Ayesha

[123everton]

I watched the very mediocre war film "Days Of Glory" (about French Algerian soldiers in W.W2) on D.V.D a while ago one of the characters was called "Ayesha" as a derogatory term, what is the basis of that insult?

[Mr Veritas]

The literal meaniong of Ayesha is "SHE who must be obeyed",which if used to a man could be most insuting,especially if that man is a soldier!

[123everton]

Thanks MrVeritas but it doesn't work with the context of the movie.
The character concerned was like the commander's batman, looking at the posts further down I wonder if the term is more to do with being Mohammed's b i t c h?
That was the idea I formed at the time.
But I'd be more than happy to concede that I'm wrong in my contention, maybe it's an Algerian thing.

[Mr Veritas]

It could be, as used singular it just comes out as SHE,which as you say could be correct in the context of being someones b!tch.

[Mr Veritas]

There is also of course AISHA,who the bride (aged 9) of the prophet Mohammed (aged 54)
I throw this in in case it fits the plot of the film,especially given that being Algerian the troops were probably Muslim too?

[123everton]

All I can say is that the film itself is rather dull it's only point of merit is in it's pointing out of the French government's appalling treatment of it's colonial troops and their pension provision.
Who knows MrVeritas we may get a definitive answer, or we may not...

[123everton]

Twice tonight I've posted as others have reposted.
It was clearly a woman's name in the insult and at the time I took it to mean the bride of Mohammed, but, a good Muslim friend of mine (Pakistani) looked at me blankly when I asked him the basis of the affront.

[123everton]

Oh!
And yes they were Muslims, that was the intrinsic part of the plot I feel.

[naomi24]

'She' is the title of a book by H. Ryder Haggard. It concerns a woman called Ayesha (She who must be obeyed) who is immortal. I haven't seen the film you're talking about, but I think it unlikely that there's any connection between that and this book.

The child bride of Mohammed was also called Ayesha. He was 49 and she was 6 when they married, and the marriage was consummated when she was 9. Perhaps, bearing in mind the setting and the subject of the film, this was a portrayal of a character who was perhaps homosexual or effeminate, and it was just a derogatory term.

[123everton]

There was no suggestion of homosexuality, I suppose the inference was that he's like the captain's wife, and that as the captain's the leader of their "flock" he's kinda their messiah.
I was just wondering if the term had a larger status within the Islamic vernacular or was just a line peculiar and unique to this rather mediocre film.

[Ankou]

they called him aicha because he took on the function of being a personal servant to the captain. aicha - apart from the prophet link - is an arabic girls name. tey were teasing hi saying that because of what he was doing he was a mere girl to the master, compared to the hard men of the unit.

[naomi24]

Oh, I see, Everton. As I said, I haven't seen the film. As far as I'm aware there are no connotations attached to the name Ayesha.

[123everton]

You're not missing much, it's not like "R-Point", "Assembly", "Brotherhood" or "Welcome To Dongmakgol" which has just been curiously rebranded.

[naomi24]

I take it they're films too. I've never heard of any of them. :o)

[123everton]

Yeah but they're good films, look out for them you'll find them amongst the cheapies in world cinema

[naomi24]

OK, thanks. I will.