Volume IV Issue III March 2016 IJELLH International Journal of English Language, Literature and Humanities Indexed, Peer Reviewed & Refereed Journal ISSN INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER INTERNATIONAL CENTRE 2321-7065 Re- Defining Honour in Islam: An Islamic Women Memoirists' Outlook Abstract Faritha Banu. S Ph. D Research Scholar Department of English Jamal Mohamed College Tiruchirappalli -6200 20 Tamil Nadu & Dr. Abdul Mohammed Ali Jinnah Associate Professor of English Jamal Mohamed College Tiruchirappalli India Memoir, a non-fictional art has been in vogue in the recent years. It is also called life narrative, where an instance in the life of an individual is documented in first person point of view. Memoir's association with Islamic women has been commendable. Women in Islam have for long been subjugated in the name of Islam, which is a sheer misinterpretation. Memoirs have been a vehicle for women to express their emotional state. In spite of the rise of Islamic feminism in support of Muslim women's rights, the problem persists. Among the vehemence which women face, violence in the name of honour is wide spread. The Memoirs In the Name of Honour and I am Nujood, aged 10 and Divorced are illustrations for the situation which millions of women are subjected to in the name of honour. The relentless fight which Mukhtar Mai and Nujood put forward in their life against violence makes the difference. Keywords: Memoir, Islam, Islamic feminism, Honour, Subjugation www.ijellh.com 155
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD SERIAL NUMBER INTERNATIONAL CENTRE Volume IV Issue III March 2016 IJELLH International Journal of English Language, Literature and Humanities Indexed, Peer Reviewed & Refereed Journal ISSN 2321-7065 INTRODUCTION Memoir, from French 'Memoire' meaning memory or reminiscence is a nonfiction genre which is considered as a form of literary art. It chronicles the instants or events in the life of real individuals in first person narrative. "In writing one's life one may bring a new self into being" (Pg. 14) states Thomas Couser in his book Memoir - An Introduction. He believes that writing a memoir leads to self -invention. Ever since its emergence, Memoir has created a huge impact in the field of life writing. Since its popularity Memoir is said to have eclipsed autobiography Memoir has gained momentum amongst women in Islamic countries. Memoirs by Islamic women throws light on the predicaments they face in the name of religion. Women's voices have long been subjugated in the name of honour, their predicaments have been left undocumented. Through the emergence of memoirs Islamic women have acquired a way of expressing their traumatic memories. One such compelling memoir is In the Name of Honour, a memoir which captures crimes done in the name of honour in Pakistan. "the real question my country must ask itself is, if the honour of men lies in women, why do men want to rape or kill that honour?" (In The Name of Honour, 161) is the question advanced by Mukhtaran Bibi, a victim of honour vengeance in her memoir In The Name of Honour. Mukhtaran Bibi