Modernity and postcolonial nationalism : an islamic feminist reading of Maissa bey's Hizya "

الملخص EN

Maissa Bey's Hizya (2015) delivers an image of the Algerian woman in contemporary Algeria, where the protagonist appears to exhibit internal malaise due to the circulating socio-cultural beliefs.

The Algerian national identity highlights its parameters through an adoption of the Islamic heritage as the source of socio-cultural structures that were vastly promoted in the colonial and postcolonial periods.

Grounding from an Islamic feminist perspective, it is argued that Maissa Bey condemns the Algerian postcolonial nationalist ideology for the misfortunes of her protagonist instead of 'orientalising' religion as promoted in secular readings.

Hence, the writer uses a literary recall of Algerian historical figures to highlight the tolerance of the Algerian past towards women contrasted to the post-colonial realities.

Moreover, the text delivers an anti-hegemonic stand through delivering the characters' consciousness about the nationalist hegemonies, and promotes a progressive version of religion instead.