The concept of Islam and the "Other" in post colonial context after 9/11: A comparative analysis of the novels the reluctant fandamentalist by Mohsin Hamid and the terrorist by john updike

In this thesis study, the concept of Islam and the "Other" have closely been examined in postcolonial context after September 11 in the novels The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid and The Terrorist by John Updike. As protagonists in the chosen works are postcolonial characters and their being exposed to otherization due to their religious and ethnic identities in American society has made it possible to examine the concept of Islam and the "Other" profoundly in these works. The reflection of the themes, Islam and the "Other" on the personal development processes and social lives of the protagonists in the novels The Reluctant Fundamentalist and The Terrorist has been comparatively studied. In his novels, postcolonial writer Mohsin Hamid has mainly focused on the theme the West in the eyes of the East, on the other side Neo-Colonial writer John Updike mostly focused on the East (referring especially the religion of Islam and Muslims) in the eyes of The West.In postcolonial or Neo-Colonial World, owing to the effects of migrations to Europe and the U.S.A, multicultural societies have been occured and Muslim immigrant families living there have had cultural,religious and social integration problems and especially after September 11 attacks, with the help of the visual and written media,Fundamentalism and Islam phobia have risen and Muslims have been subjected to a sort of racism and otherization in the society.In today's world,racism events have still been happned in Europe and the U.S.A and Islamic values and places been targeted and Muslims, no matter what their position in the society is, being exposed to otherization and Western World's unbroken prejudicies to the religion of Islam and Muslims has made this thesis study more meaningful and significant.