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Wednesday, 27 October 2010 22:16 |
Naoufel Cherkaoui
 Belgian writer of Moroccan origins, Betty Batoul released a hope-instilling autobiographical novel "Un coquelicot en hiver? Pourquoi pas" [A Poppy in Winter? Why Not], in which she draws on her own experiences to inspire women.
Fruit of a mixed marriage between a Moroccan father and a Belgian mother, Batoul depicts her tough life of neglect, discrimination and abuse. The writer says that her suffering started even before she came to the world, as her father didn't want the pregnancy and her mother tried to abort it. She was subjected to sexual harassment and assault at the age of four. All of this led her to indulge in wine until she reached "a state in which she was not thinking anymore" and make two suicide attempts.
After harsh relationship experiences, Batoul met a man named Pascal in April 1993, who would have a pivotal impact on her life. He gave her the value she deserves, after she had felt invisible in the eyes of men for many years.
"The main factor that made me write this novel is that there are a big number of women who were subjected to different types of violence," Batoul. "The aim of this book is to say to these women that they can get out of this situation and start a new life. Although it's difficult, it's still possible, like the presence of anemone in winter. Hope pushes people forward, as it is said 'if there is life, there is hope.'"
"Now I have that hope, and I want to pass it on to the people. For some time, I lived in the darkness of despair. However, that flame inside me was not put out. I had to work to re-ignite it in order to get out of this black spot," she added.
"The novel is very important because it talks about a woman who was subjected to violence. Violence is a universal issue, and it is well known that there are a large number of women who suffer from that phenomenon," Khadija Sensar, a communication specialist.
"It's a novel that gives the testimony of a woman who suffered for long, but was able to start her life afresh and managed to find a new status in society," she added. "It's a positive testimony that inspires hope in women who live in the same situation. The novel speaks not only to women but to men as well, as men direct their violence at women. The thing that we must focus on is the hope, purity and the second life that Batoul found."
"The thing that impressed me about that author is that while some people are only complaining about their situations, we find a woman who released positive energy and who exposed herself to instil courage and hope in women who suffer," Sensar added.
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