(Re)naming Reality

(Re)naming Reality: The Feminist Journey as a Sufi Path

A Lecture by Riham Sheble

Thursday 31st of March, 2005

Is a woman’s journey towards self-assertion and maturity a Sufi journey? And can this Sufi journey be identified along feminist terms? This lecture will attempt to answer these complex questions through a close study of five works by Egyptian women writers, in which the Feminist and the Sufi are deftly woven in highly individualistic patterns to bring about a sense of identity. Ms Sheble will also analyse and challenge the theories of Ibn Arabi, positing that the Sufi quest for self-discovery is intrinsically instilled in the women of her study. Just as Sufi religious practice is non-traditional, so too is the theme of Sufism in literature, which offers female writers an outlet from confinement within rigid social roles and expectations.

Riham Sheble works as an editor at a British publishing house, and is active in the field of women’s rights in Egypt.

The lecture will take place in the Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo.

Address:

1, Dr. Mahmoud Azmi Street
P.O. Box 50, 11211 Zamalek,
Cairo, Egypt

Tel.: + 20 2 7382520 / 7382522 (Guest Rooms: 7382521)


Lectures start at 6 p.m. sharp. The door opens at 5.30 p.m.

Please note that seating is limited. The lectures will start as scheduled and late admissions are not allowed.