In this weeks reading, I was really interested to learn about the relationship between the zâr and jinn. They are seemingly very similar, and play very similar roles in Muslims society, with the major difference being that the zâr mainly effects women. I found it interesting that a society so focused on men had an entire different set of traditions and spirits relating to women. While the zâr are not something that help women per say, they do give possessed women a voice in an oppressive society. It seems that they are an outlet for women to express their unhappiness or negative feelings, without being blamed as an individual.
In the reading by Boddy, she discusses the negative attitudes by the orthodox and religious leaders towards the zâr and zâr rituals. She says that many consider the practices ‘unIslamic.’ I found this interesting, yet confusing at the same time. I can see how the extremely religious might be against the idea of zârs and the rituals that accompany them, as they are not directly mentioned in the Qur’an. However, it seems extreme to call them ‘unIslamic’ since they are essentially just jinn, who are widely accepted as spirits and are mentioned in the Qur’an.
This seems to relate back to the role of gender in Islam. It is hard to argue that the only problem the ultra orthodox have with the zâr is the lack of description in the Qur’an, since one could argue that they are just another variety of jinn, who are known to have many different names. The real problem seems to be the power of the zâr to bind a community of women and give them power in a society where they are essentially powerless. This seems to be a point of contention in the religion. On one hand, although the zâr gives women more power in their relationships then they would normally have, it also seems like a tool to used to maintain balance in society. Zâr ceremonies require a certain amount of commitment both financially and as a community that they are not a common everyday occurrence. It seems to me, that these ceremonies provide a necessary outlet in society for women to have power in a controlled setting. If there was no outlet given to these women to express their frustrations, then the society runs a risk of collapsing on itself when the women reach a certain unknown level of distress. While individually they hold no power, as a whole they could cause a rebellion. Zâr ceremonies are an easy way to control this risk. While they give some power away, it is still highly regulated.