Purdah

Purdah

The term testimony may be defined as evidence based on observation or knowledge or as a solemn declaration of truth by a witness under oath and in the presence of a court. In this paper we shall look into the case presented by the prominent feminist writer Imtiaz Dharker in her collection Purdah. It is important to ask what it is that is being testified in these poems, who is testifying and before whom? Also we must inquire why it is necessary that this testimony be heard ? In Purdah, Dharker presents a vivid picture of the oppression and the gradual destruction of the female mind, body and will at the hands of society. She dwells mostly on the plight of women who follow Islamic doctrines but they are also inclusive of the experiences of women belonging to certain other religions and cultures.
Purdah is not only a physical state of being; it is also a frame of mind that many Muslim women are introduced to by religion and by society. It has several functions although primarily it is supposed to ‘protect’ women from all external dangers particularly the lecherous male gaze. But oftentimes even here it fails in fulfilling its purpose. No woman is ever completely rid of that one danger while she lives and breathes and sometimes not even after breath has left her body. So we ask why and how the practice of Purdah came into being? It has a lot to do with the ancient concept of ‘namus’. Namus is an Arabic word that can be literally translated as ‘virtue’ or ‘honour’. It dictates rules regarding the sexual integrity of different members within a family unit and it is an exclusively cultural concept that predates Islam or Judeo-Christian religion. The namus of a man is dependent on the namus of the women in his family. In the case of an unmarried woman utmost importance is given to her virginity before marriage. Faithfulness, obedience and modesty are also important aspects of the namus that must be observed by all women. The man’s namus lies in defending the virtue or...