VEILING AND VISIBILITY: NAVIGATING IDENTITY AND AGENCY IN QAISRA SHAHRAZ’S "THE HOLY WOMAN"

Authors

Keywords:

veil, agency, identity politics, Islamic feminism, resistance

Abstract

The veil is a complex symbol deeply intertwined with notions of identity, agency, and resistance, carrying diverse meanings across cultures and narratives. This article explores the veiling paradox -- the veil as both a symbol of resilience and a product of the male gaze -- revealing its dual role as a site of empowerment and contention. Qaisra Shahraz's The Holy Woman (2001) celebrates the veil as a form of empowerment, while insights from Arab Muslim writers and Western critiques deconstruct traditional assumptions. The article conceptualizes veiling as a historically layered and culturally contingent practice situated at the nexus of religion, gender, class, and power. By incorporating Islamic feminist hermeneutics, transnational critique, and material-cultural analysis, it provides a comprehensive and adaptable lens through which to examine veiling in Shahraz’s The Holy Woman and within broader Muslim-majority literary traditions. This approach resists reductive interpretations by foregrounding the multiplicity of meanings embedded in veiling practices, thereby acknowledging both their restrictive and emancipatory dimensions. Ultimately, the framework seeks to facilitate critical scholarship that engages with diverse voices, contexts, and interpretive traditions.

Keywords: veil, agency, identity politics, Islamic feminism, resistance.

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Author Biographies

Fatima Hassan, Universiti Malaya

Fatima Hassan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan. Her research focuses on postcolonial literature, diaspora studies, and South Asian literature. Her work delves into the complexities of cultural identity, migration, and colonialism's legacies, offering insightful contributions to these fields. 

 

Sharifah Aishah Osman, Universiti Malaya

Sharifah Aishah Osman is an Associate Professor at the Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Universiti Malaya. Her areas of expertise are Children’s and Young Adult Literature in Malaysia, and Nineteenth-century British Literature. She also has research interests in women’s writings, feminist youth literature, and folklore studies. She has published in all these fields, both in edited books, as well as in international peer-reviewed journals. Recent publications include The Asian Family in Literature and Film: Changing Perceptions in a New Age - East Asia and The Asian Family in Literature and Film: Challenges and Contestations - South Asia, Southeast Asia and Asian Diaspora (co-edited with Bernard Wilson, Palgrave Macmillan, 2024), and The Principal Girl Redux: Feminist Tales in Asia (co-edited with Tutu Dutta, 2023). 

Shalini Nadaswaran, Universiti Malaya

Shalini Nadaswaran is a Senior Lecturer in the English Department, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Shalini holds a BA (Hons) and an MA in English from the University of Malaya, Malaysia; and a PhD in English (African Literature) from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Her research examines the intersecting and evolving trends in African Literature in local and global spaces, and cultural formations, modern-day slavery, African literature and injustice, and postcolonial women’s literature. Shalini has written numerous articles and reviews for journals, and book chapters. Dr Nadaswaran has also secured both local and international research grants that explore cultural formations, modern-day slavery and literature, and financial literacy through children's literature.

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Published

2025-06-30

How to Cite

Hassan, F. ., Osman, S. A., & Nadaswaran, S. (2025). VEILING AND VISIBILITY: NAVIGATING IDENTITY AND AGENCY IN QAISRA SHAHRAZ’S "THE HOLY WOMAN". SARJANA, 40(1), 1–12. Retrieved from https://borneojournal.um.edu.my/index.php/SARJANA/article/view/64239

Issue

Vol. 40 No. 1 (2025)

Section

Articles