Cultural Libertarianism and Personal Autonomy: A Liberal Feminist Analysis of Dancing in the Mosque by Homeira Qaderi

Abstract

The present study explores the struggle and resistance of female figures against coercive powers and highlights the importance of gender equality in Homeira Qaderi’s Dancing in the Mosque (2020). Homeira Qaderi is a well-reputed and well-known Afghani fictional writer. Her early childhood was a struggle against the Soviet invasion and the Taliban’s dispute with Soviets. Her well-known work Dancing in the Mosque (2020) is a memoir about a female’s struggle and love for her child. Using the close reading method of analysis, the study employs Friedman’s (2003) ideology of cultural libertarianism and personal autonomy that correspond to liberal feminism. Liberal Feminism is a struggle against patriarchy and social inequalities. According to Friedman (2003), Cultural libertarianism is a liberal view of society that stresses the freedom of individuals from cultural norms. In this way, cultural liberals believe that society should not impose any specific code of behavior; rather it should promote personal autonomy to their individuals. The findings of the study reveal that gender equality encourages women’s empowerment and rejects coercive powers which restrict women to four walls.