Abstract
Oriental representations of Muslims are often manifested in a society's media, literature, theatre and other creative means of expression. However, these representations, which are often historically and conceptually one-sided, have adverse repercussions for Muslims today, potentially leading to Islamophobia. Orientalism of Muslims in Western writings and discourses have been much discussed, debated and disproved, yet some works of literature continue to disseminate many of the earlier Oriental assertions about Islam/Muslims: that of being terrorists, misogynists, barbaric or uncivilized compared to the civilized West. Sherry Jones’ The Jewel of Medina (2008) chronicles the history of Islam from the time of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, through the voice of his youngest wife Aisha. This paper argues that there is more to the image of the Muslim than what is portrayed by Western writers. Through an “(un)reading” of Sherry Jones’ text, this paper unravels the misconceptions regarding early and forced marriage with a view to address the ways in which these misconceptions could lead to Islamophobia. Using Edward Said's theory of Contrapuntal reading, which urges the colonized to unread Western canonical texts to unearth the submerged details, this paper identifies and puts to question non-conforming depictions of Muslims in Sherry Jones’ The Jewel of Medina (2008) – while placing the text in its historical space – in an effort to mitigate the growing stereotyping of Muslims and to address misconceptions with regard to Islamic history.
Highlights
Misrepresentations of Islam and Muslims in Western discourses have a long history
Said's theory of contrapuntal reading is an essential concept of understanding the variety of readings possible for a canonical text
One of the implications of this conclusion is the rejection of the actuality of a one-dimensional worldview of early and forced marriage orientally ascribed and limited to Islam
Summary
Misrepresentations of Islam and Muslims in Western discourses have a long history. For centuries, the perception of the Muslim world by the Western Europeans has primarily been an Orientalist one. His history and character are opinionatedly rewritten to satiate the orientalist attitude of the Western world According to Ain Jenkins (2007), “Muhammad, within early modem writings on the Islamic world, remained an essential component in the refutation of the beliefs of Muslims and the depiction of the behaviors of Muslims through the representation of Muhammad as the root of their many perceived vices” (13). The novel is a historical fiction about the life of the last Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, seen through the eyes of his youngest wife Aisha, starting from her engagement to him at the age of six, to their marriage at the age of nine. It began with the televised images of people leaping from burning buildings, and was perpetuated by President Bush's rhetoric calling countries in the Middle East an "Axis of Evil." Obviously, I refused to succumb to this fear-mongering, or I wouldn't have written, or published, the book
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
