What does "jinn" mean in English in the novel, A Woman Is No Man?

The jinn, an Arabic word, symbolizes the clash of cultures - Arabic versus the western world. Jinn in English means curse, or haunting or possession of a genie. It is used to describe a person’s severe moods or events, as if it is not caused by their situation - such as Isra’s depression or Adam’s violence or Fareeda’s twins’ deaths. Fareeda uses this word to describe bad things that happen to her, but also feels frustrated that her American granddaughters do not understand it, as she says to Deya, “Why do you think exorcisms have been performed all over the world for thousands of years, hmmm?” (67). When Deya suggests a mental health problem for Isra, Fareeda brushes this aside as western medicine. Fareeda also believes that her family is haunted their whole lives because of the jinn from her dead daughters, causing her at times to react irrationally, reinforcing the theme of fear.