Ali Fawad: Antebellum to Postbellum

Ali Fawad
Antebellum to Postbellum. Evolution of Female Fiction in Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan

How do Muslim female writers dispute and localize the rise of religious, cultural, and political conservatism? This talk examines the literary responses of female Muslim authors from Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan during and after the politicoreligious upheavals of the late 20th century. It traces the distinct evolution of Muslim female voices, contrasting the concerns of the antebellum period before the imposition of strict religio-political ideologies with the urgent realities of the postbellum era—after the implementation of religio-political conservatism. As strict religious ideologies ranging from the ›Velayat-e-Faqih‹ in Iran to the ›Deobandi-Wahabi‹ models in Afghanistan and Pakistan took hold, the literary focus of female writers in these regions shifted dramatically. Through the lens of authors like Tehmina Durrani, Nahid Rachlin, and Shaharnush Parsipur, this lecture will unpack the late 20th-century religio-political crises of how narratives transformed from earlier social observations to confrontations with class struggle, sectarian marginalization, and gender injustice. It offers a critical lens into the shifting gender dynamics of the region.