Islam And Postcolonial Discourse: 20th Century Literature

Largely as a legacy of the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, Islamic faith has become synonymous in many corners of the media and academia with violence, which many believe to be its primary mode of expression. The absence of any sophisticated recognition of the wide range of Islamic subjectivities within contemporary culture has created a void in which misinterpretations and hostilities thrive. Responding to the growing importance of religion, specifically Islam, as a cultural signifier in the formation of postcolonial subjectivity, the collection is organized around three main topics a€“ authenticity and representation, gender equity, and progressive politics and secularism a€“ commonly understood to be the cornerstones of postcolonial nation-building and habitually described as ideas and practices that exist in opposition to basic Islamic philosophy. The overarching goal of the contributors is to facilitate a deeper understanding of the full range of experiences within Islam as well as the figure of the Muslim, thus enabling a new set of questions about religiona€?s role in shaping postcolonial identity.

Esra Mirze Santesso is Assistant Professor of English and James E. McClung is Director of the UGA at Oxford Study Abroad Program at the University of Georgia, USA.