Skip to main content

When a Picture Destroys a Thousand Deeds



A picture has been circulating on social media of Princess Haya bint Al Hussein with her brother Prince Ali bin Al Hussein. The siblings are the offspring of late King Hussein of Jordan, and their brother is King Abdullah of Jordan. Princess Haya is married to the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum – a prominent political and business figure.

Owing to marital disputes, the princess left the United Arab Emirates and sought refuge in the United Kingdom to initiate divorce procedures. Clearly, she would not have been able to launch such procedures in the UAE or in any other neighbouring Arab country, mainly owing to political pressures, bias towards male spouses in most Arab civil case-law, and lengthy, complicated, flexible, and opaque procedures. The decision to leave the oil rich Emirati nation was brave, intelligent, and reflective of a high level of determination, integrity and self-respect.

Nonetheless, that is what one expects of a princess. After all, she was raised by a King and a Queen, shared her childhood with fellow princes and princesses, received the best education, and was empowered through social and political links that have been fostered throughout the years. Her profile as a descendent of a royal family, an Olympics champion, wife of a political and business figure, extreme wealth, and a very active personality  that allowed her to spear national and regional social support programmes speak volumes for the strong, independent, and powerful woman she is.

This begs the following question: why did she allow such a picture with her sibling be circulated in the media? Why did she resort to playing on the sentimental – yet patriarchal – drive of Jordanians (and the Arab public in general) to win sympathy? Why does she need sympathy in the first place? Leaning on the shoulder of her brother for protection might have inspired a tender feeling of brotherly love and family protection – but it also entrenched an already deep-rooted conviction of the power and role played by male figures in Arab societies. The man is the protector…the defender…your shield from life….your strength.

I would understand the picture had it been the case of a battered, impoverished, and uneducated woman whose only consolation in life and source of security is the male figure who will protect her. However, a woman of her calibre, intelligence, resources and strength does not need that. In spite of the difficult psychological pain she must be going through, now is the opportunity to show her true colours and stand tall in proving to men what a true woman’s strength and wisdom are all about. Now is the time to pose with a strong and powerful smile. Now is the time to tell all unhappy and mistreated women, that no, it is possible to fight back -even if that means fighting one of the most powerful men across the globe.

I would have liked to see a picture of the princess basked in the love of her family - which we all need- brothers, sisters, aunts and friends included. I would have liked to see picture that exudes strength and victory and defiance to the tradition of female subjugation. I would have liked to see a rebellious princess that went all the way with her plan to show her true valour.

That picture might have softened hearts and spurred warm sentiments of brotherly and fatherly protection…but it also killed in one simple pose what many women – herself included – built throughout the years. Women can be - and are -  strong independent individuals. We can make it on our own, and we do not need a male figure to protect us.

A weak side might win her legal battle, but it would definitely mean that the bigger battle of changing convictions and leading change was lost with a snap.



Note: I am writing this post on the memory of late father’s birthday. Today we would have been eating cake and complaining about the heat. A Habjouqa tradition that never dies. I miss my father, who was a source of strength and still is – a type of strength that is based on believing in one’s self and one’s principles. Not the weak, dependent strength.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Just as Orwell Said

         George Orwell said in his famous book 1984 that “first they steal the words, then they steal the meaning”, accurately foreseeing the political actions of world leaders and their manipulation of public opinion. His words are ever so precise once one examines the vocabulary applied by a number of world leaders when describing the policies and regimes of troubling countries: axis of evil, war on terror, terrorist killers, harbourers of fundamentalism etc. Ironic it is to see how those who were once described to have been allies with Satan himself seem to show good will in a matter of very few years. Iran is one very good example of this. The Persian nation has come out as a winner in the Geneva talks that were held in October, where not only did it get applauded for the concessions it offered, but it also ensured the west’s acceptance of its regional weight. Everyone seems to be more relaxed after the negotiations and ...

Kaftar

Muaawiya Bin Abi Sufyan was the first Umayyad Caliph, who ruled as a just and jovial leader until his death in 683 AD. Known for his sense of humour and his love for women, Abi Sufyan was famous for a story that took place in his own harem. While escorting a woman for the Khorasan region in modern day Iran, a beautiful woman entered the harem and mesmerised the Leader of All Believers. With his pride in his manhood and prowess in the bed arena, Abi Sufyan did not hesitate to engage in a brazen and manly sexual act in front of the Khorasani woman, who was patiently waiting for her turn. After he was done, he turned victoriously to his first concubine and asked her how to say ‘lion' in Persian - in a direct analogy to his sexual performance.  The Khorasani woman, unamused, told him slyly, that lion is kaftar in Persian. The Caliph went back to his Court ever so jubilant and told his subjects – repeatedly – that he was one lucky kaftar. His...

Pan-Arabism vs. Middle Easternism?

             A rab Nationalism, a romantic concept that moved poets to write ballads, intellectuals to preach volumes, activists to passionately organize and the masses to cheer freedom. A concept introduced by students at the American University of Beirut in the last phases of the ageing Ottoman Empire and studied in secret societies. This concept developed and led, under western planning, to the Great Arab Revolt in 1916. The slogans of Arab revival and freedom from Ottoman tyranny swept the Arab nations, where hopes of independence and self-rule were promised by the restoration of Arab control over the area. Then problems arose. Who are Arabs? What is an Aran nation? How does it extend geographically? Is it an area that encompasses people who speak the same language and share the same history? If so, why did the Lebanese Maronites reject the concept of Arab nationalism and insist on a Lebanese identity? Why did the Egyptians hesitate be...