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The First Stone - a play synopsis by Miriam Yahil-Wax
Muna
Haled, lawyer
Samir
Haled, her husband, lawyer (non speaking part)
“The
writers and the Pharisites brought a woman caught in adultery... He
stood up and said: He who is without sin let him throw the
first stone” (John 8)
Muna
Haled, an educated Palestinian mother of two, a lawyer, is
preparing to defend in court Mr and Mrs Izat accused of the attempted
murder of their daughter, Iman Izat, for offending against the family's
honor. Defense Counsel Haled will plead the cause of
family honor in the hope of getting the couple a diminished sentence.
It
is night, Counsel is preparing her case in an empty apartment. Through
an open door She is discussing it with her husband, Samir.
Movers are carrying off the last piece of Muna's furniture. She curses
them aloud, and in her anger she appeals to her lawyer-husband whom
she eventually brings in. He is in a wheel chair. He has been very ill
for sometime & is now immobile with only occasional moments of lucidity.
Muna had spent all their savings on ineffectual treatments, while at
the same time taking over his work load to keep the law-firm going.
Samir is a liberated man who supported his wife's independence, but
his family objected to his modernism. Since he became an invalid, they
have been exploiting his weakness, making him sign over his property
to them, and filing for divorce in his name. Though herself a lawyer,
it never occurred to Muna to check her status vis-a-vis their common
property. When faced with an eviction order she realizes there never
was any common property, it had always been her husband's. A traditionalist
by inclination who had no problem defending the Izats' view of family
honor, Muna is now forced to confront the realities of male domination
in Arab society, and her beliefs are challenged and shaken.
Her
personal experience makes her take a fresh look at the facts in the
Izat case she is about to plead. She realizes that the young victim,
Iman Izat, had obeyed all the traditional family laws and still came
out a loser: Iman was married at 16, to an aging and abusive older man
chosen by her parents. She bore him 6 children and never complained,
until he almost killed their youngest. Then she could stand it no longer
and escaped back to her parents' home. Instead of protecting her, they
blamed her and tried to poison her to cover their shame. A cousin saves
her life and brings her to a women's shelter, where she decides to press
charges.
The
modern Muna suddenly realizes that the peasant woman who dared to expose
her family's brutality, has more courage than she, for only one out
of 50 abused women ever dares to do so. Divorce is worse than death
in Arab society, and most victims of abuse return home to a situation
that only gets worse. By dawn, after a night of soul searching, Muna
decides not to fight her own divorce and instead get a fresh start for
herself and her teenage children. However, she is not yet so bold as
to drop the Izat case. The court accepts her plea (that the parents
acted within a social code) and they are given a suspended sentence.
But soon Muna Haled's professional victory turns to grief.
In
an epilogue over her husband's grave, Muna summarizes her gains and
losses: Professionally she is doing well, and the children are well
too. But Iman Izat was murdered by her parents after all, and the police
autopsy report and photographs of the knife wounds, are the burden Muna
Haled will carry to the end of her days.
From
The Press
"Most
impressive was The First Stone [in Theaternetto, a
festival of one-man/woman shows]. It evokes the image of an Arab woman,
a lawyer, who faces impossible odds. On one side is the family of her
terminally ill husband. They exploit his situation in order to disinherit
the daughter-in-law who is too independent and successful for their
liking: An Arab woman's traditional place is at home. Now that her liberal
husband can no longer protect her, the stability of her life is destroyed.
Through
her legal work in the defense of parents, also Arabs, accused of attempted
murder of their daughter, we enter the world of women in Islamic society
which regards them as family property, not as people. Nakara has an
imposing stage personality, and transmits the shocking tale with heart
rending sincerity.
A
compelling and unusual show, which proves that serious subjects can
become exciting theater when properly handled. This is serious theater
which does not cater to popular demands. Our sympathy for this struggling
woman is based on facing her terrible truths with her.”
(
M. Isenstaadt, Bama 132, 1993)
"
Definitely the most scandalous stuff in this festival [Theaternetto
1993]
(
T. Luvity, Maariv 12.03.93)
“Nakara
is an actress of a different kind, her powerful presence makes the actress
the message...”
(
E. Yaron, Maariv 23.03.93)
"A
truly important story of an Arab woman lawyer who defends the violent
family of a beaten (and eventually) murdered Arab wife, and finds her
own freedom though at a heavy price...Sensitive writing, acting, research
and staging...”
(
M/ Handelsaltz, Haaretz , 22.03.93)