L'esprit de sérail

by Malek Chebel

Tabou de la virginité, obsession de la virilité, androgynie, langage obscène, homosexualités, voile, yousyous, circoncision… À partir de ces figures emblématiques, Malek Chebel montre comment fonctionne au Maghreb "l''esprit de sérail", concept qu''il a forgé pour mieux saisir l''emprise redoutable de la loi du Père sur l''esprit et le corps de chacun - homme ou femme.

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 14, 2003

About the author

Malek Chebel was a notable Algerian philosopher and anthropologist of religions . He was one of the most prominent North African intellectuals. He studied in Algeria, then later in France at Paris where he also studied psychoanalysis. He was a teacher at many universities worldwide.
Essayist, author of books specialized in Arab world and Islam, he created the expression: “Islam of lights”. He spoke at numerous conferences in Europe and Africa.
He is known for his reflections about Islam, its culture, its history, intellectual life. He is also famous for his public positions for a liberal Islam, and for its reform. His famous works include 'The Manifesto for an Enlightened Islam'.