Rabia (Malayalam Novel)

Rabia is Saheera Thangal’s first novel. Saheera is a poetess and Rabia would have benefited by a touch of poetry. With the ‘Emerging Writer’s Award’ from the Kovalam Literary Festival, in her kitty, one would expect more. Writer Sethu who wrote the foreword for her book, himself accepts that her narration is not perfect. The book is readable. Saheera thoughtfully addresses the problems of Muslim women in Kerala. 

She carefully tiptoes around the barb-wired issues, and while portraying the troubled lives of a handful of women in Malabar, conveniently puts the blame on the handful of men in their lives for all the troubles. 

Saheera cannot afford to be another Taslima or Rushdie and therefore diplomatically upholds the principles of Islam after addressing each issue. Sadly the writer does not even offer a perspective, leave alone suggestions to make the lives of muslim women in Kerala better in any way. 

TV Chandran’s Malayalam Movie ‘Padham Onnu Oru Vilapam’ (Lesson One, A 

Lament)  was a truly enjoyable artistic endeavor. The weapon he used was sarcasm. Perhaps Saheera is too weak to wield a weapon. 

People have an inherent tendency to take advantage of loopholes.  Polygamy- a totally dated advice to the tribal Arabs by the Prophet is such a loophole. As for human beings, they are not lovebirds or wolves, they are polygamous by nature. So who are we kidding! At the end of the book you wonder if she is actually glorifying polygamy, by bringing in the wives of the Prophet in dream sequence. The characters are merely types, and not human. 

When the subject is something as broad-spectrum as polygamy, the obvious emotions like love, guilt and grief should be more than touch and go stuff.  

If you are unaware of the existence of a wretched set of humans known as 'Malayali Muslim Women'  Rabia  is a must read. 

You can believe each word of it, because each word is true.

Novelist at Kovalam Literary Festival Oct'2010

'Lesson One A Lament' Poster