This paper compares various contemporary Muslim writers from Canada and their negotiation with their identity. The choice of works tries to focus on the last decade and wants to show the multiple and flexible way these writers treat the key topic identity. All novels offer a comprehensive and detailed investigation into the concept of identity in contemporary literature from writers with a migrational background whose basis lies in the Muslim world and who know Canada since they have lived there or still do so. The generic and thematic diversity which is reflected in these books show the importance of these writers and throws light on their pluralistic concepts of identity which has and still enriches Canlit.
To better present the development of this part of Canlit the first and the last novel are discussed in more detail. The aim of this is to show the development this group of writers has made in such a short time.
Contemporary English literature investigates a wide range of issues such as theoretical and conceptual debates over modernity and contemporary, the history and practice of reviewing and / or writing in relation to nationhood, gender, religion or postcoloniality.
‘Muslim Writing’, as one branch of contemporary English literature is part of 'Postcolonial Writing’ which includes sub-genres such as the 'Postcolonial', 'Black British Writing', ‘British Jewish’ or 'British Asian'. The novelists which form 'Muslim Writing' dispose of a Muslim background which is first of all geographical and cultural and not necessarily religious. It is necessary to point this out that it is not Islam nor the religious as such which shape this term since some important writers like Salman Rushdie or (for the Canadian background Rawi Hage) are not religious in the sense that they are Muslims although India and the Lebanon dispose of a large Muslim community (in the case of Rushdie) are part of a large Muslim world (or in the case of Hage). Many of these writers such as Hanif Kureishi, Nadeem Aslam, Khaled Hosseini, Hisham Matar, Monica Ali or Anna Perera attempt to bring in this geographical, cultural or religious element by discussing and reflecting topics such as postethnicity, multiculturalism, minority, race, class, gender, religion, diaspora, community, universalism, particularism, Britishness language hybridity, belonging and above identity making. Although 'Muslim Writing' in general and 'Canadian
Table of Contents
1. Foreword
2. Introduction
3. The Postcolonial background of Muslim Writing
4. Canadian Muslim Writing – a short survey
5. Selected Parameters
6. The Background of Canadian Muslim Writing
7. Close analysis of chosen examples
7.1 Rawi Hage Cockroach (2008)
7.2 Farzana Doctor Six Metres of Pavement (2011)
7.3 Kamal Al-Solaylee Intolerable. A Memoir of Extremes (2012)
7.4 Hasan Namir God in Pink (2015)
7.5 Ausma Zehanat Khan The Unquiet Dead (2017)
7.6 Omar el Akkad American War (2017)
8. Conclusion
9. Outlook Canadian Muslim Writing
10. Bibliography
Objective and Thematic Focus
This essay explores the literary representations of identity within contemporary Canadian Muslim writing, examining how authors from diverse Muslim backgrounds navigate the tension between their ancestral heritage and life in Canada. It investigates how these writers use various narrative strategies to challenge stereotypical portrayals of Muslims and to critically reflect on modern dilemmas such as exile, belonging, and the impact of the "War on Terror."
- Analysis of identity formation and migration processes in contemporary literature.
- Examination of the "Muslim writing" label as a springboard for cultural and social critique.
- Critical investigation into how religion functions as a literary mode of representation rather than purely a metaphysical concept.
- Exploration of the "Third Space" and hybridity in the context of the migrant experience.
- Focus on the post-9/11 literary shift and the role of the writer as a mediator between East and West.
Excerpt from the Book
Rawi Hage Cockroach (2008)
Hage is a writer who focuses on identity matters in a multifaceted way, i.e. he does not stick to one key question but rather prefers on overview of human situations which he covers with a general concept of (Muslim) exile existence in the West. He does this with key terms of postcolonial writing.
His unnamed main character stemming from the Middle East is confused and helpless while trying to settle in Canada. He hereby is accompanied by a ‘feeling of alienation’, a feeling of not being wanted at all. Hage uses this basic impression as a general criticism of human beings when they value people according to their cultural and religious background and not as human beings.
This sense of alienation is set in the frame of the exile which is the classical postcolonial situation marked by the outsider's position.
One consequence from this is some sort of uprootedness which is typical for migrant writing and which shows the being torn between two cultural systems where the immigrant is the victim. Uprootedness is often followed by displacement and Hage makes use of the postcolonial city which is the outer frame both. It is this double use of uprootedness in the modern city which symbolizes the immigrant's struggle to cope with the upsettling urban mode, an existing ethnicity and the customs and conventions of the host country. Hage here introduces a political element in his novel because his narrator is confronted with open racism and a stereotyped image of Canada as the perfect host nation and the end of all woes and troubles. Exile here is close to a ghetto-like situation where people cannot escape from. He also goes away from success stories of immigration which all idealize immigration as a heroic process and the achievement of a new home leaving apart all the troubles during the journey and the pain and sorrow while trying to live in the new country.
Summary of Chapters
1. Foreword: Defines contemporary English literature and introduces the term "Muslim Writing" as a branch of postcolonial literature that is cultural and geographical rather than necessarily religious.
2. Introduction: Identifies the gaps in Canadian literature regarding identity formation for writers from diverse Muslim backgrounds and sets the parameters for the analysis of five specific novels.
3. The Postcolonial background of Muslim Writing: Situates Muslim writing within traditional postcolonial theories and discusses the challenges of representing identity in the context of the "Them and Us" binary.
4. Canadian Muslim Writing – a short survey: Provides an overview of the role of Muslim writers within Canada's multicultural society and the necessity of "writing back" against stereotypes.
5. Selected Parameters: Explores key sociopolitical and existential frameworks, such as identity formation, religious fundamentalism, and the quest for meaning in the modern world.
6. The Background of Canadian Muslim Writing: Analyzes the intersections of race, class, and religion within the current Canadian political climate and the "Canadian mosaique."
7. Close analysis of chosen examples: Conducts a detailed study of novels by Rawi Hage, Farzana Doctor, Kamal Al-Solaylee, Hasan Namir, Ausma Zehanat Khan, and Omar el Akkad to illustrate their varying approaches to identity and survival.
8. Conclusion: Summarizes how contemporary Canadian Muslim writers contribute to an independent, multifaceted Canadian literature that reflects the realities of globalization and diaspora.
9. Outlook Canadian Muslim Writing: Reasserts the importance of these writers as "scanners" of their past, utilizing their work to foster an open and tolerant understanding of identity.
10. Bibliography: Lists the primary literary works and secondary academic literature consulted for this essay.
Keywords
Muslim Writing, Canadian Literature, Postcolonialism, Identity, Migration, Diaspora, Islamophobia, Hybridity, Culture, Globalization, 9/11, Otherness, Integration, Exile, Social Critique.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work investigates how contemporary Canadian novelists with a Muslim background navigate issues of identity, belonging, and social marginalization within a Western context.
What are the central themes discussed in the book?
Key themes include the immigrant experience, the challenges of hybrid identity, the societal impact of Islamophobia, and the role of literature in challenging cultural stereotypes.
What is the main research question or goal?
The goal is to analyze how diverse writers negotiate their "Muslim" heritage in a secular Canadian setting and how their narratives contribute to a broader understanding of identity in a globalized world.
Which scientific methods are employed in this study?
The essay utilizes literary criticism, applying postcolonial theory and sociological concepts—such as those of Foucault, Said, Bhabha, and Castells—to analyze selected contemporary novels.
What content is covered in the main body?
The main body examines the postcolonial and Canadian backdrops of these writers, theoretical parameters like identity formation, and a detailed close reading of significant works by six prominent authors.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Major keywords include Muslim Writing, Postcolonialism, Identity, Migration, Diaspora, Hybridity, and Canadian Literature.
How does the author define "Muslim Writing"?
The author defines it as a branch of postcolonial writing where the "Muslim" element is primarily geographical and cultural, rather than a strictly religious label.
How does the concept of "Otherness" figure into these novels?
The novels challenge the traditional "Them and Us" binary by providing an "authentic" insider perspective that critiques both Western stereotypes and the monolithic interpretations of Islam.
- Citar trabajo
- Dr. Matthias Dickert (Autor), 2020, Negotiating past and present for a new identity. Contemporary Canadian Muslim writers and their manifold approaches, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/950584
