In no other region of the world does the tired old cliché that “behind every great man is a great woman” hold more true than in the Middle East. And yet women have not always played a role only from behind the curtains that are their men but have also occasionally stepped up to share the burden and privilege of leading their people.
Ironically, some of the most famous women in the world are those who have reigned in the Middle East. Cleopatra, a direct descendant of a general in the army of Alexander the Great, lover and seducer of two emperors of Rome, is one such example. Another is the Queen of Sheba, who travelled from what is believed to be Yemen at great peril to herself to meet King Solomon in Jerusalem.
Less well-known but equally powerful was Sultana Ismat of Egypt, known as Shajarat Al Durr, who almost single-handedly brought to an end the dynasty started by the great warrior Saladin 800 years ago and heralded the rule of the emancipated Mamluk Sultanate that spanned more than three centuries.
Interestingly, among the 15 documented Islamic female monarchs, two women ruled 11th century Islamic Yemen back-to-back for many decades. According to Fatima Mernissi’s book The Forgotten Queens of Islam, not only did Asma and subsequently Arwa al Sulayhiyya regularly attend the council of ministers with their faces uncovered and debating matters of state, but more significantly the imams of the mosques would repeatedly proclaim the Friday sermons in their names, a gesture signalling who called the shots in the country.
All these women ruled many centuries ago and in more progressive and developed societies far away from the conservative Gulf. Surely none would be allowed to rule here, especially not in the strict society that is Wahhabi Saudi Arabia?
Wrong. In the early 20th century, Princess Fatima Al Zamil qualified as one ruler. A blue-blooded lady born of a marriage between members of the Al-Rasheed and Shammar tribes – which makes her a relative of the current Saudi Arabian King Abdullah – she ruled the province of Ha’il from 1911 to 1914 as an administrator of her minor grandson’s estate.
Princess Fatima ran the affairs of her society and people from the historic and lavish three-storey Barzan Palace, over which she had full authority. She received foreign guests such as the British writer and politician Gertrude Bell, a close friend and associate of TE Lawrence (of Arabia). She allowed her visitor to photograph her in her residence with her long beaded hair adorning her chest and with her face uncovered, something that is taboo for many Arab women almost a century later.
What is possibly the most significant fact of Princess Fatima’s reign wasn’t that she ruled over the now demolished 300,000 square metre Barzan Palace, but that she was chosen by the elders of the two most powerful tribes of the central Arabian peninsula in what may be one of the few exercises of tribal democracy in the Gulf.
One may ponder the obstacles that would hinder women from reaching the top post once again. Religion is often used by conservatives to maintain the status quo. However, in modern history, years before Hillary Clinton decided to run for president of the (secular) US, more than one woman has reached the helm of power in Bangladesh, a country founded on Islamic tenets.
It could be argued that the societies of the Gulf are tribal and therefore it is unthinkable for women to lead. But Pakistan, like the Gulf, is a patriarchal, tribal and male-dominated society, yet women have been elected to the post of prime minister and speaker of parliament. Even in the secular sphere it was Turkey that gave continental Europe its second elected female leader after Norway, an honour that a French woman has yet to achieve.
Today, one cannot ignore the roles that three female leaders are playing in the Gulf. In the UAE, Sheikha Fatima has been directly involved in making education and work more accessible for women. In Bahrain, Sheikha Sabeeka famously dismissed a proposal that there should be a quota system for women entering parliament, calling it “discriminatory”; she wanted women to enter according to their merits. In Qatar, Sheikha Mouza heads the influential Qatar Foundation that was able to attract Ivy League universities to the small emirate as well as invite various figures who have included the Israeli President Shimon Perez to the Doha Debates that are held under her personal patronage.
There naturally exists no position that should be out of reach for women, neither before nor after a palace called Barzan.
Sultan Al Qassemi is a Sharjah-based businessman and graduate of the American University of Paris. He is also founder of Barjeel Securities in Dubai.
The column first appeared in The National on May 4th
2 comments:
I'm not surprised by your article, but must thank you for being one of the few men who actually acknowledges a women's presence and importance in our society, i must say you are a rare character! We have 3 great examples in the Gulf today ( Sheikha Fatema, Sabeeka, and Moza), however, I believe that the greatest rulers are ones that try to make a lot, from a little. "Desperate times call for desperate measures",;widows that brought up lots of children in harsh conditions and with limited financial support. Every mother is a ruler of her kingdom; her house! and only in the heart of one's house does a child grow and flourish into a educated and well respected member of society. [ might have gone a bit off topic, but wanted to share my view]
Meera Al Suwaidi
Hello Sheikh,
Once again you have enlightened us with your thirst of History! Thank you!
Don't be surprised if you see a rapid emergence of women in the Mid East. More Educated women, than ever are coming into their own. They are not keeping silent. They argue logically, are well organized and are tough at the same time. After all it is women who have run households with numerous duties which we have taken for granted, they are one of the best administrators.
Listen my friend even in your home, have you not seen that your mother is probably one person, who speaks her mind and is not scared of anyone.
I also believe there was a Lady in Pakistan, at one time that won the election, but never took office.
Things Change, we suppressed women in the last hundreds years and they may just come back stronger than ever. Take nothing for granted the days of Sheikhs ruling may be numbered.
Post a Comment