A Spell to Empower Women: Religion, Culture and Domestic Violence in Pakistan

In this essay, Behzad analyzes themes of gender, violence and nationalism in Rukhsana Ahmad’s short story, “The Spell and the Ever-Changing Moon.” The story is about a Pakistani woman, Nisa, who turns to black magic in an attempt to escape from an abusive relationship. Behzad traces the underlying commentary on women’s empowerment in the context of religio-political nationalism in Pakistan as it relates to gender roles and violence against women. An earlier version of this essay was produced for the course, South Asian Literature and Culture (HND 2700) at York University and was awarded the 2017 York Centre for Asian Research Undergraduate Essay Prize.