Khalida Wardak

Documentation:

1. Alvi, Asad. “Fahmida Riaz, the Woman Who Decolonised Feminism.” Images, 30 Nov. 2018, images.dawn.com/news/1181354/fahmida-riaz-the-woman-who-decolonised-feminism. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

2. Mehmood, Asma, et al. “GENDER POLITICS and SELF-IDENTITY: A FEMINIST COMPARATIVE STUDY of FAHMIDA RIAZ and ADRIENNE RICH.” Pakistan Journal of Social Research, vol. 04, no. 04, 31 Dec. 2022, pp. 1034–1044, https://doi.org/10.52567/pjsr.v4i04.910. Accessed 25 Nov. 2023.

3. Paganelli, Chiara . Inspiring Thursday: Fahmida Riaz - WOMEN against VIOLENCE EUROPE. 10 Jan. 2019, wave-network.org/inspiring-thursday-fahmida-riaz/.

When Fahmida Riaz wrote "Four Walls and a Black Veil,” it was a period marked by political instability, the rise of conservative religious movements, and increasing restrictions on women’s freedoms. Pakistan, during the 1970s and 1980s, saw the rise of political Islam and conservative cultural movements, which often pushed women’s issues to the background or used religion as a justification for imposing patriarchal values. This was the environment in which Riaz was writing, and her poetry reflects both a critique of the growing religious conservatism and the restrictions it imposed on women. A time that was under Zia-ul-Haq’s military regime, which was moving toward stricter Islamic laws that limited women’s freedoms and imposed a more conservative cultural agenda. Women in many parts of South Asia, including Pakistan, were subjected to strict social codes. This included gender roles, modesty codes, and expectations about how women should behave, dress, and be perceived. 

Zia’s regime introduced a series of legal and societal changes, including the controversial Hudood Ordinances, which sought to enforce stricter interpretations of Islamic law. These changes restricted women’s rights, especially in areas like family law, inheritance, and personal freedoms. The idea of modesty, particularly for women, was emphasized, and the "veil" became a symbol of this imposition. Women were increasingly pressured to adopt more conservative clothing, including wearing the niqab or burqa. At the same time, women’s public presence and participation in politics, education, and employment were significantly reduced, as many conservative leaders pushed for the idea that women’s place was within the home.

This period also saw the rise of feminist movements in Pakistan, as well as increased political activism from progressive writers and thinkers like Fahmida Riaz. Writers, poets, and intellectuals were responding to this repression with bold critiques of the status quo. Fahmida Riaz was an outspoken feminist. She wrote during a time when women’s movements in South Asia were beginning to gain traction, but they were still battling deeply ingrained cultural norms and legal structures that denied women equality. Riaz was part of the Progressive Writers Movement, which was a platform for advocating social justice and equality. However, during the 1980s, this movement faced increasing challenges, as the regime suppressed free expression. Despite the oppressive political atmosphere, Riaz’s poetry became a voice of resistance, calling for women’s empowerment and pushing back against the forces that silenced them. 

The “four walls” in Riaz’s poem could be seen as a direct reference to the expectation that women be confined to the home, both physically and metaphorically. This was a time when women’s mobility, agency, and personal freedoms were being restricted, and the “black veil” symbolized the literal and figurative erasure of their voices and identities. Women’s rights activists were fighting back against this increasing confinement. The feminist movement during this time sought to assert women’s rights to education, political participation, and economic freedom, pushing back against the societal forces that sought to reduce women to passive figures. These efforts however, were often met with fierce resistance, both from the state and conservative society.

  Fahmida Riaz’s personal background also shaped the power of her poetry. As a progressive poet and feminist, Riaz was not only concerned with the political and social situation in Pakistan but also deeply engaged with the literary and cultural shifts occurring in the region. Her work was shaped by her experiences as a woman living under these difficult conditions, and she often used her poetry as a form of protest, calling attention to the silencing of women and urging for social change. She was an active voice in the fight against patriarchy and repression, and "Four Walls and a Black Veil" became one of her most powerful expressions of this struggle.

Laila Fayed

This poem by Fahmida Riaz undoubtedly tells a powerful story about the struggles and inequality that many women are faced with. This influential piece of literature argues against the veil mandate saying it is not the women that must be hidden and concealed from the world. They are not “a signet of your great lust” but rather strong, independent individuals that have much greater meaning and purpose than to merely belong to a man who does not value nor appreciate her presence. 

Throughout this poem, the author uses many symbolic and metaphoric phrases to reveal a deeper meaning that may not be apparent at first glance, but hold great significance when interpreting the overall theme and message. An example of this is when she stated “Cover that shroudless corpse. Not me”. The corpse can be understood symbolically for the crimes and unjust patriarchal systems that have resulted in such oppressive treatment of women. Furthermore, women are not the ones that should be covered or made to seem shameful or inferior. Instead, the author argues that it is those crimes and systems that they must be ashamed about. By repeatedly bringing up the corpse by stating, “Please, Sire, bring it down. The curtain. Now. You need it to cover the corpse”, she reveals the crucial role that this symbol plays in relaying that message to the readers. 

Riaz adds “Life has no more tears to shed; it shed them all In that fragrant chamber where, for ages now, This sacrificial drama has played”. An analytical interpretation of these lines might reveal that women have already suffered greatly for a long time to the point where there are no more tears to be shed. It emphasizes lack of patience and tolerance for further injustice and expresses courage to speak up against the treatment which they have gone through. Overall my interpretation of this poem reveals a few key themes that the author, Riaz is trying to highlight within this poem. The first, is that women should not be placed in a position where they feel shame and they should not be made to feel less than, or inferior to men. They should not have to hide behind a veil when they are worth much more than just belonging to a man who does not treat her with respect and equality. Women deserve much more power, recognition and fair treatment for all the work they do and what they have endured for many years.

Ushna Anwar

Fahmida Riaz’s “Four Walls and a Black Veil” both supports and complicates the scholarship found in the attached literature review, which explores themes of gender, nationalism, religious identity, and literary resistance in South Asian Muslim women’s writing. Riaz’s poem powerfully supports the idea that Muslim women use literature as a form of resistance against both patriarchy and theocratic control. This is evident through the rejection of the veil, which becomes a symbol of state-imposed modesty and religiously sanctioned female suppression. By opening the poem with the line, “What shall I do, Sire, with this black veil?” Riaz frames the veil not as a personal or cultural choice, but as an unwanted burden forced upon the speaker. This tone of defiance reflects the broader scholarly view that many Muslim women writers subvert expectations of ideal femininity defined by religious nationalism through their creative work.

At the same time, the poem complicates the literature’s call for a more nuanced understanding of the veil and Muslim women’s experiences. While the review cautions against essentializing Muslim women or interpreting veiling through a solely Western feminist lens, Riaz offers a more uncompromising perspective. Her critique does not allow space for the veil to be viewed as an autonomous or empowering symbol; instead, it is unequivocally a mark of coercion and decay. She describes it as a “dismal seal” and uses language that associates the veil with shame, lifelessness, and control. In doing so, Riaz takes a clear stance that challenges more pluralistic or contextual readings in the scholarship, presenting the veil as a definitive instrument of oppression rather than one with layered meanings.

The poem also supports the review’s examination of how nationalist ideologies intertwine with women’s bodies and moral expectations. Riaz critiques the historical and political use of women as bearers of communal and religious honor, referencing the “hostage women of vanquished peoples” and “slave girls who carried your blessed seed.” Through these lines, she exposes the deep-rooted violence committed under the guise of religious morality and male righteousness. This perspective strongly reinforces the argument made in the literature that women’s bodies are often treated as sites where religious and national identities are constructed and policed.

Furthermore, Riaz’s poetic strategies align with those praised in the literature for expressing feminist politics through metaphor, irony, and subversion. Her use of imagery, such as transitioning from a confined, perfumed chamber to wide seas and free movement, embodies the creative resistance found in South Asian Muslim women’s literature. The final lines, where the speaker asserts her liberation and choice of companionship, symbolize not only freedom from patriarchy but also the reclaiming of personal agency and emotional trust. This reclamation mirrors the depiction of women in the reviewed literature as resilient agents of their own stories rather than passive victims.

In conclusion, “Four Walls and a Black Veil” serves as a compelling literary contribution that echoes the key themes identified in the scholarship while also presenting a bold and unflinching critique of religious patriarchy. By portraying the veil as a purely oppressive force, Riaz challenges more cautious interpretations of religious symbolism and insists on a vision of freedom that is direct, visceral, and unapologetically feminist. Her poem stands as both a reinforcement and a provocation to the ongoing conversation about Muslim women’s literary resistance in South Asia.