What Is A Hidden Transcript?

The English writer John Dalber-Acton wrote that “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Human behavior leads towards sovereignty. Either a person gets supremacy or attempts to be supreme. It really has a dependency on one’s capabilities. The balance of power really drives social conventions and situations.

The teacher, who will remain unnamed in this article at Khan’s request, noted on the class syllabus that students should not “obscure the face” in class. The teacher also gave Khan a copy of the state law when she

Abayas, shailas, burkas, and chadors: all are forms of veiling in the Middle East, and all are perceived as symbols of oppression and patriarchy by the West. The veil worn by a Middle Eastern woman is striking and beautiful in its simplicity and elegance. The hijab, the most common form of veiling, leaves only the face visible with the neck and hair completely covered. Onlookers are in awe at the mystery and symbolism associated with the many veils created out of fine, exotic silk. But such notions of oppression and patriarchy often associated with veiling are not only inherently biased and ironic – it would be interesting to explore the symbolism behind a mini-skirt or a pair of five-inch heels, no? – but they are also inaccurate. Although veiling has most definitely been used in the Middle East as a “mechanism in the service of patriarchy, a means of regulating and controlling women’s lives” (Hoodfar, 5), it has also been used as a mode for rebellion and self-expression. Marjane Satrapi, an Iranian woman who grew up during the Islamic revolution, resisted the regime and the universalizing nature of the veil in the hope that she could maintain her individual identity whilst communicating her political ideologies. By examining the way in which the veil is represented in Satrapi’s graphic memoir, Persepolis, while also considering the history of veiling in Iran, it will become evident that the veil is not just a political tool used by male chauvinists; it also presents an

If the author wanted to learn more about Muslim women, she should have sought them out and spent time with them — those who wear hijabs as well as those who don’t. Then, instead of speaking on behalf of Muslim women’s “unheard voice” by talking about her own hijab experiment (“My hijab silenced, but simultaneously, my hijab brought unforgettable words”), she should have asked them to share their own experiences as Muslim women. Then they would have a voice.

The author, Naheed Mustafa, starts out with two points of view others have of her, a “Muslim terrorist” or an oppressed woman (Mustafa 1). However, with these two points of view, Mustafa is suggesting that people only view her in these two ways because in their eyes a Muslim woman cannot be more. Then she introduces the hijab, a scarf which covers her neck, head, and throat, but explains that young Muslim women like her are “reinterpreting” the purpose of the hijab: give women absolute control over their bodies. According to Mustafa, the hijab does not only give women absolute control but freedom. Yet, others do not understand this concept or why a young woman who was born in a land that is free and full of opportunities like North America

Based on the way Yasmeen dresses, in traditional, Muslim hijab and black, Islamic dress, the knowledge she is different than the dominant, American cultural and religious norms follows her everywhere (p. 76). In middle school, her fellow students called her “Terrorist” and

As a result, women resourced to veiling which “served not merely to mark the upper classes, but, fundamentally to differentiate between “respectable” women and those who were publicly available…the veil classified women according to their sexual activity” (Ahmed, 1992, p. 15). Although the act of veiling consolidated the patriarchal society, women who were part of the upper class could engage in their family business, inherit property if they became

During this part, we saw another example of female oppression. For instance, “ ‘We would love to help you, but we can do nothing. Sultan decides,’ they say” (p. 232). This showed how little power women have in their household. Furthermore, the book also said, “In the families, tradition is all – the men decide” (pp. 89-90). Seeing all of the ways women are oppressed, we may wonder: why are women so oppressed in this society? One reason would be tradition. For example, “In the families, tradition is all – the men decide” (pp. 89-90). As a result, the women of a household were pushed aside and had no say in family decisions. Another major reason would be for the safety and purity of the females. For instance, “Women must not make it possible to attract the attention of evil people who look lustfully upon them… If women dress fashionably, wear ornamented, tight, seductive clothes to show off, they will be damned… and can never expect to go to heaven” (p. 83). Another example is “It is not good for a young girl to walk around without company. Who knows where she might be going? Maybe to meet a man, maybe to commit a sin” (p. 171). This revealed how the society was afraid of women committing sins so they decided to prevent women from going outside and dressing improperly. Lastly, the environment did not favor the evolution of women without a burka. For example the book stated, “However, the underdressed

Nafisi showed how women are oppressed constantly “They came from different backgrounds, the regimen that ruled them had tried to make their personal personal identities and histories irrelevant. They were never free of the regimen definition of them as Muslim women” (83). This shows that there is women who have the courage to stand up against the outline of the freedom of wearing makeup, dressing nice, and being social. This is important because nothing will ever change if they don't fight back for what they want and believe in. Nafisi undoubtedly showed that these Muslim women deserve freedom, they are going through the social hardships that many people, races, and communities go

Upon first arriving, she refuses to cloak herself in the abayah, she wonders why she should be forced to wear it, "a servile garment," since it is not her custom and she doesn’t care

James C. Scott The art of resistance: Hidden transcripts explains the modes of discourse employed by the power holding groups of society. The public transcript describes the dominant groups policies and how the oppress groups feel about them. The difference in these two groups is the dominance that one places over the other in society. The oppress feel as if they don’t have power to act or change what the “powerful” dominant groups hold. The hidden transcripts are created from those who find themselves subjects of the social, political and economic classes that dominant their society. The purpose of the hidden transcripts take up a model of communication in the public atmosphere that address the individuals who struggles with disparity, power and privilege in their communities and societies overall. According to Scott “The highly charged atmosphere created by the open declaration of the hidden transcript may produce social effects that bear the marks of collective madness” (Scott 222). By opening the hidden transcript it could led you to more individuals who share similar views as you do. Sometimes when it looks like nothing is happening sometimes is happening. However, in the groups of the offstage individual there is very much a change happening amongst the conversation that are had but they is no action to enforce that change. The only thing that is lacked in these transcripts is the confidents to act upon what the ideas in those conversation create. Ultimately, there is

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi is a graphic novel that provides insight into a young girl living in Iran during the hardship of war. Persepolis takes place during the childhood of Marjane Satrapi. It gives a background of the Islamic Revolution and the war in Iran. Satrapi attempts to guide herself in a corrupted world filled with propaganda. She tries to develop her own morality concerning religion, politics, and humanity. Satrapi was blessed enough to have high class status and parents who had an open mindset about the world around them. Thanks to her slightly alternative lifestyle, she is able to reconstruct gender norms that society has set by depicting the different ways women resist them. “Do Muslim Women Really Need Saving? Anthropological Reflections on Cultural Relativism and Its Others” by Lila Abu-Lughod is an essay detailing the misconceptions surrounding the veil. Through this essay we can see how colonial feminism, the form of feminism in which western women push for a western way of living on their third world counterparts, has shined a negative light on cultures all around the world - particularly Islamic women. The essay shows how women who don’t conform to American societal structures are labeled as women who urgently require saving. Through this essay one can develop a thorough understanding of the veil itself and the many representations it holds to different entities. Although in Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood Satrapi

Ultimately, Satrapi’s images of the indistinguishable characters accentuate the perception of a western reader to see the Veil as quite oppressive. In America, young teenagers live in a society where clothing and hair is meant to define and express themselves. It is normal for a 17 year old girl to curl her hair and go on a date with her boyfriend. However, in Iran, this is not the case, and as evident in Persepolis, woman are restricted to show her hair or publically show affection to any man who is not her husband. This restriction is something that not many people, especially in predominantly Christian societies are accustomed to. On page 74, Taji, Marjane's mother warns her daughter by explaining one of her experiences, "They insulted me. They said that women like me should be pushed up against a wall and fucked. And then thrown in the garbage. ...And that if I didn't want that to happen, I should wear the veil...” Indeed, Marjane had always been deprived of her individuality, not only as a woman, but as a person. Being a woman in Iran meant Marjane was never able to fully express herself, not only by not

One of the most controversial topics concerning Muslim women’s rights is the idea of the veil. It is believed by some Muslims that the veil is an Islamic obligation that all Muslim women must adhere to. But nowadays, the veil can have different meanings that are not necessarily religious. In her article “Reinventing the Veil,” Leila Ahmed addresses some of the different meanings that the veil can have. Marjane Satrapi explores one of those meanings in her animated autobiography Persepolis (2008). In Persepolis, Marjane tells the story of her rebellion against the Iranian Islamist regime that takes over Iran, oppresses women, and forces them to wear the veil. What was interesting to me was seeing Marjane wear the veil without being oppressed, although she does not believe in it, and is being forced to wear it. In Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi escapes being a subject to the Iranian Islamist ideology by establishing her individual identity through transforming the veil from a means of oppression into a means of feminist rebellion.

The characters portrayed by Leila Aboulela to a great degree vary vastly in their levels of religiosity. This novel showcases a wide spectrum of Muslim identities. Most of the devout believers follow Islam, as they are constantly expressing their faith, thru means of prayer, recitation or other adorations. These religious members are accepting of veil culture, because they have more to value than materialistic objects and western culture. For instance, the young school girls that wore tobes, while Najwa skirts to university. Also, the servants she had back home, as she would be coming home from a party at dawn, they would be make their absolution, “A light bulb came on. They were getting ready to pray. They had dragged themselves from sleep in order to pray. I was wide awake and I didn’t,” this quote from the novel, illustrates a young Najwa understanding the basis of Islam and the importance of prayer (Aboulela, 32) However, this is an evident class divide, illustrating that those with wealth are more secular and those with less are humbled towards their faith. In her time in London, Najwa befriends woman at the local mosque and develops an interest her recitation. Her realization and locality to religiousness triggers her spirituality.