'Shocking, heartfelt and well-researched' New Statesman
'A ground-shaping book that defines the edge of so many vital contemporary debates. Hers is a voice simultaneously behind and beyond the veil' Colum McCann
'A fascinating, can't-look-away, whistle-stop tour of the Middle East' Daily Telegraph
'Brave and impassioned . . . A shocking book, and one that will make anyone who has seen veiling as a cultural issue think very hard about what is really going on' Mail on Sunday
Headscarves and Hymens explodes the myth that we should stand back and watch while women are disempowered and abused in the name of religion.
In this laceratingly honest account, Eltahawy takes aim both at attitudes in the Middle East and at the western liberals who mistake misogyny for cultural difference. Her argument is clear: unless political revolution in the Arab world is accompanied by social and sexual revolution, no progress will be made.
Headscarves and Hymens is the book the world has been crying out for: a powerful, fearless account of what it really means to be a woman in the Muslim world.
'A fascinating, can't-look-away, whistle-stop tour of the Middle East' Daily Telegraph
'Brave and impassioned . . . A shocking book, and one that will make anyone who has seen veiling as a cultural issue think very hard about what is really going on' Mail on Sunday
In November 2011, Mona Eltahawy came to worldwide attention when she was assaulted by police during the Egyptian Revolution. She responded by writing a groundbreaking piece in FOREIGN POLICY entitled 'Why Do They Hate Us?'; 'They' being Muslim men, 'Us' being women. It sparked huge controversy. In HEADSCARVES AND HYMENS, Eltahawy takes her argument further. Drawing on her years as a campaigner and commentator on women's issues in the Middle East, she explains that since the Arab Spring began, women in the Arab world have had two revolutions to undertake: one fought with men against oppressive regimes, and another fought against an entire political and economic system that treats women as second-class citizens in countries from Yemen and Saudi Arabia to Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. Eltahawy has travelled across the Middle East and North Africa, meeting with women and listening to their stories. Her book is a plea for outrage and action on their behalf, confronting the 'toxic mix of culture and religion that few seem willing or able to disentangle lest they blaspheme or offend.' A manifesto motivated by hope and fury in equal measure, HEADSCARVES AND HYMENS is as illuminating as it is incendiary.
Informative and engaging, a brave and much needed insight into suffering which is rarely talked about openly.
