Unbowed

by Messaoudi, Khalida; Schemla, Elisabeth; Vila, Anne C.

• ISBN13: 9780812216578
• ISBN10: 0812216571
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-06-01
• Publisher: Univ of Pennsylvania Pr

Summary

In 1993, a handwritten envelope arrived in Khalida Messaoudi's mailbox. In it was an official communique announcing that she had been condemned to death by the Islamic Salvation Front. This letter came after a series of threats and an attempt on her life in retaliation for her role as a leader of the feminist and democratic movements in Algeria and a fierce opponent of Islamic fundamentalism. Messaoudi did not flee from this threat by seeking refuge outside her country. Instead, she went into hiding within Algeria, where she continues her fight for emancipation and independence from religious extremism. Her battle continues today with the same goal--to restore in Algeria what she describes as "the basics of dignity"--a woman's right to pursue her studies, practice a profession, make a living, marry and divorce freely, and walk the streets without a veil. Readers ofUnbowedwill have the unique opportunity to sit in on a series of intensely personal conversations between Messaoudi and renowned journalist Elisabeth Schemla. In their discussions, Messaoudi gives a first-hand perspective of the situation in her homeland. She remembers the Algeria of her youth, recounts the changes that have gradually consumed her country, and laments the horrifying realities that face Algerian women today. She also tells her own story of terror, despair, hope, and determination.

Table of Contents

Translator's Note
Prologue
The "Quite Beneficial" Years	p. 1
The Islam of My Youth	p. 9
The Women of the "Deep Interior"	p. 18
The Daughter of Voltaire and of Averroes	p. 29
Code of the Family, Code of Infamy	p. 46
Khomeini? Never Heard of Him!	p. 63
A Teacher During the Upheaval	p. 71
"I'm Still Wondering About October 1988"	p. 82
A Bomb in Algeria: The F.I.S.	p. 91
At the Heart of the F.I.S., Sexuality	p. 108
The Interruption of the Electoral Process: Historic Error or Patriotic Duty?	p. 117
Is There a Way Out of the Impasse?	p. 133
Epilogue: Algeria Today	p. 148
Glossary	p. 153
Biographical Profile of Khalida Messaoudi	p. 161
Death Sentence for Khalida Messaoudi Sent by the F.I.S. on June 12, 1993	p. 165
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.