According to Ian Almond in the article "Mullahs, Mystics, Moderates and Moghuls: The Many Islams of Salman Rushdie", Rushdie wrote this piece from a medieval religiousness perspective, most pointedly making use of symbols such as the "ancient holy relic whose disappearance inspires countless deaths" (Almond 3). These violent deaths mark something more in the theme of the book; presumptuously, Rushdie is attempting to enlighten his readers with the many faces of Islam, this particular story showing the face of Islam who's "built- in obsolescence stifles the new" (Almond 3). The vial from the prophet Muhammad is laced with mystical and gruesome power, which to all whom encounter it brings about a violent death or madness; this leads me to believe that Salman's intention for the relic is the symbolic embodiment of a evil version of old Islamic culture.
Hashim, who is the focus of the main violent scene in The Prophet's Hair, prior to his exposure to the vial is described as "not a godly man" whose aim is to inculcate a healthy "independence of spirit" in his two children. At first his family is comfortable and happy living a more progressive Islamic life, but this switches after Hashim encounters the Prophet's hair. His attitude completely flips and he morphs into a devout Muslim. He proclaims to his wife that he is unhappily married to her and in light of this visits a mistress and prostitutes. To his two children, he states that they are disgraceful; it's popularly know that, bluntly put, Islamic culture prides itself on smart men and submissive wives. Hashim's children cannot withstand his tyranny and in their greatest efforts to upheave the relics power there destroyed, by death or madness. Huma, who poses as the greatest threat...
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...nects to theme and Title
Uses statements like: "make we talk business", commonly states "we no be bad tief",
Do either of these text have similarities in their scene of violence?
Both involve a variating comment on faith as used in religion.
What are the similarities and differences that are present?
Do either of these text have similarities in their scene of violence?
Jonathan's motto: "nothing puzzles God"
Extremest faith as portrayed in TPH
Both stories are third person omnipresent, which allows writers to give life to a range of characters without the limitation of first person narration; each of the characters story lines may be developed and then switched to another when necessary.
Works Cited
Almond, Ian. “Mullahs, Mystics, Moderates and Moghuls: The Many Islams of Salman Rushdie.” John Hopkins University Press (2003): 1137-1151. Web. 29 April 2014.
Ibn Munqidh, Usama. "From Memoirs." McNeill, William and Marilyn Robinson Waldman. The Islamic World. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1973. 184-206.
Islam culture in a way that was not seen in JudeoChristian ones. ( Murray 91). The
... and Jihad According to Islam." HWeb. HWeb, 13 June 2006. Web. 05 Nov. 2013. .
...all, W. The Sources of Islam. Edinburgh, Scotland: T & T Clark Sivan, Emmanuel. Radical Islam: Medieval Theology and Modern Politics. Enlarged Edition. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2001 Spencer, H. Islam and the Gospel of God: A Comparison of the Central Doctrines of Christianity and Islam, Prepared for the Use of Christian Workers Among Muslims. Delhi, India: S.P.C.K., 1998 Stott, John R. & Coote, Robert, editors. Down to Earth: Studies in Christianity and Culture. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2000 Sweetman, J. Windrow. Islam and Christian Theology. Part II Volume II. London: Lutterworth Press, 1999 Vander Werff, Lyle L. Christian Missions to Muslims. S. Pasadena, CA: William Carey Library, 2002 Zwemer, Samuel M. Heirs of the Prophets: An Account of the Clergy and Priests of Islam, the Personnel of the Mosque and 'Holy Men'. Chicago: Moody Press, 2002
Ayoob, M. (2007) The Many Faces of Political Islam: Religion and Politics in the Muslim
Rahman, Fazlur. Islam & Modernity: Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition. Chicago: U of Chicago, 1982. Print.
In conclusion, these two short stories written by Shirley Jackson and Salman Rushdie have expressed the idea of what rebellion and conformity has affected the relationship between religion and individuals through the characters who expressed their feelings towards things that did not seem to fit in their societies. Through the similarities, differences, and resolutions that these two stories both share, the real message that can only be summarized in one way: do not be afraid to express your true feelings and don’t let things like religion take over your entire life. Things like spiritual guidance can really take a toll on an individual’s behavior and few of their own lives as we saw in Jackson’s “The Lottery”. Through these stories we now know that the relationship between religion and individuals can be very strong in some cases.
Rippin A. 1990, Muslims, Their Religious Beliefs and Practices Volume 1: The Formative Period, Routledge, London and New York.
Khashan, Hilal. “The New World Order and the Tempo of Militant Islam.” British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies. Volume 24, Issue 1 (1997. 5), 5-24.
Through day-to-day knowledge of what is happening in the world there is observable evidence that Islamic followers have employed different techniques to proclaim ‘power’. The techniques being employed are basically inflicting pain in the opponent by methods of kidnapping, hijackings, and recruiting members (such as Al-Qaeda in the Middle East) in order to make them a more powerful and a more appealing group in their societies. According to Mandaville, Islam is directly linked to politics (they cannot be separated); Muslims wanted to challenge new technological innovations as well as new institutions without forgetting about their religious values. Mandaville proclaims an important aspect of the Islamic religion. During the Ottoman Empire many Muslims gained important power and began to interact with Europeans in order to move into a more modern system; but times have changed.
Western genre is recognized for the place it gives to violence as one of the central points of the Western stories. In Western, violence is considered as a usual part of the life. Shooting and hanging are kind of violence commonly met in Western stories. For example, Rooster explains in a casual way that “[he] shots [Lucky Ned Pepper] in the lip last August down in the Winding Stair Mountains. He was plenty lucky that day"(p.63). He doesn’t describe this event with agony or guilt but rather as if it was happening regularly. Violence is also represented brutally: “With that, Quincy brought the bowie knife down on moons cuffed hand and chopped off four fingers which flew up before my eyes like chips from a log” (148). The particularity in this quote is in the way Mattie is illustrating this scene without emotions and in a casual manner. In this novel, violence is shown as casual and brutal. Hence, in the western stories, violence is significantly present.
Understanding Islam gives a broad outline which could help to erase American misconceptions about this religion, and could be helpful in easing global racial tensions. The book is not top of the line scholarship about Islam; it is for the uninformed or otherwise unaware beginner. After reading this book the reader has a basic understanding of Islam, devoid of many American or western misconceptions. However, Lippman explains that the holy book is not spelled "Koran," but rather "Qur-an," though he uses the first spelling throughout the book (56). The real version is written in arabic, but I would have rather him used the more authentic spelling. In this way I see that this book was beneficial, but not the final word. It is a good book because it lays a positive foundation for Americans, and hopes to inspire them to continue their study of a fascinating religion.
In "Between Cult and Culture: Bamiyan, Islamic Iconoclasm, and the Museum," Finbarr Barry Flood expresses many ideas concerning Islamic iconoclasm. His focus was on the ."..iconoclastic practices of Muslims living in the eastern Islamic world, especially Afghanistan and India." Flood discusses issues with traditional patterns considering Islamic iconoclasm and the "many paradoxes" that "complicate" our understanding of Islamic iconoclasm. Throughout this essay we become familiar with "essentialist conceptions of Muslim iconoclasm" as well as "political aspects of what has largely been conceived of as a theological impulse." These points later provide a basis for analyzing the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddha by the Taliban in March 2001. "It will be argued that their obliteration indexed not a timeless response to figuration but a calculated engagement with a culturally specific discourse of images at a particular historical moment."
Hanif Kureishi’s short story “My Son the Fanatic” is the story of two competing beliefs: Ali’s passion for anti western Islam, and his father Parvez’s dream of providing for his family. Both father and son have different views on how to live life, and the idea of religion. Kureishi explores issues of identity, religion, and a father’s love for his son. Parvez, an English Punjabi taxi driver, has adapted to a new way of life so much so that he eats pork, a forbidden food in Muslim religion. Parvez was very proud of his son, and his academic accomplishments and often talked about him to his colleagues. One day, Parvez was going through Ali’s things and notices a change in his room. Parvez initially fears that his son was hooked on drugs, but later finds out his son started studying the Koran. Parvez accepts him and was thrilled that he wasn’t on drugs, but tension rises when Ali begins criticizing his fathers habits.
In this book , Esposito provides a succinct, up-to-date survey of the Islamic experience, an introduction to the faith, belief, and practice of Islam from its origins to its contemporary resurgence. He traces the emergence and development of this dynamic faith and its impact on world history and politics. He discusses the formation of Islamic belief and practice (law, theology, philosophy, and mysticism), chronicling the struggle of Muslims to define and adhere to their Islamic way of life. Equally important is the essential information Esposito provides on the contemporary world of Islam, from Muslim responses to the challenges of colonialism and modernization to the reassertion of Islam in politics and society.