The Other: Muslim Diaspora in Shamsie’s Home Fire

Maheen Aamir

Abstract

The postcolonial regime has abundantly uncovered the subtle dynamics of colonialism, which are still rooted in the apex. Postcolonialism entails the liberation and political emancipation of the ones who are declared as ‘others’. The study examines the ‘othering’ of Muslim diaspora in polarized transnational space of the West with respect to Shamsie’s Home Fire. The novel shows the emergence of colonial binaries in the contemporary world in which Muslims have been dragged to the periphery. This marginalization and discrimination deprive Muslim diaspora to live their life with liberation and equality. Moreover, the research employs postcolonial lens on Home Fire to highlight the Western ideologies which tend to play games in order to adjoin Islam with terrorism. However, by treating Muslims diaspora as ‘other’ whose foreign nationalities can be revoked at any time, the West proves itself to be a radical culture. The study is poignant as it proposes the issues of homelessness, identity crisis, racism and depravation faced by Muslim Diasporas in Shamsie’s anew work. The research accentuates that any form of othering, be it cultural or religious, should not be taken for granted. In addition, the recurrence of colonial binaries of Self and Other in various visages should be addressed and decimated.