Who’s the hero? Muslim women in Arabic literature and trust

The multicultural, cosmopolitan, vibrant city of London has lately been celebrating Arab Muslims’ art and literature more than ever before. Shubbak festival and London Arabia art and Fashion Week are examples of the celebratory platforms exposing British Muslims and non-Muslims to Arab Muslim culture. Arabic literature is a significant player in these events. Storytelling is a legacy from Bilad El Sham and the Middle East.

Every story has a hero. Arab Muslims’ stories are no difference. However, if you look closely these stories has many heroes. Whether the voice of the storyteller or the novelist is male or female, and despite that the majority are depressing stories of a struggle, the heroes are mainly women. They are Arab Muslim women some of them illiterate, while few are highly educated ‘ladies’. Based on personal observations in many cases these female characters may not be intended to be heroes but they stand tall in each page, they change the hero’s tale and make the story much more interesting.

The paper examines examples of Arab Muslim women in novels available in English to British readers to explore how these women are articulated in the work of Arab novelists. The study concludes that these characters do not stimulate the reader’s sympathy as much as they create confidence, trust, and in some cases admiration of these heroes. All of which contribute to creating fertile soil to grow social trust in Muslims in general and Muslim women in particular.