405 Women of Marrakech

Notes on the film

"Some Women of Marrakech"

- concept of family honor reflects public/private and city/family oppositions

- 7 saints guard 7 walls of Marrakech

- the djelaba (veil and cloak) is required, except in a woman's own village and home

- rituals viewed: ear piercing for little girls, coming home party for woman attending university, celebration of spirit medium, wedding - sacrifice, trance and possession sometimes involved

- inheritance: woman half as much as man; women close to their brothers and nephews

- instructions of hallal (good things to do) and haram (bad things) come from God, the prophet, and his daughter Fatima

- marketing based on relationship, not abstract supply and demand principles

- discrimination against professional women performers (although baraka, or grace) comes from spirit dancing; performers are necessary for rituals, and have witch power, but also have bad reputation

- relationship between co-wives and husband; example of three co-wives whose lives are changing in modern setting

- strict seclusion changing

- importance of gossip, ritual occasions, and bath house for women

- wedding is three-day highly structured event; marriage key to survival for both men and women; effort to marry within group, separation of men and women until groom goes in to bride for consummation

- importance of chastity for women

Some suras about women and gender relations from the Koran:

81 - infanticide

76 - creation

55 - after-life

19 - more on after-life

2 - "The Cow" famous sura on women

4 - women

58 - divorce (pagan)

65 - divorce (Islamic)