Both Right and Left Handed: Arab Women Talk about Their Lives [Paperback]

Bouthaina Shaaban (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1991

Syrian feminist activist Bouthaina Shaaban revisits Both Right and Left Handed, her widely admired book based on interviews with Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian, and Algerian women (IUP, 1991). Arab women from varied social and economic backgrounds express a wide range of opinions on the traditions and institutions that shape their lives. Themes include the impact of war and the emancipating role of women as freedom fighters, the misinterpretation of Islamic laws and social values that underlies male-dominated institutions in Arab countries, the sacrifices of Arab women to keep the family unit together, and such previously taboo issues as lesbian relationships and premarital sex. In her new introduction, Shaaban recounts the significant progress that Arab women have made in pursuing opportunities for education and professional and political advancement during the last 20 years. Equally passionate is Shaaban's personal account of her journey from childhood in an obscure Syrian village to representing her country as a top-ranking political figure while continuing to fight for female equality.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

" . . . The real Muslim is the one 'who doesn't let his left hand know what his right hand has given."' How better to describe the selflessness of Arab women in their daily lives in a society of constant oppression by their fathers, husbands, brothers, and even sons. Shaaban, a Syrian with a Ph.D. from Warwick University (U.K.), interviewed numerous Syrian, Lebanese, Palestinian, and Algerian women from all walks of life. Almost without exception, they described their lives with bitterness, anger, and frustration. Many had fought alongside men as equals in wars of independence and survival, only to be relegated to their former servile status once the wars ended. Many have advanced degrees and teach in universities but still hold subservient positions at home. Almost all have had no say in the major events of their lives: marriages, childbirth, divorce. However, these women are far from passive; from Shaaban's interviews, there emerges a profile of a strong-willed, intelligent, extraordinary Arab woman, dissatisfied with her lot and determined to make changes. Unlike some compilations of interviews, Shaaban's is a coherent, smooth, very readable work that includes a useful glossary of Arabic terms. Highly recommended, particularly for women's studies and Middle East collections in academic and public libraries.
- Ruth K. Baacke, Bellingham P.L., Wash.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"An intriguing voyage into the otherwise hidden lives of Arab women." —Washington Post Book World

(Washington Post Book World 2010)

"A brave and moving book." —Ms. magazine

(Ms. magazine )

This new version of Syrian feminist Bouthaina Shaaban's book tells the revealing stories of Syrian, Palestinian, Lebanese, and Algerian women. This volume explores issues
of Islamic law and social expectations of women, women freedom fighters, male-dominated institutions, and even premarital sex and lesbian relationships in Arab societies. Shaaban offers a new preface which describes the progress Arab women have made in their societies in the 20 years since the book was first published, and also chronicles her journey from childhood in a small village in Syria to serving as a top ranking official while continuing her feminist activism.Jarron Bowman, MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL, Spring 2010

(Jarron Bowman MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press; 1st Midland Book Ed edition (October 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 025320688X
• ISBN-13: 978-0253206886
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,550,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for Women's Studies and Arab Studies, April 10, 2008

By 

L. Mahayni "Queen of Contradiction" (Eugene, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Both Right and Left Handed: Arab Women Talk about Their Lives (Paperback)

As an Arab-American woman, I found this book not only informative but extraordinary because Bouthaina Shaaban understands English and Arabic both well enough that instead of poor translations by a third party or paraphrasing, she actually gives the reader a glimpse inside Arab women using their own words!

The book does not claim to be a thorough study of women throughout the Arab world but a sampling which shows their diversity both in circumstance and culture. Note the huge difference between the young unwed mother in the beginning and the North African woman at the end.

This is an important, even landmark, work in my view. I personally own two copies so that I can continuously circulate one among friends and family. Without fail, those who borrow it, come back to me grateful for having read it.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting insider viewpoints, September 15, 2004

By 

Erika Mitchell (E. Calais, VT USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Both Right and Left Handed Pb (Third World women's studies) (Paperback)

This book consists of a series of interviews with Arabic women in Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Algeria. Because the women interviewed were personal contacts or contacts of contacts of the author, it almost comes across as snapshots in a personal photo album. Most of the women interviewed are leaders, women of prominence in their countries, or university professors like the author herself. The attitudes they express towards the state of women in their countries is remarkably similar, but the reader can't assume that these attitudes prevail in these countries because no attempt was made at trying to reach a representative sample of women. Nevertheless, the book is extremely interesting, informative, and thought-provoking. Many of the women interviewed point out the strength of women and their remarkable achievements during armed struggles. They rail against husbands who ignore their intellectual abilities and accomplishments while requiring them to be perfect house cleaners, cooks, and child care givers. A number of the women reflect that they themselves may be partly to blame in the way that they raise children, especially their sons. Almost universally, they are unhappy with their present state, but on the other hand, they would not want to have the lifestyle of European women. But do they understand the lives of European women any better than European women understand the lives of Arab women?