Testimonials for Female Homosexuality in the Middle East Elegantly written, Female Homosexuality in the Middle East will be a sig- nifi cant text to scholars in the fi elds of lesbian studies, queer histories and Middle Eastern studies. Not only does it bring to light important historical material from the medieval period, but it intervenes in long standing theo- retical debates and lights a way forward for further consideration of female homosexualities outside the western framework. Dr Rebecca Beirne, Televising Queer Women, Editor One is immediately struck by the lucidity and openness of Samar Habib’s analysis: it is felt both in the force of her exposition, and her keen sense of signifi cant detail. Professor Ivor Indyk, Heat Magazine, Editor-in-chief ….convincingly challenges purely constructionist theories of sexuality that insistently represent sexuality as an entirely socio-cultural phenomenon. … innovative, critical and landmark work. Associate Professor Joseph Pugliese, Macquarie University The novelty of this book lies in its author’s willingness to take nothing for granted. Habib’s work shows not only that just about everything you assumed about Arab culture and its understanding of queer sexualities was wrong, but that a careful reappraisal of the historical record also neces- sitates a reinvestigation of arguments about historicist and essentialist understandings of sexual identity. This book will make an important con- tribution to arguments about queer identity at the same time as it corrects many faulty assumptions about Arab culture and history. Dr Melissa Hardie, The University of Sydney Samar Habib has a rare insight into literature and writes with a lyrical clar- ity that is even rarer. Dr Habib’s monograph Female Homosexuality in the Middle East is outstanding scholarship. Dr Wayne Pickard, The University of Sydney Routledge Research in Gender and Society 1. Economics of the Family and 9. Homosexuality, Law and Family Policies Resistance Edited by Inga Persson and Christina Derek McGhee Jonung 10. Sex Differences in Labor Markets 2. Women’s Work and Wages David Neumark Edited by Inga Persson and Christina Jonung 11. Women, Activism and Social Change 3. Rethinking Households Edited by Maja Mikula An Atomistic Perspective on European Living Arrangements 12. The Gender of Democracy Michel Verdon Citizenship and Gendered Subjectivity Maro Pantelidou Maloutas 4. Gender, Welfare State and the Market 13. Female Homosexuality in the Thomas P. Boje and Arnlaug Leira Middle East Histories and Representations 5. Gender, Economy and Culture in Samar Habib the European Union Simon Duncan and Birgit Pfau Effinger 6. Body, Femininity and Nationalism Girls in the German Youth Movement 1900–1934 Marion E. P. de Ras 7. Women and the Labour-Market Self-Employment as a Route to Economic Independence Vani Borooah and Mark Hart 8. Victoria’s Daughters The Schooling of Girls in Britain and Ireland 1850–1914 Jane McDermid and Paula Coonerty Female Homosexuality in the Middle East Histories and Representations Samar Habib Routledge Routledge Taylor & Francis Group Taylor & Francis Group 270 Madison Ave, 2 Park Square, New York NY 10016 Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN © 2007 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business Transferred to Digital Printing 2009 International Standard Book Number-10: 0-415-95673-0 (Hardcover) International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-415-95673-4 (Hardcover) No part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Habib, Samar. Female homosexuality in the Middle East : histories and representations / Samar Habib. p. cm. -- (Routledge research in gender and society ; 13) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-415-95673-4 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Lesbianism--Middle East. 2. Lesbianism--Islamic countries. 3. Homosexuality--Middle East. 4. Lesbianism in literature. 5. Lesbianism in motion pictures. 6. Arabic literature--History and criticism. I. Title. HQ75.6.M628H33 2007 306.76’630956--dc22 2006039037 ISBN10: 0-415-95673-0 (hbk) ISBN10: 0-415-80603-8 (pbk) ISBN13: 978-0-415-95673-4 (hbk) ISBN13: 978-0-415-80603-9 (pbk) Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at http://www.taylorandfrancis.com and the Routledge Web site at http://www.routledge.com For Rebecca and the women about whom this is written Contents Acknowledgments ix Transliteration legend xi Abbreviations xiii PART I Introducing studies on female homosexuality and contemporary critical theory 1 1 Introduction: Contemporary views of female homosexuality in the Middle East 3 2 Constructing and deconstructing sexuality: New paradigms for “gay” historiography 23 PART II The history and representation of female homosexuality in the Middle Ages 45 3 An overview of Medieval literature concerning female homosexuality 47 4 A close reading of A(cid:425)mad Ibn Yusuf Tifashi’s Nuzhat al Albab: Toward re-envisioning the Islamic Middle East 63 PART III The history and representation of female homosexuality in the contemporary Middle East 85 5 Contemporary representations of female homosexuality in Arabic literature and criticism 87 viii Contents 6 Some like it luke-warm: A brief history of the representation of (homo)sexuality in Egyptian fi lm 113 PART IV Conclusion and references 137 7 Conclusion: Homosexuals, the people of Lot and the future of Arabic homosexuality 139 Notes 149 Bibliography 179 Index 193 Acknowledgments This study would have been impossible without the support and encourage- ment of peers, family and friends. I take a few moments here to acknowl- edge at least some of my debts to others. My fi rst thank you should go to Rebecca Beirne for putting up with me, challenging my ideas, and for trans- lating copious orientalist studies written in German. I should also thank the wonderful and dedicated Interlibrary Loan staff at Fisher Library, the University of Sydney — without them I would not have been able to acquire most of the material reviewed in this book. I would also like to thank my intellectual predecessors who have forged solid grounds of research upon which I am able to build; in particular I thank E.K. Rowson and C.E. Bosworth for their exceptional and inspiring scholarship on Arab (cultural) history. I would like to thank my doctoral supervisor, Melissa Hardie for having the insight to encourage me into entering what seemed to be a risky research project at the onset. Dr Kate Lilley, from the Uni- versity of Sydney, has provided a number of useful comments and sugges- tions that have helped along the years. Dr William Christie provided the technical and administrative support needed with fl awless endurance; his approachable style is inspiring. I would also like to thank Dr Luke Ferretter for his insightful comments on the early drafts of chapter IV. I also thank Professor Margaret Harris and Dr Margaret Rogerson for their excellent advice and encouragement. The blind reviewers at Routledge made invalu- able observations which led to constructive revisions of the manuscript. I would also like to thank Mr Benjamin Holtzman and Ms Erica Wetter, my editors at Routledge, and the online academic journal Entertext for featur- ing my work on more than one occasion. Finally, I could not have achieved this without the moral support of my family and friends who have taken care of my R&R time: Rebecca, Dianne, Amal, Rima, Samer, my parents, Michael, Amal (the second), Riyad, Sammy, Rami, my aunties Zouka’ and Samira and my drinking mates Wayne and Ken. I would also like to thank Keara, Lara, Theo and Bridie for putting up with me throughout this long haul upwards.