Joumana Haddad's 'I Killed Scheherazade' Challenges Arab and Western Stereotypes

Joumana Haddad, a Lebanese writer, journalist, and founder of the Arabic-language magazine Jasad (meaning 'the body'), published her autobiographical manifesto 'I Killed Scheherazade: Confessions of an Angry Arab Woman' in French translation. The book, subtitled 'Confessions of an Angry Arab Woman,' recounts her struggle as a free woman in a patriarchal society mired in religious conflicts. Haddad explicitly rejects Western stereotypes of Arab women, stating, 'Me and many of my peers wear the clothes of our choice, go where we please, and say what we like.' She criticizes both traditionalists and Arab intellectuals who admire Western literature and art but maintain taboos in their private lives, calling the milieu 'schizophrenic' for its hypocrisy. Haddad notes that in the Arab world, less than 0.1% of 270 million people read, and only 40% of that group read books, with just 9% of those reading poetry—yielding only 9,720 potential poetry readers in a region boasting over 20,000 poets. She also refuses to support candidates like Ségolène Royal or Hillary Clinton solely on symbolic feminist grounds, demanding 'depth of vision.' The book was published by her own press, Jasad, and marks the first title from the young publishing house. Haddad's earlier French translations include 'Le Retour de Lilith' (2007) and 'Miroirs des passantes dans le songe' (2010).