The Spiced Chicken Queen of Mickaweaquah
Mohja Kahf’s short story “The Spiced Chicken Queen of Mickaweaquah, Iowa” is about a marriage in an Arab culture. Within the start of the story, Mzayyan’s husband chokes her wife and even threatens to kill her. This action indicates that the marriage is so violent and that the husband has the upper hand in the union. When Mzayyan goes to Dr Rana Rashid’s nuclear energy plant at the area, she narrates to her how her husband usually abuses her. She tells her that this is not the first time to abuse her despite her being humble and submissive to their marriage. From Mzayyan’s narration, we learn that this time around, his husband choked and threatened to kill her since she had hidden some documents and pictures of the second woman who her husband had married secretly. He was afraid that she would expose her for it was not allowed for a migrant to have more than one wife. When the police officer came to intervene, we see him dismissing the case saying that the woman behaves like that since he has another woman. We learn than the police officer also has another wife “She is mad cause you got another woman on the side? So do I, man!” I think the writer tries to show how men within Arabic culture take their women for granted and thinks they are sacred and special. We also learn how the society is corrupt to supporting men who abuse their wives. Many are times when Mzayyan’s husband abuses her, but when he is arrested, he sweet-talks his way out. Even the state favours men, even those who abuse their wives. Mzayyan’s uncle, for example, calls her to express how he was highly disappointed with her for disgracing her husband when he learns that Mzayyan’s husband had been arrested and detained. Her uncle too fails to understand that it was the husband’s action that had landed him into trouble. Despite of violation of women’s rights, the society requires them to remain dump and never expose their husbands since this action will disgrace them. A society that advocates for cheating and abusive men lacks morals and this implies decay within the community. We also learnt that it is not only Mzayyan who is abused, but there are other women who Dr Rana Rashid accommodates within her plant.
It is high time the society stopped seeing women as an object for abuse. Men should stop abusing their wives and treat them well besides showing love to them. I advocate for the spirit shown by the judge when by not being bias. After the judge had listened into the Mzayyan’s husband and his lawyer, he finally dismissed them. The judge believed that an Arabic woman would not do such deeds that her husband alleged she did. The state should also establish laws that will make sure no women are abused in any relationship rather than seeing men as superior to their wives and that they own them. The state makes men more potent that they can do what they want to their wives.
On the other hand, Within the Mohja kahf’s blogger, the writer what the reader to understand that Muslim are never inherently sexist more than in the rest of faiths. Non-Muslim cultures have resolved following much struggle; however, on other matters, Muslim females’ choices run about similar to those of females worldwide. Nevertheless, in various parts of life, Muslim females are well fortified by their belief practice for sovereignty and self-esteem. The writer shows how Muslim women have gone an extra mile than non-Muslim women. For example, the author indicates that Muslim women’s culture allows them to own property despite being able to divorce and remarry since their marriage are in contract form. Non-Muslims’ religion, on the other hand, never advocates for this, and according to them, marriage is very sacred. Muslim women also cover themselves even after prayers to carry their define spirit to the outer world contrary to many Christians who believe that they should only cover themselves when in the house of the Lord. These create a tent of tranquillity. “The serene spirit sent from God is called by a feminine name, “sakinah,” in the Quran, and I understand why some Muslim women like to wear their prayer clothes for more than prayer, to take that sakinah into the world with them. Therefore, the writer wants the world to learn how their religion custom well equips Muslim women for independence and self-respect.
References
Kahf, M. (2004). The Spiced Chicken Queen of Mickaweaquah. Iowa.” Dinarzad’s Children: An Anthology of Contemporary Arab American Fiction, edited by Pauline Kaldas and Khaled Mattawa, U of Arkansas P, 137-54.
Kahf, M. (2008). Spare me the sermon on Muslim women. The Washington Post Company. Data diunggah tanggal, 5.
