A Critical Study Of Post 9/11 Islamophobia In English Fiction: Special Focus On Home Fire By Kamila Shamsie

Abstract

English fiction has the manifestation of the fear of Islam termed as Islamophobia. This paper is a strive to discuss Islamophobia in English fiction in general and Kamila Shamsie’s novel, Home Fire (2017) in particular in order to explore the notion of Islamophobia, its impacts in Western society, its influence on Muslim families living in the Western counties and perception about Islam in the modern world, i.e. the world against the backdrop of post 9/11 Islamophobia. By telling the story of a Muslim immigrant family whose two male members Adil Pasha and Pervaiz Pasha are condemned as terrorists, Shamsie has portrayed the pitiable plight of Muslim diaspora living in the West. While narrating the story of a Muslim family Shamsie has also juxtaposed the characters Karamat Lone and Parvaiz Pasha as the two extreme viewpoints; one is an obsessive Westoxification while the second is Fundamentalism which destroy the Aneeka/Eamonn love affair leading to collateral damage. The study concludes by summarizing the realistic approach adopted by kamila Shamsie to highlight obstacles confronted by diasporic Muslim community from Pakistan in the backdrop of Islamophobia/Terrorism.

Keywords: Islamophobia, 9/11, Kamila Shamsie, Westoxification, diaspora etc.