Katika siku chache zilizopita, nimesoma Sultana's Dream, hadithi iliyotungwa na Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain aliyeishi 1880-1932 nchi ambayo leo ni Bangladesh. Sultana's Dream ni kianzio cha kozi yangu ya Muslim Women Writers.
Nilikuwa nimesoma kuhusu hadithi hii mtandaoni, nikaamua kuijumlisha katika kozi yangu. Nimefurahi kuwa nilifanya uamuzi huo. Nimejionea jinsi mwandishi Rokeya Sakhawat Hussain alivyokuwa mwanaharakati aliyepigania ukombozi wa wanawake kutokana na jadi ya wao kufungiwa ndani na kubanwa kimaisha, jadi iliyojengeka katika imani kwamba ni wajibu wa u-Islam.
Rokeya alikuwa mwanamama shujaa, ikizingatiwa wakati alioishi. Alibahatika kuwa mumewe alimwachia uhuru na kumsaidia katika uandishi na uhamasishaji wa wanawake. Alichapisha Sultana's Dream mwaka 1905. Ni hadithi ya kubuniwa, ambayo inaelezea ndoto ya Sultana. Katika ndoto hiyo, Sultana anajikuta katika nchi ambayo inatawaliwa na wanawake, huku wanaume wakiwa ndani katika purdah. Utawala wa hao wanawake ni wa neema kubwa kwa nchi, kuanzia uadilifu hadi usafi. Ni nchi ya neema kabisa. Ni utopia.
Leo tumeanza kujadili hadithi hiyo. Nimewaeleza wanafunzi aina ya fasihi ("genre") iitwayo "utopia." Nimewaelezea nafasi ya utopia katika maisha ya binadamu kijamii na kisaikolojia kama njia ya kukabiliana au kuacha kukabiliana na hali halisi ya maisha. Nimeelezea dhana hiyo kwa kutumia mifano ya itikadi ya ki-Marxisti ya ukomunisti na pia mafundisho ya dini kuhusu paradiso au ahera. Utopia ni mkakati wa kuichambua na kuikosoa jamii, kama ilivyo katika Sultana's Dream.
Kwa kuwa Sultana's Dream inahusu purdah na imejikita katika kuukosoa utamaduni wa purdah kama utamaduni kandamizi kwa wanawake, niliona ni muhimu kuwasomea wanafunzi sehemu ya Qur'an ambayo inaongelea purdah. Kwa bahati nzuri, jana usiku nilivyoipitia Qur'an niliona sehemu husika, nayo ni Sura XX1V aya 27-31. Aya hizi zinaongelea masuala ya "privacy" ya nyumba na "modesty" kwa wanaume na wanawake, hasa suala la kujisetiri kwa wanawake. Baadhi ya aya ni hizi:
30. Say to the believing men
That they should lower
Their gaze and guard
Their modesty: that will make
For greater purity for them:
And God is well acquainted
With all that they do.
31. And say to the believing women
That they should lower
Their gaze and guard
Their modesty; that they
Should not display their
Beauty and ornaments except
What (must ordinarily) appear
Thereof; that they should
Draw their veils over
Their bosoms and not display
Their beauty except
To their husbands, their fathers,
Their husbands' fathers, their sons,
Their husbands' sons,
Their brothers or their brothers' sons,
Or their sisters' sons,
Or their women, or the slaves
Whom their right hands
Possess, or male servants
Free of physical needs,
Or small children who
Have no sense of shame
Of sex; and that they
Should not strike their feet
In order to draw attention
To their hidden ornaments.
And O ye Believers!
Turn ye all together
Towards God, that ye
May attain Bliss.
Zaidi ya hadithi ya Sultana's Dream, Rokeya aliandika pia insha na taarifa mbali mbali kuhusu hali za wanawake na ulazima wa kuleta mapinduzi. Alichapisha maandishi yake katika magazeti, na baadhi ya maandishi haya yamo katika kitabu tunachosoma katika kozi hii.
Nilikuwa nimesoma kuhusu hadithi hii mtandaoni, nikaamua kuijumlisha katika kozi yangu. Nimefurahi kuwa nilifanya uamuzi huo. Nimejionea jinsi mwandishi Rokeya Sakhawat Hussain alivyokuwa mwanaharakati aliyepigania ukombozi wa wanawake kutokana na jadi ya wao kufungiwa ndani na kubanwa kimaisha, jadi iliyojengeka katika imani kwamba ni wajibu wa u-Islam.
Rokeya alikuwa mwanamama shujaa, ikizingatiwa wakati alioishi. Alibahatika kuwa mumewe alimwachia uhuru na kumsaidia katika uandishi na uhamasishaji wa wanawake. Alichapisha Sultana's Dream mwaka 1905. Ni hadithi ya kubuniwa, ambayo inaelezea ndoto ya Sultana. Katika ndoto hiyo, Sultana anajikuta katika nchi ambayo inatawaliwa na wanawake, huku wanaume wakiwa ndani katika purdah. Utawala wa hao wanawake ni wa neema kubwa kwa nchi, kuanzia uadilifu hadi usafi. Ni nchi ya neema kabisa. Ni utopia.
Leo tumeanza kujadili hadithi hiyo. Nimewaeleza wanafunzi aina ya fasihi ("genre") iitwayo "utopia." Nimewaelezea nafasi ya utopia katika maisha ya binadamu kijamii na kisaikolojia kama njia ya kukabiliana au kuacha kukabiliana na hali halisi ya maisha. Nimeelezea dhana hiyo kwa kutumia mifano ya itikadi ya ki-Marxisti ya ukomunisti na pia mafundisho ya dini kuhusu paradiso au ahera. Utopia ni mkakati wa kuichambua na kuikosoa jamii, kama ilivyo katika Sultana's Dream.
Kwa kuwa Sultana's Dream inahusu purdah na imejikita katika kuukosoa utamaduni wa purdah kama utamaduni kandamizi kwa wanawake, niliona ni muhimu kuwasomea wanafunzi sehemu ya Qur'an ambayo inaongelea purdah. Kwa bahati nzuri, jana usiku nilivyoipitia Qur'an niliona sehemu husika, nayo ni Sura XX1V aya 27-31. Aya hizi zinaongelea masuala ya "privacy" ya nyumba na "modesty" kwa wanaume na wanawake, hasa suala la kujisetiri kwa wanawake. Baadhi ya aya ni hizi:
30. Say to the believing men
That they should lower
Their gaze and guard
Their modesty: that will make
For greater purity for them:
And God is well acquainted
With all that they do.
31. And say to the believing women
That they should lower
Their gaze and guard
Their modesty; that they
Should not display their
Beauty and ornaments except
What (must ordinarily) appear
Thereof; that they should
Draw their veils over
Their bosoms and not display
Their beauty except
To their husbands, their fathers,
Their husbands' fathers, their sons,
Their husbands' sons,
Their brothers or their brothers' sons,
Or their sisters' sons,
Or their women, or the slaves
Whom their right hands
Possess, or male servants
Free of physical needs,
Or small children who
Have no sense of shame
Of sex; and that they
Should not strike their feet
In order to draw attention
To their hidden ornaments.
And O ye Believers!
Turn ye all together
Towards God, that ye
May attain Bliss.
Zaidi ya hadithi ya Sultana's Dream, Rokeya aliandika pia insha na taarifa mbali mbali kuhusu hali za wanawake na ulazima wa kuleta mapinduzi. Alichapisha maandishi yake katika magazeti, na baadhi ya maandishi haya yamo katika kitabu tunachosoma katika kozi hii.
3 comments:
Huyu Rokeya aliandika tafsiri ya "purdah"? Naona aya uliyoiandika haizungumzii au haikutaja hiyo "purdah". Sasa uliwaelezea kitu gani wanafunzi?
Ndugu Anonymous
Kitabu cha Rokeya, "Sultana's Dream," kinaongelea purdah kama jadi inayojitokeza kwa namna mbali mbali. Kama unafahamu maana ya purdah, huwezi kukosa kuona namna aya nilizonukuu zinavyohusiana na purdah, kwani itikadi ambayo ndio msingi wa purdah inajitokeza vizuri katika aya hizi.
Kuna aya zingine katika "Qur'an," katika Sura tofauti, ambazo sijaziweka hapa, kwa sababu nilichotaka ni kuleta huu mfano moja. Hapa si mahali pa kusema kila kilichosemwa darasani. Ni mahala pa kuweka dondoo ambazo mwenye duku duku ya kujua anaweza kuzifuatilia zaidi. Purdah haiko katika u-Islam tu, hata kwa baadhi ya wa-Hindu na wengine iko.
Soma "Sultana's Dream," ili tuweze kuwa na mjadala wa maana. Somo la fasihi linahitaji wahusika wasome utungo husika, ndipo wajadili.
Sawa. lakini mimi suala langu lilikuwa rahisi tu. Nilitaka kujua kama Rokeya kaandika "definition" ya "purdah". Kwasababu neno "purdah" halimo kwenye Quran. Lakini kama jawabu la hili suala limo katika kitabu basi nitakitafuta nikisome. Kwasababu itakuwa najadili kitu ambacho sikijui maana yake.
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