Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online Volume 1, Issue 1 | Page 10

2/2/2016

Middle East Media and Book Reviews Online

institutions, and puts forth a solution, which is a full-fledged revolution that would result in total annihilation of the old system: “change cannot
come from compromising with rotten system, but only by overthrowing it. So it is time to start fighting against the negotiator inside of us. The
solution is to destroy. And destroy. And destroy. And re-build again” (p. 109). How theoretically and practically sound this suggestion is should be
judged cautiously.
If Superman is an Arab… is read as a dialogue with a woman (Haddad), and as a means to share some personal experiences, feelings and thoughts,
the book is inspiring and entertaining. It is the voice of an Arab woman, in which a great number of women might hear their own life stories.
Haddad is certainly testing the limits of freedom of speech in a region that is not known for tolerance and human (particularly women) rights. And it
is indeed impressive.
Haddad illustrates the discrimination against women so lucidly that no reasonable person could remain indifferent to a women’s life in a patriarchal
Arab society aft