Marriage in Middle Eastern Cultures

Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed is set in an alternate Middle East during the Golden Age of Islam. One of the main characters named Zamia Badawi is a young girl who is the last member of her nomadic tribe. Although Ahmed does a good job debunking common fantasy stereotypes such as habits of whiteness, there are still some misconceptions that are present in his novel (specifically for women). It is common for women in the middle east to get the marriage talk starting out at a very young age. Many get pressured into marriage and believe their only way to be happy is through a husband. Growing up surrounded by Desi culture and this mindset, I have heard many older women tell me that marriage is the way to success and a good living. It is believed that a husband will shower you with happiness, money and everything else you wish. This same mindset can be seen in Zamia throughout the book. She talks about longing for a husband and a family so she can have kids and carry on her legacy. This is the stereotype that in engraved in young women in middle eastern cultures.

                                           

Furthermore, women have always been poorly represented in the fantasy genre. When women characters do appear, their primary purpose is to be completely obsessed and in love with the main character. Zamia is a strong woman who can take the shape of the lion, but there have been numerous times in the book where she has forgot about her true journey for a man. Another stereotype in middle eastern cultures is that women must drop everything and follow their husband. Many women have given up their career paths to get married and start a family.

Throughout the novel, Zamia is crushing hard on Raseed, one of the male leads. Zamia continues to mention her longing for a marriage, and wonders what it would be like to be married to Raseed. In middle eastern cultures, there’s no way to escape thinking about marriage. Starting from a young age, girls are told they have to focus on their looks to make sure a husband would want them. They are also told that they need to learn to clean and cook so a husband will find them desirable and they will get a rishta (Hindi/Urdu word for marriage proposal).

                                    

Marriage is so important in middle eastern cultures that parents will actually put out ads in local newspapers with resumes to find a potential suitor for their child. Having a successful career as a woman is seen as to only finding a better chance of finding a nice rishta. Ahmed did a good job of not hypersexualizing the female lead character, however there are still some problems with the way his female characters are portrayed. Why can’t powerful women like Zamia be strong and independent without having another motive related to a man? Fantasy writers need to work on not making women lives in their novels revolve around marriage and men.

-Rija Soofi