FEMALE SUBJUGATION THROUGH RELIGIOUS HYPOCRISY IN POSTCOLONIAL PAKISTAN: AN ANALYSIS OF DURRANI’S (1991) BLASPHEMY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52567/pjsr.v4i04.893Abstract
Patriarchy is a global phenomenon that has resulted in the unequal distribution of power and privilege between men and women. It has been established as a system that reinforces male dominance and subjugates women. Patriarchy is a system that reinforces the marginalization of women in all aspects of life, from the political and social to the cultural, economic, and ideological. It is evident in the lack of access to education, employment opportunities, and other resources. Additionally, women are often subjected to violence and harassment, and are denied basic rights within their own families and communities. In the post-colonial period, Islam, being the most adopted religion of the majority in Pakistan, has been manipulated to perpetuate this discrimination. Durrani (1999) dares to talk about one of the most taboo topics of ‘The Mullah-Pir Community’ which subjugates females by using a false image of Islam. The study uses the qualitative methods and theoretical foundations of Naik’s (2009) discourse on Islamic feminism and Spivak’s (1998) work ‘Can the Subaltern Speak?’ to analyze the postcolonial discourse on women subjugation. In light of these theories, this study explores the unspeakable horrors perpetrated in the name of Islam to subjugate women in the novel Blasphemy. Duranni presents an in-depth analysis of the misrepresentation of Islam by predatory religious leaders. The study reveals that pseudo-clerics like Pir Sain have misconstrued Islam and its constitution to exploit his wife Heer. The study unmasks the duplicity of a man who is deemed as a religious caretaker. He discourages reading the Holy Quran with translation so that he can manipulate religion as an instrument to persuade other people for a blind submission. Through his prejudiced analyses of the Holy Quran he tries to stop women from attaining education, and subjugates them to an inhumane extent.
Keywords: Blasphemy, Discrimination, Subaltern, Women subjugation, Feminism.
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Copyright (c) 2022 Tahir Ayoub, Arooj Rana, Areesha Batool
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