An inquiry on the representation of Oriental women in Tariq Ali's Islam Quintet

This study aims to scrutinize the representation of ?Oriental? women in Tariq Ali?s Islam Quintet, which were published in the period of 1992-2010. Shaped by an ?anti-Orientalist? perspective to release the so-called Orient from the Orientalist perceptions, the Islam Quintet is questioned in its uniformity in relation to its approach to the native women. Within the analysis of the stereotypical ?Oriental? woman, the female characters in five volumes and their position vis-à-vis their local culture are examined in order to unfold the latent Orientalist discourse in Ali's narrative. By such intention, this thesis also explores the parallels between the Orientalist depiction of the women and the imperial discourse of a ?gendered? Orient. Accordingly, the notions of femininity, patriarchy, and the ?Oriental? social norms are discussed in relation to the Orientalist and anti-Orientalist frameworks that are applied in the Quintet.Keywords: Orientalism, Tariq Ali, Representation, Women, Stereotype, Culture