Every issue, the staff at Women In Mind will be researching a particular topic to present bibliographic information for you. This issue we chose to look at sources concerning women in the Arab world, in honor of our visit from Dr. Hanan Ashrawi. If you have a particular topic you’d like us to cover, drop us a line and let us know!

Brooks, Geraldine. Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women.
New York: Anchor Books, 1996.
Broad in scope both geographically and chronologically, this book covers the entire Middle East region from Palestine to Iraq and weaves the life of Mohamed with political events of the 1970s through the 1990s. This book includes interviews with women from all economic classes, educational backgrounds, and political leanings. It is well-researched, well-rounded, and extremely accessible to readers unfamiliar with the Koran or Middle Eastern politics.

Buonaventura, Wendy. Serpent of the Nile: Women and Dance in the Arab World.
Brooklyn: Saqui Books, 1998.
Although the research seems a little weak at points, this is nonetheless an informative and enjoyable history of women’s dance in the Arab world, from ancient times to contemporary. Wonderful illustrations on almost every page.

Aruri, Naseer. The Obstruction of Peace: The U.S., Israel, and The Palestinians.
Monroe: Common Courage Press, 1995.
This book provides a different view of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It discusses the media portrayal of the Palestinians, as well as the United States involvement in the peace process. The pro-Palestinian views the U.S.’s actions to be pro-Israeli and self-serving in nature.

Finkelstein, Norman G. Image and Reality of the Israel-Palestine Conflict: 2nd Edition.
Verso Books, 2001.
This is an attempt to present a clear unbiased account of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Its aim is to debunk some of the myths surrounding Israeli history and Zionism. It clearly critiques other authors of the conflict for their biased presentation of the subject matter, and has received equal critiquing for its controversial view.

HelpAfghanWomen.com: Campaign to Stop Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan
A project of the Feminist Majority, this Web site’s goal is to help Afghan women obtain leadership roles in post-Taliban Afghanistan. The Web site states that the Afghan Ministry for Women’s Affairs, led by Dr. Sima Samar, needs funding and support. They offer readers tactical ways to contribute, become educated, and exercise their activist muscle.

RAWA, the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan
www.rawa.org
RAWA was established in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1977 as an independent political/social organization of Afghan women fighting for human rights and for social justice in Afghanistan. The site offers poems, movies, articles, opinions, and ways to take action to help fight for equality and justice for Afghan women.

Online Annotated Bibliography: Life Behind the Veil: The World of Islamic Women
http://www.evanston.lib.il.us/library/bibliographies/islamic.html
For further reading about Islamic women’s lives, check out the Evanston Public Library’s online annotated bibliography. Compiled in July 2002 by Barbara Levie, an employee of the library’s Reader’s Services Department, this comprehensive list of books features precise summaries, titles and publication dates.