Dismantling the Stereotype of Jihad: A Reading of Aboulela's The Kindness of Enemies

Abstract

The present paper aims at exploring the concept of jihad as represented by the Muslim woman writer Leila Aboulela in relation to the interpretation of the term by Islamist political parties and the stereotypes assigned to it in Western media and Western thinking. Unfortunately, Islam’s position concerning jihad has been distorted, misrepresented, and misappropriated for political and economic aims. Jihad has come to be equated with terrorism, barbarism, and violence “Western popular media – particularly news media and mainstream film – reduces jihad to a one-dimensional caricature of terrorism as religious martyrdom” (Tagg 319). Allie Kirchner states that “By focusing on the narrow concept of jihad used by terrorists, the U.S. media has inadvertently reinforced the link between terrorism and Islam within the American consciousness” (Kirchner). This paper attempts to deconstruct these stereotypes and unveil the real facade of this obligation in Islam; its meaning, rules, and aims as stated clearly in the teachings in the Quran and Sunna. The methodology of this paper is to apply the concept of hybridity as a positive stance which helps Aboulela to deconstruct the false representations allotted to jihad and establish reconciliation between cultural disparities.