Re/Writing Arab Tales from a Gender-Sensitive Perspective
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The first stage of the process of re/writing Arab tales and folk texts has culminated in the storytelling evening "His Tale .. Her Tale" held at the Women and Memory Forum (WMF) on 23rd June 1998; and another evening of "Her Tale" hosted by Cervantes Institute in Cairo on 8th Jan 1999. The evenings were devoted to readings of a selection of texts being the outcome of the workshop held in the period March-Nov 1998. The group of workshop participants has succeeded in coming out with several "new" versions of a number of Egyptian folktales as well as tales from Alf Layla wa Layla (A Thousand and One Nights, also known as The Arabian Nights). The storytelling evening included readings of the "source" texts followed by the re/written versions, which on the whole offer a different image of women and gender-roles, often subverting stereotypical representations of women.
WMF has resumed holding the re/writing workshops, with more variation and emphasis in the following directions:
1) The process of re/writing - which refers to the various approaches to and manners of handling the texts-, so as to continue producing more "new" and alternate versions of the folk texts.
 
 2) The process of textual analysis, with the aim of analysing the "source" texts and critiquing the "new" versions resulting from the re/writing process.
 
3) Storytelling and performance, which acts as a medium for the dissemination of a gender-perspective through a popular form.
 
WMF is also in the process of publishing a book entitled "Her Tale..", which includes a selection of the re/written texts in order to make them available to a wider range of recipients.
 
The following is a rewritten version of "The Tale of the Saidi and his Foreign Wife" from The Arabian Nights (893rd - 895th nights). The tale is about an Upper-Egyptian (Saidi) merchant in love with a foreign Christian woman. He eventually manages to marry her as she falls captive in the hands of the Muslim army.
 
The tale in its Arabian Nights' version emphasises the racial difference between the merchant and the woman, as well as the prevalent patriarchal attitudes. This manifests itself in the description of the man as being "of a very dark complexion", while his children are "white, slightly flushed" after their mother.
The text also points out the difference in religion between the Muslim merchant and the Christian woman; a difference which is soon overcome by the woman's conversion into Islam, and becoming herself "a good Muslim". All this is presented in a larger context of power and superiority; both political and religious, not to mention the absence of the women's voices in the narrative. The "source" text is replete with patriarchal and hierarchical values reflected through the aspects of race, religion, sex and politics. And the following version of the tale attempts to subvert such notions of patriarchy and hierarchy.
 
 
Safia: the Foreign Woman
 
Shehrazad resumed her tale:
The story also goes that when Queen Shagaret el-Dorr signed the treaty with the Queen of the Foreign Lands, no more wars were declared and peace prevailed. Safiya then found the opportunity to travel from the Foreign Lands to the Land of Egypt, where she soon decided to settle down and remain till the end of her days. I met Safiya in the Cairo marketplace a few years ago, where we had a chat and she told me the story of her life:
 
Having travelled long across the seas, Akka was my first stop in the East-Sea lands. So I headed towards the market to buy some fabrics and materials from the famous Egyptian linen-merchant down there. I thought his merchandise would be the right thing for me to carry back home and start a small business there. The first problem we faced, however, was the difficulty for us to communicate, since I knew no Arabic nor could he speak my mother tongue. So I just selected the stuff I liked, paid him for it and left; only to receive from him an invitation for dinner the following day. I happily accepted to go, finding it proof to what we've been hearing at home about Arab hospitality and the Arabs' generous soul.
 
I arrived at his house to find a feast of delicious food and sweets all made by himself. We then spent the rest of the evening in the terrace overlooking the sea, enjoying the clear sky and fresh breeze… the night fell and we dropped asleep, each of us leaning against the terrace-wall below the new-born moon and the shiny stars. It was the cold that roused me from my sleep in the middle of the night, and I took off walking back to my room at the khan.
 
The following morning I went again to the market seeking the merchant to offer him a business partnership, whereby he'd be providing oriental cotton and linen in exchange for our wool of all sorts. It all worked out well, and we agreed to start our business visiting Egypt, for me to explore the market there and the people's needs and tastes. Thus, a few days later, we hit the road carrying loads of Syrian goods on camel back.
 
Once we arrived, I fell in love with Egypt: its beauty, freedom and enthusiastic spirit. I was impressed by the women moving freely around; and I also got acquainted with Sherif's (my business partner's) sister Nabila who was running her business seriously and efficiently on her own. It became clear to me that this was the right place for me to stay and work.
 
For practical reasons I thought of proposing marriage to Sherif, so that we may enlarge our business and expand the trade through our respective families and friends. Especially now that - based on our companionship and partnership- I was quite sure of his ethics, manners and reliable personality; in addition of course to my fondness of his mother as well as close friendship with his sister.
 
I've had three homes ever since: Egypt, Syria and my motherland. I also managed to learn some Arabic language and customs, and gradually succeeded in expanding my business to become appreciated and well known among the merchants of my time.

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