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AKU-ISMC Holds Talk by Prominent Iranian Novelist Shahrnush Parsipur
April 18, 2007
On the 18th of April the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (AKU-ISMC) was host to a talk, reading and discussion by the prominent Iranian author, Shahrnush Parsipur.
 Originally from Tehran, Shahrnush has written a number of highly praised short stories and novels. Her work has raised debate on a number of issues topical to Muslim contexts such as the role of women and the colonial history of Iran.
Shahrnush’s novels explore the relationship between mysticism and rationalism, and her exploration of the connection between masculinity and femininity raise issues relevant not only to Muslim cultures but to wider contexts as well.
During her talk, Shahrnush spoke about ancient Middle Eastern civilisations, “Iran and Iraq contain some of the most ancient civilisations in the world. They invented the cultivation of wheat and invented writing and the alphabet.”
Shahrnush explained that there is evidence to suggest that women were the first poets in ancient Sumeria, and therefore possibly the inventors of the alphabet. She described that the link between women and writing has been very strong from ancient times onwards.
Explaining the importance of mysticism and myths in her writing, Shahrnush described a Sumerian myth of creation, “In the beginning there was nothing but water. Sweet water, which was Male, and salt water, which was Female. The two mixed and made children, which were called up and down, left and right, and so on.”
Throughout Shahrnush’s novels there is a strong theme of the relevance of mythology to contemporary society. In her talk she highlighted this theme, drawing upon the ancient Sumerian myth of Gilgamesh to describe the current tensions between Sunni and Shia. “The war between Sunni and Shia is a war between two slaves. It has been a long time since they lost their freedom.”
Shahrnush said that the 20th century has seen a new era of female Iranian authors - although many of these authors now live abroad. "Out of 100 writers, more than 50 live in the western world. there are more writers abroad than in Iran itself."
Shahrnush wrote her latest novel, Touba and the Meaning of Night, during and after her imprisonment in 1982. Her novel provides a view of contemporary issues in Iran, set against the remarkable and tumultuous backdrop of 20th century Iran. Touba is a young girl who, when her father dies, marries a middle aged man. However, she is unhappy and divorces him to marry a Qajar prince.
 This relationship also ends in divorce and Touba, unhappy and discontented, is forced to make carpets in order to support her family. She then begins to commune with a ghost that haunts her house, and in her old age becomes engrossed in politics and attempts to seek spiritual fulfilment with a Sufi master. The novel, spread over 80 years in Iran, is the story of constant change in the life of Touba, and provides a fascinating insight into the life of women and the history of Iran.
“We must understand that humanity is made of two equal parts - Man and Woman. We live at a very critical and historical moment.”
Shahrnush finished her talk by saying that femininity must return and occupy its rightful place, and that within this space, men could also be free.
Following the talk there was a discussion about many different topics relevant to the novel – from women and Islam to the current situation in Iran.
Shahrnush was asked if she thought that oppression enhanced creativity; she noted that, in the case of Iran, female authors have flourished because they have something to struggle against. Shahrnursh explained, “Iranian writers speak about love without using the word love. They talk about politics without even touching politics.”
The Novel Eye is a series of talks by authors from Muslim contexts organised by AKU-ISMC, and provides a cultural approach to the study of Muslim civilisations.
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