James's Culture and Ideas Blog

 I chose 3 classmates' projects because they chose topics that I wasn't familiar with and wanted to learn more about. First, I thought Cassi's podcast about the morality police was very interesting. They were mentioned briefly in Home Fire, and I didn't have much previous knowledge to begin with. I was very intrigued to hear Cassi talk about how people "had strayed so far from Mohammad's vision" regarding social practices for Muslim women. In my excursion, I explored the diversion of radical Islamic visions from traditional Islamic visions, so I found this talking point relatable. I had no idea that the majority of repressive policies towards women were introduced as recently as the 1970s. I expected that Islam's social policies had been created a long time ago when women's role in society was more repressive all across the world. I also did not know that the morality police actively tracked citizens of the country, punishing any social infractions...

While reading Kamila Shamsie's novel, I have learned a lot about the Muslim faith and the stereotypes associated with those who practice the faith. In particular, I was interested in how mainstream British society managed to alienate Muslims by stereotyping them and forcing them to choose between their faith and their nationality. As a member of a largely Christian township in suburban Philadelphia, I don't have much contact with people of other faiths. I think it would be interesting to learn about the stereotypes that marginalized communities must face.  Another idea that I find interesting for my research excursion is the different characters' interpretations of the Muslim faith. Aneeka is more openly sexual than her sister, Isma, who is portrayed as a more conservative person. We see this in the way they dress their difference of opinion. Isma is very conservative in her dress as she chooses to always wear her hijab in public. Aneeka interprets Islam differently. Like D...

 I believe that Kamila Shamsie gave each character their own chapter because she wanted to assert each character's individuality. Each character in the book has a different perspective. One common theme shown all throughout the book is the stereotypes that plague the Muslim community. In Home Fire, for example, the public often views Muslims as dangerous terrorists who treat women horribly. By giving each character their own chapter/s, Shamsie is able to show how the nuances of an individual character's experiences need to be taken into consideration to truly understand the character. Shamsie does this so that the reader will not fall into the trap of making assumptions about a character because of their ethnic/racial/cultural background. Rather, the reader will see the diverse and complex backgrounds, beliefs, and traditions that the Muslim characters in Home Fire all bring to the table. I believe Shamsie put the characters in the order they were because an idea introduced by ...