The Muslim Quest Between Integration And Provocation In Contemporary Canadian Writing A Close Analysis Of Rawi Hage S Cockroach

Author : Matthias Dickert
Publisher : GRIN Verlag
Page : 82 pages
File Size : 53,5 Mb
Release : 2017-03-16
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9783668417618

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The Muslim quest between integration and provocation in contemporary Canadian writing. A close analysis of Rawi Hage's "Cockroach" by Matthias Dickert Pdf

Document from the year 2017 in the subject English - Literature, Works, Comenius University in Bratislava, language: English, abstract: This essay is about Rawi Hage's novel "Cockroach", which at first sight is, according to the Daily Telegraph, 'A tale of murder, intrigue and sex from the exuberantly talented Hage'. However, Cockroach embodies more than this (negative) one-sighted approach. It is also a novel of migration, exile, diaspora and being unwanted because of being a foreigner of migrant background and Hage - like Rushdie - explores the hinterland between fantasy, trauma and realism. The unnamed narrator of the novel takes the reader by the hand and exposes this immigrant life in a chilly surrounding. Chilly because people are cold and chilly because the climate is cold, too. The fact that Hage as a Lebanese born person uses a Canadian setting as the place of action already hints at two conditions of contemporary Muslim writing in general. This refers to the autobiographical basis which many novels have and the use of the city as the background of the narration, two presuppositions of Muslim writing since Rushdie and Kureishi. Hage, in Cockroach, explores Montreal and presents it as an alien and hostile topography of menial jobs, hidden or open xenophobia, a mix of foreigners, insect behaviours and class hostilities. This narrator, an exotic foreigner himself, despises the world around him and takes the reader through a nightmare of Canadian reality on the basis of his violent childhood, the death of his sister, his exile situation and the helplessness of Canada which fails in the person of a court-mandated psychiatrist. His traumatic past and his inability as a man to protect the female members of his family are also symbols for a failed integration and the personal crisis of the narrator who seeks to find identity and a life at the border of physical and psychological death.

Author : Matthias Dickert
Publisher : GRIN Verlag
Page : 75 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 2020-11-11
Category : Literary Collections
ISBN : 9783346294944

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Negotiating past and present for a new identity. Contemporary Canadian Muslim writers and their manifold approaches by Matthias Dickert Pdf

Scientific Essay from the year 2020 in the subject Literature - Canada, Comenius University in Bratislava (Philosophische Fakultät), language: English, abstract: 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

Author : Matthias Dickert
Publisher : GRIN Verlag
Page : 124 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2017-11-09
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 9783668567160

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9/11 and the Muslim presentation as the "Other" in American and Canadian Fiction by Matthias Dickert Pdf

Document from the year 2017 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, University of Marburg, language: English, abstract: 9/11 novels, post-9/11 novels and Ground Zero Fiction which have a literary closeness of this day suddenly picked up the former colonial concepts of 'Other' and 'Otherness' or 'Center and Periphery' and set them in a context of a shifting, multicultural American population with the task to suddenly re-imagine this 'Other', a task which has hardly been dealt with and if so only on the surface. To do so is a difficult task since this has to be done from a Western perspective and in the light that this 'Other' here is attached to Islam or Muslims. The literary presentation of the 'Other' as a Muslim remains a painful step since it also has to examine the ways in which knowledge is manipulated by dominant Western and Muslim discourses but it helps to bring in new energy into the postcolonial discourse being shaped by critics such as Said, Spivak or Foucault. Thus fiction related to 9/11 must not only stay on the level of shock or individual or collective trauma it can also be seen as a starting point for new cultural and critical debates how to deal and write about the terror attacks of that day and how to see the Muslim as the 'Other' in a more objective light. How this can be done will be one central part of this book which starts with a general remark of Muslim writing before and after 9/11 and a short reflection of different types of novels dealing with it. A next step lies in the task to critically reflect the presentation of Muslims in 9/11 fiction in the USA and Canada. This will be followed by an analysis of parameters typical for Muslim existence. A closer analysis will then be followed by three novels dealing with matters of 'Otherness', The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007), Cockroach (2008) and Atta (2011). The final step then will be to give an outlook of the matter discussed here. The choice of the three novels analyzed here followed one basic principle namely that all selected authors are male and dispose of a different cultural and religious background with Islam as the common glue. [...]

Author : Abdolmohammad Kazemipur
Publisher : UBC Press
Page : 225 pages
File Size : 53,8 Mb
Release : 2014-05-20
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780774827324

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The Muslim Question in Canada by Abdolmohammad Kazemipur Pdf

To those who study the integration of immigrants in Western countries, both Muslims and Canada are seen to be exceptions to the rule. Muslims are often perceived as unable or unwilling to integrate, mostly due to their religious beliefs; Canada is portrayed as a model for successful integration. This book addresses the intersection of these two types of exceptionalism through an empirical study of the experiences of Muslims in Canada. Drawing on data from large-scale surveys as well as face-to-face interviews, Kazemipur draws a detailed picture of four major domains of immigrant integration: institutional, media, economic, and social/communal. His findings indicate that the integration of Muslims in Canada is not problematic in the institutional and media domains. However, there are serious problems the economic and social domains, which need to be addressed. A fresh account of the lives and experiences of Muslim immigrants in Canada, this book gets at the roots of the so-called Muslim question in Canada. Replete with practical implications, the analysis shows that instead of fixating on religion, the focus should be on economic and social challenges faced by Muslims in Canada.

Author : Matthias Dickert
Publisher : GRIN Verlag
Page : 45 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2017-04-10
Category : Literary Collections
ISBN : 9783668430976

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Canadian Muslim Writing. An Introduction by Matthias Dickert Pdf

Scientific Essay from the year 2017 in the subject Literature - Canada, , course: Englische Literatur, language: English, abstract: In the past four decades the literary reflection of Muslim life in East and West has been characterized by the West with skewed perceptions of Islam and Muslim existence. The events of 9/11 and its aftermath have worsened the traditional negative and stereotyped perception and treatment of Islam. The consequence from this was a negative treatment of Muslim existence by Western and Muslim writers alike. Many novelists disposing of a Muslim background were and (still) are trapped in the negative notion of 'the clash of civilizations' which is so often embedded in many novels be it in the presentation of the characters or simply a negative portrayal of the Muslim world. In contrast to many migrant writers with a British background who are labelled in terms such as 'Postcolonial', 'Migrant Writing', 'British Muslim Fiction', 'Muslim Narrative Writing' or 'Muslim Writing' American and Canadian based Muslim writers face a harder position since they are (historically, culturally and literarily speaking) not that deeply established as their British counterparts. This is partly due to the fewer number of writers and the shorter period of their literary presentation and a (logical) shorter literary tradition resulting from this. Open questions emerging from this here are if critics and readers alike see Islamic English literature as being literature written by Americans or Canadians or if it is basically Muslim or Islamic? It goes without saying that fiction is not only a reflection of reality but also a mode of tearing down the above mentioned stereotypes of Muslim existence as such. It is interestingly speaking matters of identity which function as key elements of 'Muslim Writing' in Britain, America and Canada a clear indication for the fact that treatment and representations of Muslims have not only been neglected so far but also offer a wide field of possibilities.

Author : Amélie Barras,Jennifer A. Selby,Melanie Adrian
Publisher : University of Toronto Press
Page : 429 pages
File Size : 49,9 Mb
Release : 2022-01-10
Category : Canada
ISBN : 9781487527884

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Producing Islams(s) in Canada by Amélie Barras,Jennifer A. Selby,Melanie Adrian Pdf

During the last twenty years, public interest in Islam and how Muslims express their religious identity in Western societies has grown exponentially. In parallel, the study of Islam in the Canadian academy has grown in a number of fields since the 1970s, reflecting a diverse range of scholarship, positionalities, and politics. Yet, academic research on Muslims in Canada has not been systematically assessed. In Producing Islam(s) in Canada, scholars from a wide range of disciplines come together to explore what is at stake regarding portrayals of Islam(s) and Muslims in academic scholarship. Given the centrality of representations of Canadian Muslims in current public policy and public imaginaries, which effects how all Canadians experience religious diversity, this analysis of knowledge production comes at a crucial time.

Author : John S. McCoy
Publisher : McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
Page : 256 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2018-06-14
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780773554177

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Protecting Multiculturalism by John S. McCoy Pdf

In a post-9/11 sea of social and political discord, one state stands apart. As an increasingly powerful anti-Islamic social movement rises in the West, Canada alone remains a viable multicultural state. Employing survey and statistical data as well as a series of interviews conducted with religious leaders and policy officials, Protecting Multiculturalism explores public safety and security concerns, while pointing out the successes, pitfalls, and sometimes countervailing effects of government measures on Muslims in Canada. Engaging with debates surrounding the cultural accommodation of diverse communities, John McCoy focuses on two inter-related themes at the heart of the crisis of multiculturalism: social integration and national security. Even in Canada, McCoy argues, Muslims can face acute xenophobia and racism, problematic national security practices, inimical politicians, and other troubling warning signs. Yet, despite these challenges, these diverse communities continue to display remarkable resilience. An open-minded and substantive reflection on the day-to-day realities for Muslim communities, Protecting Multiculturalism seeks a way forward for the Canadian multicultural experiment - a future that is marked by dignity and diversity in an increasingly fraught era.

Author : Rawi Hage
Publisher : House of Anansi
Page : 322 pages
File Size : 45,6 Mb
Release : 2008-09-01
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9780887848506

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Cockroach by Rawi Hage Pdf

Cockroach is as urgent, unsettling, and brilliant as Rawi Hage's bestselling and critically acclaimed first book, De Niro's Game. The novel takes place during one month of a bitterly cold winter in Montreal's restless immigrant community, where a self-described thief has just tried but failed to commit suicide. Rescued against his will, the narrator is obliged to attend sessions with a well-intentioned but naive therapist. This sets the story in motion, leading us back to the narrator's violent childhood in a war-torn country, forward into his current life in the smoky emigre cafes where everyone has a tale, and out into the frozen night-time streets of Montreal, where the thief survives on the edge, imagining himself to be a cockroach invading the lives of the privileged, but wilfully blind, citizens who surround him. In 2008, Cockroach was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Governor General's Literary Award, and the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. It won the Paragraphe Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction, presented by the Quebec Writers' Federation.

Author : Christopher Paul,Colin P. Clarke,Michael Schwille,Jakub P. Hlavka,Michael A. Brown,Steven S. Davenport,Isaac R. Porche, III,Joel Harding
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 48,8 Mb
Release : 2018-08-10
Category : Computers
ISBN : 0833099973

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Lessons from Others for Future U.S. Army Operations in and Through the Information Environment by Christopher Paul,Colin P. Clarke,Michael Schwille,Jakub P. Hlavka,Michael A. Brown,Steven S. Davenport,Isaac R. Porche, III,Joel Harding Pdf

Twelve detailed case studies examine of the activities and strategic goals of allies, adversaries, and potential adversaries in and through the information environment, highlighting insights for U.S. Army planning.

Author : Rigby
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2006
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1418914215

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Fresh from the Farm 6pk by Rigby Pdf

Author : Tahmima Anam
Publisher : Harper Collins
Page : 308 pages
File Size : 41,7 Mb
Release : 2011-08-02
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9780062094902

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The Good Muslim by Tahmima Anam Pdf

“Delicate, heart-wrenching and poetic, this is a novel of great poise and power.” —Tash Aw, author of The Harmony Silk Factory The Good Muslim is an epic story about faith, family, the rise of religious fundamentalism, and the long shadow of war from prize-winning Bangladeshi novelist Tahmima Anam. In the dying days of a brutal civil war in Bangladesh, Sohail Haque stumbles upon an abandoned building. Inside he finds a young woman whose story will haunt him for a lifetime to come. Almost a decade later, Sohail's sister, Maya, returns home after a long absence to find her beloved brother transformed. While Maya has stuck to her revolutionary ideals, Sohail has shunned his old life to become a charismatic religious leader. And when Sohail decides to send his son to a madrasa, the conflict between brother and sister comes to a devastating climax.

Author : Nadeem Aslam
Publisher : Random House India
Page : 448 pages
File Size : 41,9 Mb
Release : 2012-11-02
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9788184003451

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The Wasted Vigil by Nadeem Aslam Pdf

Marcus Caldwell, and English widower and Muslim convert, lives in an old perfume factory in the shadow of the Tora Bora mountains in Afghanistan. Lara, a Russian woman, arrives at his home one day in search of her brother, a Soviet soldier who disappeared in the area many years previously, and who may have known Marcus’s daughter. In the days that follow, further people arrive there, each seeking someone or something. The stories and histories that unfold, interweaving and overlapping, span nearly a quarter of a century and tell of the terrible afflictions that have plagued Afghanistan—as well of the love that can blossom during war and conflict.

Author : Samina Ali
Publisher : Macmillan + ORM
Page : 358 pages
File Size : 47,8 Mb
Release : 2005-01-01
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9781429930796

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Madras on Rainy Days by Samina Ali Pdf

Set against the backdrop of the ancient walled city of Hyderabad and mounting Hindu-Muslim tensions, Madras on Rainy Days lyrically evokes the complexities of life behind the chador. A gorgeously written novel by an original new voice in international fiction. Layla is torn among clashing identities--dutiful Muslim daughter and free, independent American woman. When she is nineteen, her parents inform Layla that a marriage has been arranged for her to an Indian man she doesn't know. A stunned Layla submits reluctantly but not before she commits a dangerous, final act of defiance. In the heat and noise of Hyderabad, as her wedding looms, her behavior becomes more and more erratic. Her mother, fearing demonic possession, takes Layla to a Muslim faith-healer, an alim, hoping to exorcise all traces of rebellion. To Layla's surprise, the ancient and elaborate wedding rituals, her groom's physical beauty, and the unexpectedly warm welcome of her new family fill her with a sense of belonging she has never known before. But her honeymoon in Madras soon reveals the full horror of the devil's bargain she has struck.

Author : Chretien de Troyes,Chrétien (de Troyes)
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 244 pages
File Size : 49,5 Mb
Release : 1987-09-10
Category : Poetry
ISBN : 9780300038385

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Yvain by Chretien de Troyes,Chrétien (de Troyes) Pdf

A twelfth-century poem by the creator of the Arthurian romance describes the courageous exploits and triumphs of a brave lord who tries to win back his deserted wife's love

Author : Sampson Ejike Odum
Publisher : iUniverse
Page : 123 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2020-11-03
Category : Fiction
ISBN : 9781663205049

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Kumba Africa by Sampson Ejike Odum Pdf

‘KUMBA AFRICA’, is a compilation of African Short Stories written as fiction by Sampson Ejike Odum, nostalgically taking our memory back several thousands of years ago in Africa, reminding us about our past heritage. It digs deep into the traditional life style of the Africans of old, their beliefs, their leadership, their courage, their culture, their wars, their defeat and their victories long before the emergence of the white man on the soil of Africa. As a talented writer of rich resource and superior creativity, armed with in-depth knowledge of different cultures and traditions in Africa, the Author throws light on the rich cultural heritage of the people of Africa when civilization was yet unknown to the people. The book reminds the readers that the Africans of old kept their pride and still enjoyed their own lives. They celebrated victories when wars were won, enjoyed their New yam festivals and villages engaged themselves in seasonal wrestling contest etc; Early morning during harmattan season, they gathered firewood and made fire inside their small huts to hit up their bodies from the chilling cold of the harmattan. That was the Africa of old we will always remember. In Africa today, the story have changed. The people now enjoy civilized cultures made possible by the influence of the white man through his scientific and technological process. Yet there are some uncivilized places in Africa whose people haven’t tested or felt the impact of civilization. These people still maintain their ancient traditions and culture. In everything, we believe that days when people paraded barefooted in Africa to the swarmp to tap palm wine and fetch firewood from there farms are almost fading away. The huts are now gradually been replaced with houses built of blocks and beautiful roofs. Thanks to modern civilization. Donkeys and camels are no longer used for carrying heavy loads for merchants. They are now been replaced by heavy trucks and lorries. African traditional methods of healing are now been substituted by hospitals. In all these, I will always love and remember Africa, the home of my birth and must respect her cultures and traditions as an AFRICAN AUTHOR.