Islamophobia in "Home Fire"
I think that the topic of Islamophobia in Home Fire is very interesting and one that I have been closely tracking throughout the novel. Islamophobia presents itself in lots of ways and in lots of characters. Like most themes in the novel, the idea of islamophobia is expanded upon and given depth by the different perspectives used throughout. We start with Isma. We are taken with her through interrogation and see islamophobia within the British government. We see her being asked questions to determine if she’s “really British”. Even though she is a legal citizen, her being Muslim makes the British government untrusting and unnecessarily critical of her. In this perspective islamophobia is a mistrust, a fear, and mostly a desire for assimilation. People all around Isma tell her that she would do better if she would just take off the hijab, but that is asking her to give up a large part of her identity.
This perspective on islamophobia is quite different from the one that Karamat Lone has. Lone is a man who sees islamophobia as something that can be avoided and fixed by assimilating. He knows that people are racist and xenophobic, but he thinks he is making the best difference possible by giving up that part of his identity in order to succeed, and he encourages others to do the same. While Isma sees Karamat to be Islamophobic, Karamat sees himself to be doing good things for British Muslims by assimilating and finding acceptance now that he has given up his identity.
Hey Griffin! I like how you introduced both Isma and Karamat's perspectives on Islamophobia. Isma refuses to give up her Muslim identity when people confront her about the possibility of assimilation. Karamat, on the other hand, believes that the assimilation of British society is the solution to racism and xenophobia. Karamat is more willing than Isma to give up part of his identity in order to find acceptance in British society.
ReplyDeleteHi Griffin, I like the example of the interrogation room and I think it encapsulates the islamophobia throughout the novel really well. I like how you described islamophobia as a fear or mistrust of people because I think that is also a good description racism or xenophobia as well and is simply the reaction when people see people who don't look like them or share similar beliefs.
ReplyDeleteHey Griffin, I really like how you dove into the issue of assimilation vs staying true to yourself with regards to Islamaphobia. It's interesting to see the different characters' reasonings to better understand their motives in the book. Thanks for giving concrete examples such as the interrogation room, that helped me track your argument better!
ReplyDeleteHey Griffin! You put into words perfectly Karamat Lone's intentions. He thinks it would be easier to conform to social norms than stand out and have to overcome the adversity that comes with that. It is also an interesting perspective that Karamat Lone isn't actually Islamahobic; for most of the novel I believed he was, but now that you've said this it makes much more sense.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the most interesting parts of the book is how wildly the Islamophobia varies for certian characters in the book, namely Karamat with Isma's family. Also, nice job mentioning Karamat giving up his identity to conform.
ReplyDeleteYour post makes it clear that Islamophobia isn't being solved or addressed or rectified by Karamat's approach: it's being avoided, but still allowed to exist and thrive.
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