Gender roles and relations in Islamic societies are best understood through historical and religious context. This is because the social norms and customs that govern the behavior of Muslim men and women have their roots in sacred texts and crucial events, which date back to the formative period of the faith. As a result, complex cultural systems with multiple levels of meaning have been established that make it difficult for foreign scholars to study gender in Islamic countries. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Western notions of gender can prevent a correct understanding of these societies, even more so if this value system is projected onto Islamic traditions. This is why Elizabeth Fernea's "An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village," Guests of the Sheikh, has proven to be a vital resource in the study of gender relations within Islam. Her first-hand observation of a small rural village in Iraq provides unique insights into the personal experiences of local women and the socio-religious principles that frame their daily lives. In describing a society very different from her own, Fernea helps readers discover the inner workings of a highly gendered space. Upon arrival, Fernea struggled with cultural norms governing her appearance in public, as well as her encounters with local men. and women. For example, Muslim women wore the traditional abaya, and Fernea became aware of focusing on unwanted looks, because she initially refused to wear one. As a non-Muslim, she didn't feel the need to dress like other women and said: “This is ridiculous, I said to myself. Why would I wear that ugly thing? It's not my habit." Here, she was projecting her own values ​​onto the gendered dress codes of another culture and had yet to learn that specific clothing was essential for Muslim women when appearing in public. They respected this social norm because the Quran encouraged them to cover themselves and wearing the abaya helped them avoid any labels of immoral Furthermore, Fernea would also have learned the rigid gender roles that shape domestic life, when Mohammed, a servant of the sheikh and the only male with. she was allowed to interact, he asked her not to tell anyone that she helped wash the dishes. This was because "...he would be shamed by men if he did a woman's job." Islamic societies like Iraq, for example, distinguish between the appearance, behavior and duties of men and women at home and in public. Therefore, Fernea quickly realized that the fear of shame, damage to one's reputation or violation of religious rules was of paramount importance in the. his new company. For non-Muslims, finding meaning in a complex cultural system that dates back to ancient and medieval societies. , it can be difficult. With gender roles newly codified by the emerging Islamic nation states of the twentieth century, it has become particularly difficult to understand how Muslim women represent themselves and assert various forms of agency. However, as she gradually immersed herself in this system, Elizabeth Fernea's ethnographic study revealed gendered social dynamics, often misunderstood by the West. Even though they are deeply patriarchal and patrilineal societies, women place significant meaning on the family unit and form strong bonds within them. Fernea describes the shock of the local women when they discovered that her mother was still in the United States. They felt sorry for her because “To be alone without any of your women, 313.