Portraits of Palestinian Women [Paperback]

Orayb Aref Najjar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1993

Here 14 women of diverse background offer an intimate look at life in the occupied territories and Arab society. Not primarily a book about Palestinian-Israeli politics, the book is rather a collection of vital, resonant voices that reveal what it is like to be Palestinian and female. 31 photos; map.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The heroism and leadership displayed by Palestinian women in the West Bank conflict--and the price they have paid for their courage--has long gone unrecognized. Jerusalem-born Najjar, a Northern Illinois University journalism teacher, here records the stories of 14 of these women, of all ages and backgrounds, interviewed between 1984 and 1989. Commentaries by the author and some of her subjects on deep-rooted issues involved in the conflict accompany the women's accounts and demonstrate how the Intifada "touches every sector of society"; issues discussed include resettlement of Israeli immigrants in occupied territory, Palestinian autonomy and land claims. With their husbands and sons likely imprisoned or killed, and their homes razed, Muslim women emerge as quasi-feminists to head women's support groups and medical and legal services while struggling to raise their families, thus playing a major role in the building of an independent Palestine. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This work began as the life histories of eight Palestinian women, part of a series done for the "End of the Decade" conference on women in Nairobi in 1985. The Palestinian uprising, or intifada , which began in December 1987, added a new dimension to the lives of women under Israeli occupation. The author returned to the West Bank in 1989 with Kitty Warnock to update their earlier interviews and add additional case histories, resulting in this compilation of both sets of interviews. Twenty women of diverse backgrounds are included. All have been affected by the Israeli occupation and the intifada , and all see the role of the Palestinian woman changing as a direct result. Whether their future status in Palestinian society will change accordingly is of great concern to these women. There is an excellent introduction by Rosemary Bayigh, and Najjar provides useful background information at the beginning of each chapter. Highly recommended for academic libraries and others with strong women's studies or Middle East collections. See also Philippa Strum's The Women Are Marching , reviewed in this issue, p. 91.--Ed.
- Ruth K. Baacke, Bellingham P.L., Wash.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 326 pages
• Publisher: Univ of Utah Pr (T) (August 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874804418
• ISBN-13: 978-0874804416
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,084,138 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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