Million Miles

My ventilator. Read, comment and judge me not.

Friday, September 09, 2005

I've just finished reading a book called ' The black Album' by Hanif Kureshi. The author has traces of pervertism-if thats a word- but he writes interesting stuff. His basic theme is adultery or pre-marital sex around which he weaves an absorbing story. But his novels are based on the lives of very ordinary people, their fears, desires, hopes, ideas etc. and thats the bit that makes his stories relatable. Also he is a very, very honest writer, sometimes making reality a bit too bitter.

In this book, he writes about a twenty something guy, who has recently left his house and dysfunctional family to study at some college in London. The guy is born n bred in Britain but is ethnically a Pakistani, is dark-skinned and faces racism almost every day. He has horde of experiences and stories to tell, has been through an unhappy childhood and hence is comitted to writing, literature and art. He feels isolated and dejected by the society and in an attempt to fit in, tries all sorts of ways, goes against all social, moral and religious conventions and is generally rebellious. He goes through a multitude of phases, most of which are self-created and at one point completely changes himself. From a mild, harmless teenager he changes into this angry, ready to stomp the world person who's circling in that round of despair where you don't care a bit what happens to you or anyone else. Instead of protesting against racism, he embraces it, just to have the priviledge of degrading people. He can't be accepted in a society that discriminates on the basis of skin colour and that leads to more frustration. Although, I cannot relate with him in this aspect, I've never felt as pathetically confused as he did, nor have I lived in a country where I'll always be someone from somewhere else. But I've always felt like a misfit. And I feel like adding up some synonyms here so I'll say nervous, self-conscious and vulnerable too.

Although gladly, racism is not the main topic, its mentioned only as a social issue, something which he faces everyday but has also become a part of his living. Its his efforts to achieve peace, satisfaction, recognition and contentment that makes his character relatable.

Ok, I'm not stupid enough to spill the entire story, I'll just say that he ended up worse off than he was before.

Khyr, what I found disturbing about him was that he had used religion as a refuge, as a means of escaping from the reality. Just when things got out of hand and too hard to bear, he thought religion would save his drowning life. Alot of people think that if everything goes down the drain for them, they will still have their religion to fall back on. And just by doing a few prayers here and there, they can make it to heaven. They think of it as something that is sacred and pure but cannot be implied in their own lives. That completely negates the idea of Islam. It is not something to be cast aside or hidden away, but a way of leading your life. It doesn't preach isolation from the people, but something that is to be practised while being a part of the society, something that is very much alive and real.
As its said:

Our religion isn't something you can test out, like trying on a suit to see if it fits. You have to buy the whole outfit!

Phew, I'm done. And please don't disagree with me because I don't have the energy to fight.

P.S: Actually this entry was supposed to be about me, but somehow it drifted from the topic. I've filled the air with my thoughts....inhale.

posted by Niqabi at 10:40 AM

10 Comments:

Unknown said...

Again a difficult topic to tackle simplistically...religion invented versus religion divinity-given...personal beliefs versus community beliefs...right versus wrong...

I used to think Waliullas (Sufis) were the holiets of people. Then I rebelled from tradition and started preaching against going to mizars...then I read more about Sufism and thought more, and now I love the Sufi Path (althought am probably no more on it than an illiterate funda mullah -- who might actually be a Sufi in disguise) and yearn to visit all the Sufi shrines in the world...

beliefs change with life and an open mind...I accept all beliefs. I accept all religions. All are paths to the same God for me. Note I said for me. Is different for everybody.

My mom thinks I'm turned into an infidel ever since I asked my sis to bring me back the BhagavadhGita when she went to India. My sis thinks some of my ideas are just conveniences...my best friend thinks I'm a crackpot...

I'm 24. I'm not weird...:)

4:58 PM

Unknown said...

But I'm glad you're reading a variety of books. Never limit yourself to 'acceptable' book. It's the banned ones that are more interesting and sometimes more enlightening ones...

eg. I read Salman Rushdie's Satanic verses (after I fought with my cousin for having confiscated it; she thought I would read it and become a kafir of teh highest order)...and there's nothing brilliant about it, at least not from a literary POV. It's good, but that's it. He made a parody of the Prophet's life and that's wrong. He's shovelling mud on one of history's greatest men and the revered figure of millions of people all over the world, and that's wrong. A writer always needs to be senstive to the nuances of the various beliefs around him...

ironically, if Khomeini hadn't issues his fatwa on the book, it probably would have become obsolete by now. By issuing his funda fatwa, he's made Rushdie a martyr for young 'open-minded, liberal, leftists' all over the world...

5:05 PM

Niqabi said...

You seem to be in love with Sufism. What is it really? I mean I have the stereotypical image of them with long beards, beads in hand, engrossed in praying but what exactly do they preach and practise?

Do write abt it in your blog, once you're done with your exams. As far as Salman Rushdie's book is concerned, I've been 'trying' to get my hands on it but haven't been succesful, I really want to read it.

Hanif Kureshi is a close friend of Salman Rushdie, so you can imagine his influence. Actually, 'The Black Album', was based around The Satanic Verses affair and showed how Ayatollah Khomeni's issuing of a religious fatwa (death sentence) against the author Salman Rushdie affected life of Muslims.

4:11 AM

Anonymous said...

asalamualykum

nice blog, interseting post about the book you read.

i saw the words sufism and sufi so i had to post a comment, haha.
i trust these true tasawwuf sites:
Tassawuf.org
Masud's Page
Sunni Path
Zaytuna Institute

you can learn about about tasawwuf (sufism) from those sites, inshaAllah

walykumsalam
-MR

8:42 AM

Unknown said...

Ah, Sufismmmm! What can I say about it? Virtully nothing...

It's true. I really can't describe it. It'd be like describing the taste of chocolate to one whose never tasted it. I can make it sound delicious and savoury, and you might applaud at the excitement i generate, but fact is the taste has to be EXPERIENCED rather than just heard about...

and as far as that is concerned, I myself have tasted zilch of it...all I know is what I've learnt from books...and that means zero, except for the fact that now at least I know what to expect...

Mujahideen Ryder: Hear this and hear this well, my friend. One of your sites is called Sunni Path. A Sufi, very aware of the effect of attaching a fiqh-school-oriented label to himself, would never call his site the Sunni Path. Doesn't mean the rest of your sites are doubtful too. I checked them out, and they seem to be simple extensions and efforts to help people understand the simplest explanation of one simple "A" in the Sufi lingo,,,but yet, trust me, these sites can never impart the truth on which Sufism is based on...they are too public, and the Sufis would never risk leading the majority of Muslims that browse through these sites astray. Sufism is the most mysterious and hidden and well-protected sect of Islam...only it's not a sect. It's the current of spiritualism running through all thye beliefs that people of all religions hold throughout the world. If time permits, I will try to write on it, an impossible task in itself for some one as ignorant of Sufism like me...

1:45 PM

zaza said...

mashallah, you write so beautifully, so well. i shall try getting my hands on that book if i can find it in the library.

12:11 PM

Unknown said...

"assalamu alaikum,salman rushdie is being protect by th kafir english and needs to be killed fast!and usman akhi whoever you are,who cares about the way the book was written,salman rushdie is Allah s.w.a enemy that needs to be disintegrated fast!!!!!!!!fi amanAllah was salam"

uh oh...it's the attack of the fundaaaaassss!!!! RUNNNNN! YEEEEE GAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDSSSSSSSSS!!!!

On a serious note, who CARES what he wrote? I care! Tell me, Shaheed inShallah, do you even know which country he belongs to, or what that book is about? You poor little psycopath!

2:01 PM

Niqabi said...

err people, please don't fight:$

6:46 AM

Unknown said...

I apologise, Shaheed inshAllah. I got carried away in my haughtiness. Of course, you have a right to your opinions, and of course I NEVER had any right to call you a psycopath...

I apologise to you too, Niqabi for hurling an insult at some one on your page...

5:34 PM

Niqabi said...

awww...cute !

6:20 AM