Cultural Stereotypes, Literary Agency, and Postcolonial Writing: A Conversation with Shirin Ramzanali Fazel and Simone Brioni
Conflicting views of the relation of Islam to modernity have attained a high level of media attention over a long period. The issue of veiling, in particular, has consistently been the focus of attention in a number of European countries, with many statements made concerning the significance of the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Catalan |
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Liverpool University Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Modern Languages Open |
| Online Access: | https://account.modernlanguagesopen.org/index.php/up-j-mlo/article/view/543 |
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| Summary: | Conflicting views of the relation of Islam to modernity have attained a high level of media attention over a long period. The issue of veiling, in particular, has consistently been the focus of attention in a number of European countries, with many statements made concerning the significance of the veil in relation to women’s position in society. Given the urgency of the topic, I co-organised the conference “Women and Islam: Agency in Italophone and Francophone Literatures”, which took place on 27 October 2023 at the Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies at the University of London. The focus was on female authors who, through their voices, contribute to the debate on Muslim women’s identity and agency in contemporary Europe, inviting us to rethink traditional analyses that position the “non-Western” as backward and restrictive. On that occasion, I conducted an interview with author Shirin Ramzanali Fazel in discussion with postcolonial studies scholar Simone Brioni, which I am presenting here. The interview focuses on the veiling issue, cultural stereotypes, female agency, the publishing market in Italy, and the place of transnational literature. It highlights how the localised concept of “female oppression” can be misleading and instead draws attention to the many nuances that exist and that are often brushed aside under the blanket label of “Muslim woman”. |
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| ISSN: | 2052-5397 |