Summary
Palestinian public figure whom Marianne and Umm Mahmud, in their Dialogue in Three Mothers, Three Daughters, both take as a model for Palestinian women: Marianne calls her educated and skilled, a good representative who speaks well with the Americans, while withholding agreement on Ashrawi kissing Arafat on the cheek as seen on television (Three Mothers, Three Daughters: Palestinian Women’s Stories, lines 648-676).
Details
- Asked who her models for Palestinian women are, Marianne, on being asked about Hanan Ashrawi, says: “She is a good model and representative for us. She’s educated, skilled. When she speaks with the Americans, she speaks in a good way, a million times better than Arafat. She makes a good impression for us.” She adds her brother in America’s relaying of an American friend of his: “If you’ve got a lot of Palestinian women like her, you’re in good shape.” She says she is not like Ashrawi, not nearly so clever (Three Mothers, Three Daughters: Palestinian Women’s Stories, line 652).
- Umm Mahmud, asked her view, says: “She’s fine. A good model, why not?” (line 660).
- The Dialogue treats Ashrawi as seen on television giving Arafat a kiss on the cheek; asked whether she would agree to Marianne doing that, Marianne answers “I wouldn’t agree!” (lines 664-668), and afterwards holds that taking Ashrawi as a model does not mean in everything, and that if Ashrawi wants to kiss Arafat that is her business — she agrees, her husband agrees, Arafat’s wife agrees (line 676).
Related pages
Three Mothers, Three Daughters: Palestinian Women’s Stories, Marianne, Umm Mahmud, Yasir Arafat