I would like to introduce you to my thesis blog. In this long-long-long journey, you will read my ramblings, thoughts, and analysis. Before I begin my book review in the next post, here is a brief introduction to my topic.
My thesis centers around the book Honour Lost: Love and Death in Modern Day Jordan (please look at the commentary on the book) by Norma Khouri. In this now infamous book, Khouri describes her friendship with a Muslim girl. Based in Amman, Jordan, Khouri's friend is murdered by her family when it is revealed she has secret dates with a Christian boy. Khouri's life is then threatened and is forced to flee away from Jordan.
The memoir addresses the issue of honor killings, specifically in Jordan, and in the world as a whole. When it was published, a campaign ran by journalist Rana Husseini was working in Jordan to prevent the practice through constitutional changes. This memoir drastically hurt their campaign, because the tone is extremely anti-Jordanian, Muslim and Arab culture. It is rife with generalizations and gave the Western powers in the post-9/11 climate to attack the region. We will see in my next post while this became problematic.
The worst part? Rana Husseini and other prominent women activists and journalists proved that the memoir was false. Although removed from its initial publisher, it is still being published today.
My questions for my thesis include:
- How much harm did this memoir inflict?
- What repercussions will the continued publication of this book involve?
- How can the damage be undone?
- Does this memoir have a valuable role in the social and historical discourse on this issue?
- Have more false-memoirs appeared on this topic?
- What good did this memoir bring? What was its nature? Can we speculate what the movement would be now without it?
All the best,
Liz
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