. But please keep this seperate from Islam, because the way people practise Islam and Islam in its original form can be very very divergent. [quote]I concede your point about people sometimes judging others on the basis of how they look, but that is changing now. Â [/quote] I'd be really interested to read an elaboration on this point. Where is the evidence that that is changing now? Certainly not in the media or in the opinions of the people who digest the media and respond fully by buying the latest fashions, listening to the latest songs sung by half naked singers... [quote]Other problems abound. Â I watched as no less the five friends, good, true, muslims all, were forced to marry against their will to sometimes compleate strangers. Â Even my (admittedly limited) understanding of Islam says that that is banned, but it happens anyway.[/quote] Of course it happens. But that's not to say that it is allowed or even condoned in Islam. Allah is not responsible for the decisions people take, for as mentioned above, people have free will and will generally do whatever they feel is a good idea at the time. Â [quote]Whenever I have confronted a person who is trying to spread Islam on this topic, he has always muttered something about different cultures, and changed the subject.[/quote] It sounds lame, but there is no other answer. People will do what has been done in their countries/families for centuries. Again it is not Islamic. If the person telling you of Islam changed the subject on this, then you have been a victim of poor dawah, my friend. Dawah is the informing of others about Islam. [quote]Ah well, I suppose, if you are reading this, that you might have decided that I am nothing better that a racist. [/quote] Quite the opposite. A racist would never have taken the time to read the article in the first place and to write such an honest reply. In fact I am impressed by your reply and I'm sure I speak for everyone here when I say we are always delighted to have someone here to "keep us on our toes" so to speak. Because in answering your questions, we come to conclusions and opinions that we may otherwise never have come to :) Â [quote]I believe that I stand for Free Will and that is the most important thing of all.[/quote] We all stand for free will, Chris :) It's a gift given to us by Allah :) [quote]Yours in Peace [/quote] wasalaam (and peace ..) eleanor :-* |
| Re: An open letter to Sultana and others |
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| humble_muslim |
| 03/12/02 at 14:46:24 |
| [slm] This is how I see it as a man. God has given us the "gift" of free will, but with it comes responsibility and accountability. Otherwise what is the point of having it ? Each one of us, men and women, will be judged on whether we obey our creator or not, and end up in either Paradise or Hell depending which way we take. Now God has also sent us guidance in the form of holy books. This guidance is what differintiates man from other animals. So to give a simple example, the holy books teach us to dress up and not expose our private parts to each other, which is something animals do not do. In addition, because God's wisdom is infinite, He - and He alone - knows what is best for us, and what will help us live smoother lives. So by using your free will by obeying God and God's laws, you have at least three advantages : 1. You are raising yourself from above an animal's level 2. Your life will be smoother 3. You wil be rewarded in the hereafter So dress code is just one of the laws of God. Did you know that men have a dress code in Islam as well ? I am not allowed to show any part of my body between my navel and my knees to anyone except my wife. And I follow this rule, so, for example, when I excercise, I wear track bottoms. Does this make me feel inferior to jocks with their shorts ? Absolutely not. As a man, I am supposed to not let my pants hang below my ankles. This is part of the dress code. I try to do this. Does this make me feel any less attractive to men who don't do this ? Now as a man, I have many more responsibilties than a woman. Yes, the dress code is more covering for a woman than it is for a man. But as a man, I have a responsibiltiy to go to the mosque more often than women. Does this make me feel inferior to women ? And did you know that a man cannot leave his wife alone and go out to enjoy himself without her permission ? A husband's first duty is to his wife and family. So I hope I'm getting the message across. Dress code is just one small part of obeying the Creator, and it exists for both men and women. There are other laws which are applicable to men only. As far as "forcing" women to dress, EVERY single community on earth has SOME rules about the limits for dressing (or undressing). I mean you're not exactly allowed to prance down naked in the middle of the road, are you ? And over the last few decades of the previous century, have you noticed that dress codes amongst women have got shorter and skimpier ? I mean did you ever watch Little House on the Praire and see how they used to dress in those days ? Did those women feel opressed ? My wife dresses Islamically and I am happy about this. Not because it means I control her more, but because she is obeying her Creator, which to me is the finest deed any human being can do, be they male or female. And as for forcing girls to be married, this is not part of Islam. I was almost forced to be married to a girl I did not want to be married to, and I can vouch that is not Islamic, but nothing more than cultural practices of ignorant people. And I daresay that Christians living in Pakistan force their girls as well. And finally, a beautiful article (by a non-muslim) which nicely complements Sultana's article. The Elegance of the Modest Woman Toronto Star - Jan. 23, 2002 While out for dinner last week with colleagues, we sat beside three 20-something women. There was the usual posing and glances exchange, and as they paid their bill two Muslim women entered and sat nearby. Whispers were quickly exchanged and we could hear, "Why do they wear those things anyway?" .... "I feel sorry for them" ... and so on. As they filed out of the restaurant, we noticed they sported a mixed collection of the following: skin tight pants, short skirts, exposed midriffs, push-up bras, high heels, jewelry, see-through or plunging tops, piercings, lipstick and makeup, and one had breast implants for certain. We observed the two Muslim women as they were engaged in close conversation over coffee. Their graceful features complimented their dark headscarves and warm eyes. Their natural gestures were flirty without even trying - revealing natural beauty. And their clothes, while conservative, brought forth the hidden potential of something wonderful and truly feminine. The idea of dressing modestly terrifies some western women - but why? Perhaps it would trample their "right" to show off. Would their self-esteem fall along with their hemlines? After some debates, we identified the cost of the western "right" to flaunt. The Muslim women were free from the fashion trap -free to "just be" without posing, comparing, dieting and spending for the approval of men and each other. And they looked more desirable to us than the exhibitionists who were in the restaurant and parading on the sidewalk. The sexual displays in our culture are so mainstream and competitive that modesty is seen as regressive. Yet, long term, when a man looks past the right pants and heels, he will ultimately detect not confidence, but a certain unattractive desperation. Modest women don't have that desperation - they don't compete in the arena of vanity. They have themselves - and that's the kind of attraction with legs to last the long run. Remember that the next time you feel sorry for a Muslim woman. R. Stevenson North York |
| NS |
| 03/12/02 at 15:02:40 |
| humble_muslim |
| Re: An open letter to Sultana and others |
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| Dawn |
| 03/12/02 at 16:31:41 |
| [quote author=Chris link=board=madrasa;num=1015875967;start=0#0 date=03/11/02 at 14:46:07]I am, I suppose, one of the people who wonder, if not asking, if you are forced to dress like that. I Believe that people have the right to choose what they wear of their own free will, free will is God's greatest gift to the human race, and we must use it to find our own path to truth. I would never force someone to wear a veil or burka (I hope I spelled that right) against their will, however, I suspect most Muslims (if that term can be applied) would not be so accomidating. Does this make me evil? I don't know. [/quote] I think there is a lot of confusion in the western world today about the general topic of whether women living in countries governed by Muslim governments (in the most general sense of the word) have so-called freedom of choice of dress. Most westerners equate the required head covering in, for instance, Saudi Arabia, with oppression, because the woman is not given a choice in the matter, and freedom to choose (both dress and religion) is very highly valued in western society. Most westerners, however, also take this one step further. Because they are unfamiliar with the religion of Islam and the cultures of the Middle East, they therefore assume that all Muslims think it is OK for someone to be forced to wear something. I myself, before I did any research into the matter, thought down the same lines. As many, many Muslims will happily point out, however, this is not the case. From what I can see, very few westerners would point to the U.S. government and say that it is a Christian government and therefore that must be what Christians believe (and well they shouldn't, as it would be far from the truth). Yet, we are guilty, because of ignorance, of doing that with Islam. I know I am generalizing here, but I am simply speaking from my experience. [quote]You are wrong though, when you say that it makes it impossible to judge you by your undoubtedly beautiful form. To someone brought up in a society where men and women are equal, ....[/quote] I wasn't brought up in a society where men and women were equal, though I was raised in the U.S. As a teen (and they are by far the most affected by societally imposed beauty ideals), I still felt we had a way to go before all the false stereotypes of girls/women were eliminated. (It is one thinc to make it law, it is quite another to get everyone to believe it.) However, I didn't feel really any pressure to look/dress a certain way. Granted, I have always been somewhat of an independent spirit, but if I didn't like the current style, I just didn't wear it. I know there are girls and women who feel that societal pressure far more, and the small minority of girls/women who really suffer because of it (anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders) are there. For such people, perhaps the security that the hijab can bring would have steered them clear of such disorders. [quote] I concede your point about people sometimes judging others on the basis of how they look, but that is changing now. [/quote] I am not exactly sure that it is changing, so much as what people are looking for is changing. For example, these last few decades have let the "geek" come into his or her own. There has never been a time like the present where someone who is smart or technically minded but not necessarily athletic or good looking can be a part of the "in" crowd. This has been especially true for the guys. In some environments, it can still be pretty hard to be a girl geek. It has less to do with appearance, than it simply has to do with what people think women can or can't be or do. Western society still has a ways to go here. I think we can do away with all these misperceptions and misunderstandings between cultures and religions (and even sexes!), but we need to hear and listen, as well as talk. Peace, Dawn |
| 03/12/02 at 16:38:49 |
| Dawn |
| Re: An open letter to Sultana and others |
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| Chris |
| 03/12/02 at 19:23:18 |
| I got a little confused by the three replies, so I'll reply to them all individually. Thanks to everyone who replied :) To Elenor: I read recently a book called 'princess', and, forgive me, if that is an accuate description of life in Sudia Arabia, its a compleate disgrace. I have nither the power nor the incliation to play peeping tom with muslims in britain, some of whom are my friends, to see if this is true, but, having seen forced marrage, I'm finding it hard to give the benifit of the doupt. You're right, I can't see a man having a baby, ;D I dare say my girlfriend would be delighted if i could, but I can't, but in all, but this matter, men and women are equal. You might think this a funny arguement, but I can see beyond a girl's body, precisly because so much is revealed! Theres no reason to be distracted wondering what she looks like nude, or anything similer. As for the 'harrassed' emancipated women, I see your point, BUT because some can't cope is NO excuse for denying the oppotunity to others. On a personal note, why a women in Sadia Arabia forbidded to drive cars? I trust my mothers driving more than my dads! Theres no mention of cars in the Qua'ran ;D To 'The Humble Muslim' Doing what I am told is not exercising my free will, making my own choice is! God will judge me on my intentions. [quote]Now as a man, I have many more responsibilties than a woman. Yes, the dress code is more covering for a woman than it is for a man. But as a man, I have a responsibiltiy to go to the mosque more often than women. Does this make me feel inferior to women ? And did you know that a man cannot leave his wife alone and go out to enjoy himself without her permission ? A husband's first duty is to his wife and family. [/quote] I don't know, does it? Only you and God know your mind, not a humber person like me, LOL. [quote]My wife dresses Islamically and I am happy about this. Not because it means I control her more, but because she is obeying her Creator, which to me is the finest deed any human being can do, be they male or female. [/quote] It may make YOU happy, but how does She feel about it? And would you get a honest answer if you asked? And what would you do if she said she hated it? Nice article by the way. To dawn [quote] know there are girls and women who feel that societal pressure far more[/quote] what about the pressure, from both male and female relitives, to wear a headscaft? About geek girls, my IT teacher had a saying. " on the internet, no one knows your're a dog.... Thanks to everyone Chris |
| Re: An open letter to Sultana and others |
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| Kashif |
| 03/12/02 at 19:40:16 |
| Chris, You read 'Princess' the book by Jean Sasson? The sequel to it is entitled "Daughter of Arabia" and i think a third was published a year or two ago. The book itself seems to be a fraud. Sasson as yet has not been able to clear her name from the allegation by a Kuwaiti woman that the book is almost entirely based on a fictional work of her own writing. I have a news article about the whole issue somewhere on my hard drive. I'll try n dig it up tomorrow and post it here for you to read. Kashif Wa Salaam |
| NS |
| Re: An open letter to Sultana and others |
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| Kashif |
| 03/12/02 at 19:44:58 |
| Here we go, i just found it. Turns out that the lady is Austrian and not Kuwaiti. ------------------------------------- Special Report “Princess” Plagiarism Suit Provides Rare Look Into Literary Arab-Bashing by Richard H. Curtiss October 1996, pgs. 82, 111-112 Friederike Monika Adsani is a petite Austrian woman with a turned-up nose whose domineering father and acquiescent mother entrusted her education to Catholic nuns, against whose strict rules she constantly rebelled. She expressed her rebellious nature by marrying a handsome British-educated medical student, whom she adored initially, from a wealthy and powerful Kuwaiti family. To thwart her hostile mother-in-law, who invoked witchcraft to break up their marriage, Monika and her husband moved into a luxurious home they had helped design themselves with a garden and a private zoo next to a mosque. But her rebellion against a male-dominated society, her husband’s proclivity to side with his mother in frequent family disputes, his alcoholism, and his alleged dalliances with prostitutes which resulted in her contracting a venereal disease, finally drove both of the lovers to violent quarrels. Adsani fled to Austria, obtained a divorce, and wrote a book about her experiences which she entitled Cinderella in Arabia. She submitted the manuscript to American literary agent Peter Miller. A year later Miller informed Adsani that there was no possibility of turning the manuscript as she had submitted it into a book, much less a film, which is where the money is in the publishing world. Miller allegedly told Adsani that to sell the book “we need a hook. It must be more sensational. If only you were an Arabic princess.” She turned the manuscript over to another agent. Then, on Aug. 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. In a fit of pique, Adsani telephoned Miller in December 1990, to point out that if her book were in print, it probably would be headed for the best-seller list. Miller asked her for another opportunity to represent her, but Adsani turned him down. When the Gulf war was over, Monika Adsani still was hoping her new agent would find a publisher for her manuscript when, in September 1992, Atlanta-based author Jean Sasson brought out her second, best-selling Middle East-related book. Sasson’s first best-seller had been subsidized by the Embassy of Kuwait in Washington. Entitled The Rape of Kuwait, it had recounted horrors of the Iraqi occupation. The Kuwaiti government had distributed at no charge a quarter of a million copies to U.S. military personnel assembling in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf to end that occupation. Now, Jean Sasson again had hit best-seller lists with a book entitled Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil. The book purported to be based upon the diaries of “Princess Sultana,” an alias for a petite, snub-nosed granddaughter of King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud, founder of the modern kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The princess purportedly was raised in the luxurious palace of a cruel and domineering father and a kind but overly acquiescent mother. Even as a child Princess Sultana rebelled at the subservient role ordained for her in a male-dominated society. She expressed her rebellion by outraging the mother of the handsome young British-educated lawyer cousin with whom her father had arranged a marriage. Although her mother-in-law resorted to witchcraft to break up the marriage, the young couple moved to a luxurious home they had helped design themselves with a garden and a private zoo adjacent to a mosque. Finally her husband’s proclivity to side with his mother in the unending family battles, his alcoholism, and his dalliances with prostitutes, which resulted in her contracting a venereal disease, drove the young lovers to violence against each other. Sultana fled to France where she lived for several months with her three children until she obtained a written promise from her husband never to take a second wife if she returned to Saudi Arabia. A sequel, Princess: Sultana’s Daughters, takes up Sasson’s story of Sultana’s life back in Saudi Arabia and the effects on her son and two daughters of the male excesses and extreme female repression that she depicts in her version of Saudi society. It, too, allegedly was prepared by Jean Sasson from notes smuggled to her by the princess whose “life and safety in Saudi Arabia” would be jeopardized if her identity were ever revealed, according to Sasson’s and the publisher’s New York copyright lawyer. Monika Adsani, however, felt certain that she knew whose life story had provided the inspiration for the story of the “Saudi princess.” She concluded that the “diaries and notes” which Jean Sasson said she used to assemble the two books were, in fact, Mrs. Adsani’s own manuscript, allegedly made available to Ms. Sasson by their mutual American agent, Peter Miller. Adsani has initiated a plagiarism suit against Miller, Sasson, and Sasson’s publishers and distributors in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York. Adsani’s current suit, along with an earlier one over author’s royalties initiated by Ms. Sasson against the publishers of her first book, The Rape of Kuwait, provide a rare look into the world of literary Arab-bashing, which is driven primarily by the Hollywood film industry’s seemingly insatiable appetite for works in which Arabs are the villains. In fact Ms. Sasson’s first book purportedly was written in nine days and was published concurrently with a campaign for which the U.S. public relations firm of Hill and Knowlton “got nearly $10.8 million from the Kuwaitis” for helping the Kuwaiti embassy with public and congressional relations during the Gulf war, according to an article by John R. MacArthur in the March 11, 1996 issue of the New York Observer. In addition to the quarter-million copies purchased by the Kuwaiti government for distribution to U.S. troops, 700,000 more copies of the book, apparently also subsidized by the Kuwaiti government, were shipped by Knightsbridge Press of California at a cost of $200,000 by Federal Express to wholesalers and dealers. Of those, perhaps 30 percent were sold. The subject of the earlier lawsuit was Ms. Sasson’s claim that Knightsbridge owed her more author’s royalties than she had received. Gerald Sindell, former chief executive officer of Knightsbridge, which subsequently went out of business, countered that the expedited shipping, ordered by David Abramowitz, a company employee who was a close friend and confidant of Ms. Sasson, had incurred “enormous expense” which Sindell had not authorized. Subsequently Sindell has become an important witness against Mr. Miller and Ms. Sasson in the plagiarism suit involving Princess. Summarized, Monika Adsani’s suit charges that there is no Princess Sultana, that Sasson’s two Princess books were derived in part from Adsani’s manuscript, and that many of the events and even some of the language of the first book is taken directly from that manuscript. “Before filing our lawsuit, we offered to drop all claims against Jean Sasson and the publishers, William Morrow & Company and Doubleday, if they could produce an authentic copy of the alleged Saudi princess’ diary that matched Sasson’s Princess story,” explains Adsani’s lawyer, Bruce Lagerman of Lagerman & Jones in Reston, VA. “To this day, both Sasson and the publishers have adamantly refused to produce this diary they claim exists.” To buttress the case that there is no Princess, Lagerman has affidavits from two prominent authorities who attest that the book contains egregious errors of fact that no genuine Saudi could possibly make, and describes “personal experiences” so grotesque that they would be widely known within Saudi Arabia if they really had occurred within the royal family. In his affidavit, former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia James Akins concludes that “the books were not ‘written’ or ‘inspired’ or ‘approved’ by any Saudi princess” and that “it is quite clear that ‘Sultana’ does not exist.” Explaining this conclusion, Akins lists several examples of errors of fact. One is the statement in Sasson’s first Princess book that women “are forbidden entry into mosques in my country.” Any Saudi would know this is not true, Akins states. Not only do many Saudi mosques “have special sections reserved for women,” his deposition notes, but “at each prayer time — five times a day — Saudi TV shows worshippers at the Grand Mosque of Mecca and there are always women among the worshippers.” Akins’ affidavit also cites the gruesome tale of a close friend of Sultana who, the book says, was caught conducting liaisons with foreign men in Riyadh. The book says that although Sultana’s friend was released to her father by the morals police when they determined that she was still a virgin, her father had her chained and drowned in the family swimming pool with the entire family forced to watch the “execution.” Wrote Akins: “This story, if true, would be so extraordinary it would be widely known in Riyadh. It is not. I have not met one Saudi who was not horrified by the tale and by the prospect that Americans could take it seriously.” In fact, Akins states, although many Saudis have seen or heard of the book while traveling abroad, it has occasioned no speculation as to the real identity of “Princess Sultana” because Saudis consider it a forgery In a separate affidavit, Dr. Jack Shaheen, author of The TV Arab and a frequent lecturer on Arab stereotyping in the American media, concludes “that the character named ‘Sultana’ is absolutely pure fictionshe does not exist.” He continues, “I do not believe Jean Sasson conducted interviews with a Saudi princess. Nor do I believe that the texts are based upon a Saudi Arabian princess’s diary or upon her personal notes.” Among errors he cites are the statement in both of Sasson’s books that Sultana’s older sisters and other older women in the Saudi royal family had been subjected to female circumcision, which in fact is a custom rooted in Africa, not the Middle East. “Female circumcision is not and has never been practiced by female members of the Saudi Arabian royal family,” Shaheen writes. He cites also erroneous statements concerning the dowry, veiling, and, perhaps most telling of all, the reference to an “Egyptian female imam.” “An imam is an Islamic priest,” Shaheen writes. “There are no female imams.” Lagerman also has an affidavit from a British private investigator who was told by a former colleague and friend of Ms. Sasson from the decade she lived in Riyadh that Princess “was a mix of fact and fiction…It was not really biographical, but an account based on expatriate folklore…Jean Sasson had a good eye for what people wanted to hear.” In his response to these affidavits, Richard Dannay, lawyer for Sasson, her publishers and distributors, sought to separate the issue of whether or not the “princess” really exists from the issue of plagiarism. “Even if it were assumed, just for argument’s sake, that Princess Sultana is fictional, it would not follow that Princess or anything else was ‘copied’ or ‘stolen’ from plaintiff,” Dannay wrote. Responds Lagerman, “We are determined to expose the fact that Jean Sasson completely fabricated ‘Sultana.’ Sasson lied when she said ‘Sultana’ asked her to write her life story, lied about ‘Sultana’ giving Sasson her personal diaries, and lied about ‘Sultana’ co-authoring Sasson’s Princess manuscript. So where did Sasson get the material to write nearly 300 pages on ‘Sultana’s life? We have the evidence to prove that Monika Adsani’s unpublished manuscript was handed over to Sasson by Adsani’s own New York literary agent, Peter Miller.” The evidence includes a 16-page statement, backed up by 32 pages of examples, by Dr. R. Victoria Arana, professor of English at Howard University, “that Princess and Sultana’s Daughters are substantially similar to Monika Adsani’s manuscript entitled Cinderella in Arabia.” Writes Arana, “Anyone who reads the Adsani work attentively and appreciatively and then reads the Sasson books will be struck by their obvious similarities. Such a reader would also note that the Adsani manuscript is more vibrant, richer, and more detailed than the Sasson texts.” Equally damaging are statements in a sworn declaration by Sindell, the former chief executive of Knightsbridge Publishing Company in California, which published The Rape of Kuwait during its brief corporate existence from 1989 through 1992. Noting that Knightsbridge previously had published some books provided by literary agent Miller, Sindell wrote: “In December 1990 Peter Miller approached Knightsbridge to pitch a non-fiction manuscript by a woman who he said had lived many years in the Gulf region. Mr. Miller told me he was approaching Knightsbridge because I previously told him Knightsbridge was publishing Jean Sasson’s The Rape of Kuwait... “With the Gulf War imminent, many Gulf-related manuscripts were being pitched to publishers at that time. Although Mr. Miller did not identify his client by name, he described her manuscript as the true story of the woman’s life in either Saudi Arabia or Kuwait.... “Peter Miller stated that the manuscript would need a ‘ghost-writer’ to place the book in proper condition to be published. Peter Miller also told me that this book would be much more successful if it were published under Jean Sasson’s name...” While the plagiarism suit is pending, published comments of some of the principals seem especially significant. Sasson, who was employed as a secretary at a hospital in Riyadh for four years and who remained in the Saudi capital for another six years as the wife of a British insurance salesman, Peter Sasson, writes in her acknowledgments for the first Princess book: “Thank you, Sultana, for bravely sharing your life story with the world. By taking this bold step, you have helped to humanize the Arabs, a people misunderstood by the West. My hope is that by revealing the intimate details of your life as an Arab woman, in all its pain and glory, your story will help to dispel the many negative stereotypes held of your people throughout the world.” It is questionable whether Sasson’s story, which demonizes virtually all Saudi men and paints an exceedingly bleak picture of life in the desert kingdom, has helped with her declared purpose of banishing negative stereotypes, if that was her purpose. There is little question, however, that both Princess books have made a lot of money for Sasson, her publishers, William Morrow and Doubleday, and presumably for her agent, Peter Miller. That makes even more poignant two consecutive entries on Peter Miller in the Insider’s Guide to Book Editors, Publishers and Literary Agents by Jeff Herman, distributed by Prima Publishing of Rocklin, California. Asked by Herman to describe for the 1994-1995 guide “the client from hell,” Miller replied: “One who calls three or four times a day before we have anything to report.” Asked the same question for the 1995-1996 guide after the Adsani lawsuit was filed, Miller replied: “One who calls you three times a day, doesn’t have a computer, and stole another author’s manuscript and submitted it as their own.” Perhaps even more pertinent is a comment to a reporter who published an article on “Copyright Wars” in The Washington Post on June 19, 1995. New York lawyer Carl Person, who represents literary agent Miller against the Adsani charges, normally represents plaintiffs rather than defendants in copyright suits. He told Post writer Saundra Torry that defendants’ greed is spawning copyright litigation. “Hollywood is a closed shop,” and when an outsider comes along with a good idea “no one is willing to back an unknown,” Person said. So the ideas are taken, and those taking them “hope they are not going to get caught.” http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/1096/9610082.htm |
| NS |
| 03/12/02 at 19:50:18 |
| Kashif |
| Re: An open letter to Sultana and others |
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| eleanor |
| 03/13/02 at 06:51:02 |
| [quote author=Chris link=board=madrasa;num=1015875967;start=0#4 date=03/12/02 at 19:23:18] To Elenor: I read recently a book called 'princess', and, forgive me, if that is an accuate description of life in Sudia Arabia, its a compleate disgrace. I have nither the power nor the incliation to play peeping tom with muslims in britain, some of whom are my friends, to see if this is true, but, having seen forced marrage, I'm finding it hard to give the benifit of the doupt. You're right, I can't see a man having a baby, ;D I dare say my girlfriend would be delighted if i could, but I can't, but in all, but this matter, men and women are equal. You might think this a funny arguement, but I can see beyond a girl's body, precisly because so much is revealed! Theres no reason to be distracted wondering what she looks like nude, or anything similer. As for the 'harrassed' emancipated women, I see your point, BUT because some can't cope is NO excuse for denying the oppotunity to others. On a personal note, why a women in Sadia Arabia forbidded to drive cars? I trust my mothers driving more than my dads! Theres no mention of cars in the Qua'ran ;D [/quote] Chris, you are still confusing people's "interpretation" if you like, of Islam, and Islam in its original form. We have two authentic sources to go on. One is the Qur'an and the second is the Hadith. The Hadith are the recorded sayings and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad [saw] (may peace be upon him. Now of course we can use the argument that the world has changed and there have been great technological advancements. But it also states in the Qur'an that in Islam, Allah has perfected our religion, that Muhammad is the last prophet. Therefore we have to work with what we have. There are many scholars who have studied in detail the Qur'an and the Hadith. And generally when there is a question which isn't altogether clear, they come to some sort of a consensus, based on the Qur'an and Hadith. As for women not being allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia... I have never heard the background on this, but as far as I know this is not Islamic. The harrassed emancipated woman - wouldn't it be great to have an option for those who can't cope? The complete right to stay at home, if they want to, with no external worries to bother her? She is free of financial burden. Her husband provides everything for her. In Islam, this is the woman's RIGHT. She can expect it. Nothing less. Outside of Islam, there's always the feeling that the woman is not carrying her own share of the burden. I'm speaking for myself when I say that it took me years to reconcile to the fact that I don't have to work if I don't want to and that's OK. :) And even better - if I do decide to work, then I can spend the wages on anything I want! I don't have to contribute to the household at all :) And this is my [i]God-given Right!![/i] So you see as a Muslim, I can choose if I want to work or if I don't want to work... there's not much of that in your society. Either the woman works because she is financially forced to do so, or she stays at home and is made to feel really guilty for it. Regarding forced marriage - it is forbidden in Islam. Arranged marriage is encouraged, but both parties have the absolute right to refuse. With no consequences. So your arguments about forced marriage fall a bit thin... Finally, I never said men and women are not equal. Men and women are equal but [i]not the same.. [/i] Don't you get it? We have different roles in society. Roles to which we are better adapted. This is not a hard and fast rule - ie there are many Muslim house-husbands who mind the baby while the wife gets her education or whatever. I'd appreciate a reply... If I was confusing again, feel free to ask :) wasalaam eleanor :-* [] |
| Re: An open letter to Sultana and others |
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| Dawn |
| 03/13/02 at 09:20:05 |
| Chris, [quote] You're right, I can't see a man having a baby, ;D I dare say my girlfriend would be delighted if i could, but I can't, ... [/quote] Just wait a few years. I have a colleague who has a colleague who is working on just this. :o It is still quite far off though. [quote]You might think this a funny arguement, but I can see beyond a girl's body, precisly because so much is revealed! Theres no reason to be distracted wondering what she looks like nude, or anything similer. [/quote]You are not alone in this. I think many men from western societies feel the same way. My husband will vouch for you here. [quote]As for the 'harrassed' emancipated women, I see your point, BUT because some can't cope is NO excuse for denying the oppotunity to others. [/quote]I think Eleanor responded well to this. As I understand it, Islam does not deny this opportunity to others. PEOPLE may, but Islam per se, doesn't. (I am not Muslim, so perhaps I don't have the right to respond to this one, but this is just the way I understand it.) [quote]To dawn what about the pressure, from both male and female relitives, to wear a headscaft? [/quote]Again, this is not Islam, per se, but individuals within the relegion. Personally, I find it sad that people feel the need to force their daughter/sister/neice/granddaughter, etc. to wear a scarf against their will. The decision to do so is something that should come from within, not without (imho). [quote]About geek girls, my IT teacher had a saying. " on the internet, no one knows your're a dog.... [/quote]That may be true, but very few have the luxury (or problem, depending on your viewpoint) of working in a vacuum. As a female working in a field (engineering/applied mathematics) in which 98% of my colleagues are male, I can assure you that it is not easy. Most people, actually, don't give a hoot one way or the other whether I am female or not. Unfortunately, there are a very small few who still do. Fortunately, they are mostly within 10 years of retirement. ;) Personally, I don't feel that people's opinions of my gender have in any way affected my career thus far. I can't say the same for a few of my friends. :( As a quote which is attributed to Einstein goes, "It is not enough to disprove a theory. You have to wait till everyone who believes in it dies." Please do keep up the discussion. It is the only way for us all to learn! Peace, Dawn |
| Re: An open letter to Sultana and others |
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| sofia |
| 03/13/02 at 09:51:02 |
| Salaam, peace - [Sorry this is written in a rush, haven't read every post in this thread yet] Out of curiosity, Chris, have you ever met a Muslim? A covering Muslim woman? Just wondering. Because I know I speak for a lot of my friends when I say this: I wouldn't take this scarf/hijaab off my head (in circumstances when I need to wear it) for a million dollars. Not even a billion dollars. It's more than an issue of a piece of cloth, though. For one thing, I wouldn't leave the religion of Islam, since I'm afforded much more rights and respect as a Muslim woman than as an American woman, alone. There are TONS of good articles on www.jannah.org/sisters. I'm not sure what this "Princess" book is all about, but I do know that dressing modestly (and yes, even covering the head) is addressed in the Torah and in New Testament, and other faiths, as well. But I think your question, correct me if I'm wrong, is more an issue of, do you do it by your own choice or because you feel you have to for whatever reason? I, like many, starting wearing it because I knew it was the right thing to do (loaded question-loaded answer, hehe). May have taken me longer to realize it than I would have liked, but let's just say I was probably more anti-hijaab than the average American when I was young and immature and ignorant. When I started, I had some family friends criticize my decision, but I was more annoyed by them than self-conscious. While Islam is bigger than you or I or a piece of cloth, its outward and inward elements work together in a way that I can't explain. When we wear the scarf, we're more aware of our faith and what we can and should not do, and that we represent a billion people (like it or not). I'm sure people of any faith who wear something that symbolizes their faith feel the same way (whether it's a man's kufi or thoab, or nun's veil or jew's yamaka). You are somewhat swimming against the stream, not for any worldly gain (if you're wearing it for God, not for any man or woman). So if that makes us odd, I hope it's "odd" in a good way. :) And I could be wrong, but I think what another member meant by freedom and free-will is: If you are not in submission to or doing actions for God, then you are doing it for something other than God (eg, your own base desires). That would, in effect, make you a "slave" to your lower desires. By submitting to God alone, you are free from lower desires. God knows what's best for you, infinitely moreso than you or I or our mothers, even. But that's an issue of trust in God. That's liberation that I won't/can't even begin to explain. May you be guided to what is right. . Peace, Sofia |
| Re: An open letter to Sultana and others |
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| Chris |
| 03/13/02 at 16:15:38 |
| Thanks for continuing the debate. I see what you mean about Princess, but three points stand out. 1) Women are not allowed to drive in SA 2) Women must wear headscarves and be accoupnied by a man in SA when outside 3) There was a 'great women driving demostration' and this led to point one, now it is law, not custom. Never having been to SA, I can't be more judgemental, but one thing also struck me from that article. Assume for a minite I an the writer of the book and there is a real Sultana. If the book is real and I am pressured to revela her diries and presumably her name, AND THIS GETS BACK TO SA, she will be punished in a barbaric manner, while I will escape any punishment. I could not live with myself afterwards. To Elenor: There arn't two sources, theres one, the Qua'ran itself, when Qua'ran and Hadith conflict, the Qua'ran, being the word of God, must come first. 'And Pilate said unto him, "what is Truth"' Islam is the sum of its people, the people who claim to follow it. It is them, not the qua'ran itself, that will demostarte Islam to the world. [quote]The harrassed emancipated woman - wouldn't it be great to have an option for those who can't cope? The complete right to stay at home, if they want to, with no external worries to bother her? She is free of financial burden. Her husband provides everything for her. In Islam, this is the woman's RIGHT. She can expect it. Nothing less. Outside of Islam, there's always the feeling that the woman is not carrying her own share of the burden. [/quote] The option is there! They can just stay at home and mind the kids if they want, but the choice must be THEIRS! To sofia: Pity you did not bet money on me not knowing any, you would have lost, I know a few and they are among the best people I know (better not tell them that as they'll get swelled heads ;) ) [quote]but let's just say I was probably more anti-hijaab than the average American when I was young and immature and ignorant[/quote] If you don't mind me asking, what was your childhood like? Peace Chris |
| Re: An open letter to Sultana and others |
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| sofia |
| 03/14/02 at 13:02:49 |
| Umm…not at all what some may expect. Most of what I’ve learned at home was taught through example, rather than mere lip-service. I find that somewhat rare. Sorry, you stated clearly that you knew of Muslims, I meant Muslim women who covar. Anyways, so the anti-hijaab thing was not because I thought Islam meant oppression or because I was taught to dislike the scarf. It was more a reflection of my own ignorance of what the hijaab, itself, meant at the time. It’s true meaning was not something that was forced upon me. So when I hear of someone assuming one thing about it (like I had), I kinda feel the need to interject. Hope that made some modicum of sense. Carry on in your quest for the truth. Peace |
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