Under the Veil

          

          In the eyes of Western society, Iraqi women are suppressed, forced to hide under veils by the men who abuse them.  In spring of 2011, University Players will shed new light on what it’s really like to be a woman in Iraq with their play “9 Parts of Desire.” 

            According to the University Players’ website, the play depicts an interesting string of “the personal stories of Iraqi women—doctors, exiles wives and lovers.”  The audience will leave the theatre with a view of “what it means to be a woman in the age-old war zone” of Iraq.

            Rhianna Maras, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies major at CSULB, said “People in the U.S. must gain knowledge about the real lives of women in Iraq rather than continuing to perpetuate the stereotype that Middle Eastern women are victims in need of being saved. It is essential for Westernized society to see that the women in Iraq who are primarily Muslim are not oppressed due to their religion.”