Muslim Women Oppression through Ahdaf Soueif’s ”Melody and “1964”

Abstract

Women‟s status is a complex issue and a hard-to-define subject. Around the world, women‟s status in each society and culture varies in different ways. In some societies, it improved gradually; while in others, it declined or remained unchanged. Moreover, throughout history in every region of the world, there has always been discrimination between genders. Regardless the culture or the economic situation, women have always been oppressed either within their social contexts or from other societies. In particular, this is the case for many of Muslim women. Therefore, for many years, Muslim women have been treated unfairly within their Islamic contexts and even in the European Societies. Indeed, the famous Arab writer Ahdaf Soueif has discussed the same issue in her short stories "Melody" and "1964".