This paper deals with translation and knowledge production of both an exemplar mould for Islamic woman identity and a cosmetic ＂moderate＂ veneer for Islamism. The paper particularly tackles the question of the visib...This paper deals with translation and knowledge production of both an exemplar mould for Islamic woman identity and a cosmetic ＂moderate＂ veneer for Islamism. The paper particularly tackles the question of the visibility of Islamic women in the translational narrative sphere and its implication with respect to both the co-optation of ＂Muslim Sisterhood＂ within the dominant Islamist gender politics and selling political Islam to international politics. Utilizing Baker＇s thesis of translation as re-narration, especially narrative flaming strategies, the paper reads Mokrane Guezzou＇s translation of Zainab al-Ghazali＇s autobiography Return of the Pharaoh： Memoir in Nasir＇s Prison （2006） to examine the framing of al-Ghazali＇s personal narrative and its implications for furthering the Middle Eastern democratization march （in response to Bush＇s ＂Freedom Agenda＂）, while keeping the Muslim Brothers＇ gender politics intact. The paper＇s argument is the gendered politics of Guezzou＇s translation and their influence on the transnational and international spheres. Firstly, in tune with the expectation of the transnational constituency of Muslim Brothers＇ readership, al-Ghazali＇s personal and self-aggrandizing narrative is packaged and re-framed within the public narrative of the Muslim Brothers＇ gender/gendered ethos to co-opt her politicized inscription of ＂Muslim Sisterhood＂ within the Muslim Brothers＇ male-ranked organizational structure and thereby reproduce the mould of a ＂moderate＂ Muslim sister. The individualistic leaning of the narrative is transposed onto the meta-narratives of the Exodus in ancient times and Holocaust in modem times. The female imprint of the narrative is suppressed onto the conflict between militant masculinities with Nasir centerstaged in the title, referenced as the pharaoh, and semantically associated with Hitler and fascism in the translator＇s note. Her gender agency is de-framed and her visibility and access to organizational rank is harnessed to her social identity in marriage and her subscription to and fulfillment of the masculine constructed and assessed criteria of ＂virtue, piety and modesty＂ （Guezzou, 2006, p. ix）. Secondly, in line with the changing dynamics of geo-strategic realities, the translational renarration contributes to configuring the race-based underpinning of Arab exceptionalism onto the compatibility of （the ＂purely political＂ and hence ＂moderate＂） Islamism with democracy through projecting the Muslim Brotherhood＇s anti-fascist, democratic, modern/moderate and gender inclusive image. After all, Islamic women＇s visibility is a testament of feminism capable of redeeming Islamism and selling ＂moderate＂ political Islam to international politics/readership.展开更多
文摘This paper deals with translation and knowledge production of both an exemplar mould for Islamic woman identity and a cosmetic ＂moderate＂ veneer for Islamism. The paper particularly tackles the question of the visibility of Islamic women in the translational narrative sphere and its implication with respect to both the co-optation of ＂Muslim Sisterhood＂ within the dominant Islamist gender politics and selling political Islam to international politics. Utilizing Baker＇s thesis of translation as re-narration, especially narrative flaming strategies, the paper reads Mokrane Guezzou＇s translation of Zainab al-Ghazali＇s autobiography Return of the Pharaoh： Memoir in Nasir＇s Prison （2006） to examine the framing of al-Ghazali＇s personal narrative and its implications for furthering the Middle Eastern democratization march （in response to Bush＇s ＂Freedom Agenda＂）, while keeping the Muslim Brothers＇ gender politics intact. The paper＇s argument is the gendered politics of Guezzou＇s translation and their influence on the transnational and international spheres. Firstly, in tune with the expectation of the transnational constituency of Muslim Brothers＇ readership, al-Ghazali＇s personal and self-aggrandizing narrative is packaged and re-framed within the public narrative of the Muslim Brothers＇ gender/gendered ethos to co-opt her politicized inscription of ＂Muslim Sisterhood＂ within the Muslim Brothers＇ male-ranked organizational structure and thereby reproduce the mould of a ＂moderate＂ Muslim sister. The individualistic leaning of the narrative is transposed onto the meta-narratives of the Exodus in ancient times and Holocaust in modem times. The female imprint of the narrative is suppressed onto the conflict between militant masculinities with Nasir centerstaged in the title, referenced as the pharaoh, and semantically associated with Hitler and fascism in the translator＇s note. Her gender agency is de-framed and her visibility and access to organizational rank is harnessed to her social identity in marriage and her subscription to and fulfillment of the masculine constructed and assessed criteria of ＂virtue, piety and modesty＂ （Guezzou, 2006, p. ix）. Secondly, in line with the changing dynamics of geo-strategic realities, the translational renarration contributes to configuring the race-based underpinning of Arab exceptionalism onto the compatibility of （the ＂purely political＂ and hence ＂moderate＂） Islamism with democracy through projecting the Muslim Brotherhood＇s anti-fascist, democratic, modern/moderate and gender inclusive image. After all, Islamic women＇s visibility is a testament of feminism capable of redeeming Islamism and selling ＂moderate＂ political Islam to international politics/readership.
