Postcolonial Experience Research Articles

Deciphering the Postcolonial Discourse: An Oriental Reading for The Kite Runner by Khaled Housseini and The Parisian by Isabella Hammad

Postcolonial literature explores the effects of colonialism and its aftermath, shedding light on the complex relationships between colonizers and the colonized. It challenges dominant narratives, gives voice to marginalized perspectives, and examines themes of identity, power, and cultural hybridity. It also addresses issues of nationalism, representationalism, opposition, ethnicity, and feminism. Postcolonial dialogue in literature refers to the discourse that emerges in the aftermath of colonialism, encompassing various elements such as the reshaping of identities, power dynamics, cultural exchanges, and responses to historical colonial narratives. It is often a space where writers and intellectuals from formerly colonized societies engage with and respond to the legacies of colonialism. A wide range of post-colonial novels has been published during the 1990s and the first years of the 21st century, including The Kite Runner by the Afghan-American novelist Khaled Hosseini and The Parisian by the British-Palestinian novelist Isabella Hammad. These novels provide insight into the postcolonial experience, offering nuanced portrayals of the impacts of colonization on individuals and societies. This article aims to deciphering the postcolonial discourse in Khaled Housseini’s The Kite Runner and Isabella Hammad’s The Parisian using oriental lenses. An oriental perspective seems to offer a unique examination of the different experiences of those from oriental cultures, shedding light on the nuanced complexities of postcolonial discourse. Thus, the oriental perspective adds depth and nuance to the analysis of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and The Parisian by Isabella Hammad.

AESTHETIC ALCHEMY FOR UNVEILING THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF ARTISTIC CHOICES IN POSTCOLONIAL TRAUMA NARRATIVES: EVALUATING THROUGH THE INTERPRETATIONS OF AMITAV GHOSH'S SELECTED NARRATIVES

A crucial role is played by aesthetics in shaping trauma narratives, impacting how individuals perceive, undergo, and process traumatic events. In this context, "aesthetics" encompasses the artistic or stylistic elements employed in storytelling across various mediums like literature, film, visual arts, and more. Aesthetic choices such as symbols and metaphors become potent tools for conveying intricate emotions and experiences linked with trauma, providing a layer of abstraction that facilitates a nuanced exploration of its psychological and emotional dimensions. Aesthetics also influence the structure of a trauma narrative, with elements like flashbacks, non-linear timelines, or fragmented storytelling mimicking the disjointed nature of traumatic memories, effectively conveying the disorientation experienced by those who have undergone trauma. In visual arts and cinema, the visual representation of trauma significantly influences its perception, employing stark imagery, visual metaphors, and symbolic elements to communicate the profound impact of trauma, transcending the limitations of language in capturing its depth. Aesthetic elements like soundtracks and musical scores contribute to the emotional tone, heightening tension, creating a sense of foreboding, and influencing the audience's engagement with the traumatic content. In literature, the choice of language and literary devices shapes the narrative style, impacting how trauma is portrayed. Vivid descriptions, metaphors, and unique linguistic styles evoke a visceral response, fostering a more intimate connection between readers and the trauma narrative. Additionally, aesthetics can influence the resolution of a trauma narrative, utilizing specific visual or narrative elements to contribute to a sense of catharsis or closure for both the characters and the audience, providing a pathway towards healing and recovery. In summary, aesthetics serve as a crucial lens through which trauma narratives are presented and experienced, enabling creators to enhance their depth, emotional resonance, and impact, fostering a greater understanding and empathy for the complex nature of trauma through thoughtful and intentional artistic choices. In the context of Amitav Ghosh's novels, the discussion of postcolonial historic aporia becomes significant, especially given Ghosh's aversion to the term "postcolonial" which tends to portray the aftermath of colonialism in a negative light. Ghosh expresses his dissatisfaction with this characterization, stating, ". . . when I think of the world that I grew up to inhabit, my dominant memory of it is not that it was trying to be a successor state to a colony; it was trying to create its own reality, which today is the reality that we do inhabit" (Kumar 105). This perspective reflects Ghosh's inclination to focus on the efforts of postcolonial societies in shaping their distinct realities rather than being defined solely in opposition to their colonial past. Ghosh's novels, influenced by this viewpoint, illustrate the complexities of postcolonial experiences through the aesthetics of storytelling. Within his narrative framework, he employs symbolism, metaphor, and narrative structure to delve into the intricacies of trauma. Through these aesthetic choices, Ghosh offers a nuanced exploration of the psychological and emotional dimensions of characters' traumatic experiences, challenging conventional postcolonial narratives that tend to emphasize negativity. Ghosh's deliberate use of visual representation, sound, and literary devices in portraying trauma further underscores his commitment to presenting a multifaceted understanding of postcolonial realities. Consequently, his intentional and thoughtful aesthetic choices serve as a critical lens through which postcolonial trauma narratives are depicted, fostering a richer appreciation for the intricate nature of these stories and the diverse realities they represent.

EVOLUTION OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN INDIAN WRITING THROUGH THE POSTCOLONIAL LENS

English as a language has undergone many fundamental and linguistic changes over the ages. From Old English, or Anglo-Saxon that was spoken in England and Scotland in the early Middle ages, to the Middle English, which underwent a lot of changes after the Norman conquest until the late fifteenth century. English saw many changes during the Renaissance all through to the modernist period to finally become what it is today. English, consequently, emerged as a language that is ever-changing in nature, a language that adapts and accommodates all. One such evolution in the language can be seen through the postcolonial experience of the former British colonies. The adoption of English in India, like other colonies, was a result of the Raj. Indian writing in English emerged as an honest enterprise that has turned out to be a new form of Indian culture and voice that has been adopted and adapted by the native people. Indian writers- poets, novelist, essayists and dramatists, have been making great contributions to world literature while gaining immense recognition and fame. It has achieved independent stature in world literature. Subsequently, the use of English became essential for postcolonial writers as it works towards the enlightenment of both the colonizer and the colonized about the ‘Self and the ‘Other’. This paper attempts to highlight the evolution of the English language by navigating through the postcolonial narrative of writers who have not only adopted the language but also have changed it

Postcolonial experiences of Chinese aid: Encountering and welcoming South–South aid from the middle

AbstractThis paper explores how public servants in aid‐recipient countries perceive and encounter the development structures and normative discourses of South–South partnerships. The paper draws on interviews with senior public servants in the Antigua and Barbuda government who interface directly with Chinese aid delivery. The public servants perceive that ‘Northern’ development models have largely failed and that ‘Southern’ donors can facilitate alternative development pathways. They understand that South–South partnerships give aid‐recipient countries greater control over their development futures, invoking some of the original radicalism of South–South partnerships. The public servants also perceive that Western critiques of Chinese aid are underpinned by orientalism, and they reject notions that they are being passively integrated into the Chinese government's global vision. Yet, they do not passively internalise the normative discourses on South–South partnerships. This paper advances a multi‐scalar postcolonial geographical analysis of South–South partnerships and will be of interest to those exploring how aid‐recipient countries navigate the politics and power relations of the contemporary global aid landscape. The paper also advances debates on how subaltern geopolitics play out in the context of increasing South–South partnerships. Finally, with its focus on South–South partnerships, the paper contributes to the aid ethnographies literature.

Grave Reverberations: Inherited Colonial Logics during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Philippines

Using the theory of reverberations, we track the dissonant transformation of sanitation regimes during the American colonial period in the Philippines, particularly during the cholera epidemic of 1902, to the mis/management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the present day. We argue that the formation, interpretation, and implementation of public health policies, especially with regards to the treatment of the dead, echo inherited colonial logics designed to exacerbate stigmas of virality and unruliness. In addition to past epidemics, responses to COVID-19 resonate with recurring episodes of terror formation, militarisation, and misinformation in the country. The enduring legacies of colonialism—rooted in themes of extraction, individualism, and hegemony, and masked under the guise of benevolence—live on in modern policies in ways that are not always readily apparent. Lastly, we see the notion of reverberations as one that allows analytical generosity in understanding the messiness of the postcolonial experience.

« Errance est mon héritage ». Le labyrinthe en tant qu’une figure de l’expérience postcoloniale d’après les Enfants du lichen de Maya Cousineau Mollen

« Wandering is my heritage » The Labyrinth as a Figure of the Postcolonial Experience According to Enfants du lichen by Maya Cousineau Mollen The aim of the paper is to analyze Enfants du lichen, a book of poems by Maya Cousineau Mollen, an Innu poet born in 1975, in order to see if the labyrinth can be considered as a figure of the postcolonial Native American experience. Although the word « labyrinth » does not make its explicit emergence in the poems, their lexical field evokes a whole imagination which makes it emerge implicitly and allows us to believe that the figure of the labyrinth corresponds to the situation of the former colonized. Our contribution is divided into three parts. The first characterizes the postcolonial Native American experience, as described in the poems, and explains why it may be seen as a labyrinth. The second shows the exploration of the paths of possible escape and the last focuses on the exit, the « passage from darkness to light », which can be read as a new era in the life of Canadian Native Americans.

An Examination of Identity and Colonialism in Tayeb Saleh's Season of Migration to the North through the Lens of Frantz Fanon's Black Skin, White Masks A Comparative Study

"In the exploration of post-colonial literature, Tayeb Saleh's 'Season of Migration to the North' and Frantz Fanon's 'Black Skin, White Masks' emerge as pivotal works that intricately dissect the complex interplay between identity and colonialism. Both authors delve into the psychological ramifications of colonial histories on individual identities, unraveling the multifaceted layers of the post-colonial experience. The themes of identity and colonialism in Tayeb Salih's "Season of Migration to the North" through the lens of Frantz Fanon's seminal work, "Black Skin, White Masks." By examining the experiences of the protagonist, Mustafa Sa'eed, who returns to Sudan after studying in England, the essay delves into the complex ways in which colonial encounters shape individual identity. Drawing on Fanon's theories, particularly the concepts of double consciousness and the psychological effects of colonization, the analysis sheds light on the psychological and cultural impact of the colonial experience on Sa'eed and other characters in the novel. This article investigates the idea of cultural hybridity and the ambivalence that arises from navigating multiple cultural influences. Moreover, it explores the gender dynamics present in both works, emphasizing the power imbalances and objectification of women within the colonial context. Through a comparative analysis, the article seeks to highlight the characters' struggles for authentic selfhood and the broader implications of their experiences in a post-colonial world. Ultimately, this exploration provides insights into the enduring relevance of these themes and the intricate interplay between identity and colonialism in literature. The present article seeks to examine the nuanced ways in which Saleh's narrative and Fanon's psychoanalytic insights intersect, offering a profound understanding of the profound impact of colonialism on the construction and negotiation of identity in a post-colonial world."
 Tayeb Salih's novel, Season of Migration to the North, delves into the intricate relationships that exist between colonialism and identity in post-colonial Sudan. In close resemblance to Frantz Fanon's groundbreaking work Black Skin, White Masks, the article explores the novel's complex concerns of identity building, cultural hybridity, and the psychological effects of colonialism in African literature. By their audacious writings, Fanon and Salih both transformed the postcolonial African landscape. Using a postcolonial perspective, this study investigates how the story's characters navigate their cultural heritage and sense of self in the years after colonial domination.

Tenacious Displacement of Home in Mohamed Dellal’s “When the Wind of the Atlas Blows”

In its drive to valorize narrative heterogeneity and condensed contextualization, Diaspora literary criticism usually places a special accent on the need to listen to underground voices overshadowed by the leading diaspora figures located in the West. It sees that Diaspora is a state of mind that does not necessarily entail physical dislocation for writers to shake the essentialist grip of tradition and the ideological long-established dichotomies. Drawing on this theoretical premise, this article seeks to explore the subversive prospects of writing home in one example of such minority literary work. Mohamed Dellal’s “When the Wind of the Atlas Blows” is a collection of short stories, written in English, that approach the trope of home from the perspective of local diasporic subjects. The narrative positions the present collection creates implicitly question the marginalization of the postcolonial experience of diversity for those who have not indulged the privileges of international migration.

“An Artist With Trauma” in Search of Identity: The Postmodernist Options in Ukrainian and Turkish Literatures

The article examines the typological features of the image of an artist with trauma and its correlation with the issue of identity. The subjet matter for the analysis are the novels My Name is Red by O. Pamuk and The City with Chimeras by O. Ilchenko. The article utilises historical-literary, comparative, and mythopoetic research methods and studies of traumatic writing and identity problems. The article defines the characteristic features of the image of a traumatised artist, such as the artist's stay in a traumatic situation of creative and personal crisis, fanatical worship of the idea of serving Beauty with a dominance of the aesthetic over the moral, willingness to justify death as a form of convincing opponents; the presence of a physical injury. The article also substantiates the expediency of Medusa Gorgona’s image as a mythos-archetypal counterpart of this image. The results of the comparative analysis prove that an artist with trauma is relevant primarily for the artistic understanding of the post-colonial experience as a type of trauma. Their heroes are in search of identity. It becomes their successful or unsuccessful attempt to overcome the trauma through creativity.

Female Mob Encounters and Boko-Haram in the North-East of Nigeria, 2009-2019

As African states grapple with the challenges of democratic governance, there are postcolonial experiences of mob-related violence. Such is manifest in the extrajudicial reaction of citizens across North-East Nigeria to suspected attacks by agents of the Boko Haram insurgency. Scholarly contributions have established various dimensions of the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. However, little attention is given to the nuances of gender and mob-induced violence and their implications for the security and development of women. Thus, this work examines the contexts of mob justice meted out to women webbed in Boko Haram-instigated suicide bombing. Findings from the study reveal that female suicide terrorism and the resultant social sanctions have further positioned women as vulnerable instruments of terror and subsequently as bearers of the security burdens that accompany mob justice perpetration within contexts of the Boko Haram insurgency.

The dynamics of Islamic marital jurisprudence in Islamic courts: the experience of the Kwara state and Zanzibar

Zanzibar is an island located in East Africa and part of the United Republic of Tanzania. In contrast, Kwara State is one of the states of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the West Africa sub-region. Both regions have similar colonial histories and post-colonial experiences. Islamic Jurisprudence has undergone many reforms since the post-colonial era in Zanzibar Island of Tanzania and Kwara State of Nigeria. Islamic Jurisprudence is used in the adjudication process in Islamic religious courts in these two regions of Africa with a sizeable Muslim population. These courts essentially adjudicate Muslim personal matters, such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, wills, and endowment. The official jurisprudence of the people Zanzibar-Tanzania is Shafi’i jurisprudence. For the people of Kwara State of Nigeria, Maliki jurisprudence is recognized. Marriage is considered part of Muslim identity; therefore, applicable jurisprudence is necessary for a fair hearing on Muslim personal matters. The Muslim judges (qadis) play a laudable role in the justice system under Islamic Jurisprudence. This paper uses doctrinal, case law and empirical approaches for the discourse.

The Case for Intersectional Theology: An Asian American Catholic Perspective

Intersectional approaches aim to uncover the multidimensionality of multiply burdened victimhood rather than a single-axis analysis. When intersected with Asian and Asian American postcolonial experiences and perspectives, intersectionality exposes the global reach and colonial origins of white imperialism and ideological, systemic, and mutational nature of white supremacist logic of dominance connected to global capitalism, neocolonialism, class-ism, ableism, caste-ism, racism, etc. While limited and inadequate by itself, there is a family resemblance of intersectional method in the Catholic theological and intellectual tradition that is inclusive of ordinary and marginalized voices and secular disciplines. For Catholic theologians and the church, then, intersectional approach can be instrumental in dismantling white supremacy within the church as an institution and people. Indeed, the intersectional nature of Jesus’ ministry, personhood, and location further solidifies the case for using intersectional theology for ecclesial and personal introspection, growth, and development.

Divergences, commonalities and convergences: Nationalism and the poetics of identity in Nigerian fiction

With more than 200 nations yoked together by the British solely for the purpose of colonialism in Nigeria, little wonder that questions bordering on lack of converging ideologies have consistently informed the nation’s narrative. If what unite the several ethnicities are paradigms that are vestiges of colonialism, and other scaffolding commonalities that necessitate the creation of a new identity, the question then is are these constructs synergistic enough to smoothen over the differing schisms and create long-lasting unifying parameters that moderate true nationalism? Using sections from selected novels, this article attempts to appraise the nebulous narratives that connect Nigeria’s various ethnicities, despite the presence of seemingly irreconcilable ethnic divergences. The study traces the manifestation of ethnicity in Nigerian fiction from the biased presentation by the first generation of writers to the ‘national’ fictionalization by contemporary writers. It discovers that though there is improvement in the presentation of multiculturalism and ethnicity in contemporary Nigerian fiction, there is still much to be written about the multicultural aspect of Nigeria’s postcolonial experience. The article concludes by theorizing that failure to harness the merits of the commonalities has been the bane of Nigeria since independence and proposes a re-engineering of multicultural ethics and also admonishes for a reconstruction of a new national character.

REBELLION AND REVOLUTIONARY CONSCIOUSNESS: A CRITICAL READING OF SELECTED FRANCOPHONE AFRICAN NOVELS

Neo-liberalism, democracy, or whatever paradigm you call it, the post-colonial experience in Africa has shown that the quest for a balanced system that includes social justice and an equitable distribution of resources (the wealth of the nation) remains a mirage. Hence, the citizenry, having been predisposed to their fundamental human rights, continues to demand good governance and accountability from the authorities that be. Based on the theory of Marxism and psycho-cultural conflict theories, selected African novels in French: Oyono’s Le vieux nègre et la médaille, Ousmane’s Les bouts de bois de Dieu, Sow Fall’s La grève des bàttu, Bâ’s Une si longue lettre, Ilboudo’s Les vertiges du trône, and Keta’s Rebelle are critically reviewed to harvest the information needed for this study. Marxism focuses on class struggle and condemns social imbalances caused by capitalism on economic and political fronts. The psycho-cultural conflict theory regards the role of cultural beliefs in conflicts as fundamental and critical to possible conflict resolution solutions. Findings suggest that both collective and individual revolts can bring about the desired social change in human societies. The study concludes that in a genuine search for enduring development, therefore, political leaders, particularly in underdeveloped countries, should step up their political will and be more responsible as well as accountable to the common men who elected them to power.

A POSTCOLONIAL FEMINIST READING OF J. M. COETZEE’S WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS (2000)

Literary texts and kinds of research have reframed postcolonial experiences to capture several issues in society. On that note, Coetzee’s Waiting for the Barbarians has chalked many successes in gaining the attention of literary scholars to subject the text to interpretation using varied literary approaches, except postcolonial feminism. The postcolonial aspect of the feminist issues in the text is fundamental. The thrust of this paper is to analyse Coetzee’s Waiting for the Barbarians using the postcolonial feminist theory. Guided by three objectives, the study uses the qualitative content analysis method to interpret the text. From the analysis, the study reported that, while objectification and ‘othering’ are characteristic of the representation of females in the text, violence against them is constructed through fear and torture and resisted mainly through silence. Also, the mode of narration influences the presentation of the narrative to readers. Finally, the study offers implications for further research using other literary theories or approaches.

Post-Colonial Experiences: Based on Abdulrazak Gurnah’s “Desertion” and Other Novels: Rewriting Cultural History

Shelley has once rightly stated that “Poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world”, establishing the concept of a pen being mightier than the sword. The evolution of literary works has transcended beyond ages and phases of political and social developments, marking the birth of concepts like colonialism, post-colonialism, and neo-colonialism; Each having its own perspective and impact on the readers and the societies, post-colonialism took its stand at the zenith during the late 1970s, foraying its way into the sublime identities and efficacies of influencing the minds of the society. The current study is conducted as a critical review of the novel, Desertion by Abdulrazak Gurnah, one of the most controversial yet admired novelists from Zanzibar, Tanzania. The novel essentially opens in the backdrop of 1899 along the East African coast, wherein the story’s protagonist is a white stranger, sick and wounded, staggering and deserted in a small East African town. Later the stranger is taken to home by a local shop owner Hassan Ali, to have him taken care of by his family. However, with the news of the stranger staying with the Hassan Ali family, the British Colonial officers arrive to claim him. Contradictorily, before he can surrender himself to the British colonial officers, Martin Pearce, the stranger, falls madly in love with Hassan Ali’s sister, Rehanah. This paper provides a critical review of the agreements and disagreements surrounding the colonial and post-colonial experiences, concept building, and its influence on human feelings and social existences. Through the character of Martin Pearce, Gurnah wishes to represent his belief in ideating human feelings to know no boundaries. Martin’s intense love for Rehanah is a way of portraying the dissuasion of the writer to break the “glass ceiling” of colonialism and post-colonialism and think beyond the social barriers and shackles.

Understanding Contemporary Africa, Peter J. Schraeder, ed.

Reviewed by: Understanding Contemporary Africa ed. by Peter J. Schraeder Yusuf Sholeye BOOK REVIEW of Schraeder, Peter J., ed. 2020. Understanding Contemporary Africa. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner. 478 pp. $32.50 (paperback). Africa's colonial and postcolonial experiences shaped the trends of sociopolitical and economic events within the continent throughout the twentieth century. Similarly, challenges encountered by Africans in the twenty-first century, such as recurring famines and droughts in East Africa, the activities of insurgent groups in the Sahel region, and the surge in population, will influence the continent's future. Thus, in fourteen chapters, Understanding Contemporary Africa examines how past and contemporaneous events have determined the course of sociopolitical and economic development in Africa by analyzing the peculiarity of the continent's geography, political economy, international relations, and cultural practices and their effects on Africans. Each chapter is outlined in a varied narrative style, but this interdisciplinary approach provides a unique insight into how scholars from different disciplines analyze various sociopolitical and economic issues. In chapter 10, "Family and Kinship," through the lens of an anthropologist, Barbara G. Hoffman discusses how Christianity facilitated the course of sociocultural changes among the Masai and the impact of Islam on the evolution of traditional gender roles in Mali. In contrast, through the periscope of a political economist, in chapter 7, Jeffrey Paller's "Population and Urbanization" critiques the evolution of Africa's cities. He examines how different phenomena, such as colonialism, civil war, sprawling slums, overpopulation, and climate change, have influenced the transformation of Lagos, Harare, and Douala into megacities and the challenges encountered there. Each chapter focuses on a unique set of thematic issues while providing a thorough understanding of how events intertwine with one another. For instance, chapter 3, Thomas O'Toole and Kirstie Lynn Dobbs's "The Historical Context," painstakingly delineates the sociopolitical and economic structure of precolonial and colonial African society. This background reinforces the analysis of contemporary events in Peter J. Schraeder's "Politics" and "International Relations" in chapters 4 and 6, respectively. Against this backdrop, Schraeder examines the courses of political evolution in Africa and how internal and external factors facilitate and hinder the prospects of sociopolitical and economic development. Compared to O'Toole and Dobbs's chapter, Schraeder's chapters depict change and continuity in different parts of the continent. [End Page 264] Gretchen Bauer's "Roles of Women" and Marc Epprecht's "LGBTIQ Rights," chapters 11 and 12, respectively, intertwine with each other. Both chapters analyze how sociopolitical and economic challenges during the precolonial, colonial, and postcolonial period determined women's social rights and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer rights in different parts of the continent. Both authors agree that international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have consistently campaigned for sociopolitical and economic equality and recognition of minority groups in Ghana, Uganda, South Africa, and Namibia. The paradoxical views of some scholars in Understanding Contemporary Africa underline the analysis of issues examined in each chapter. For instance, Michael Kevane's "Economies and Development" envisages that the restrictive health measures implemented by different health authorities while containing the spread of COVID-19 would affect Africa's political economy, yet the growth of Africa's population and the prospects of the continent's cities such as Lagos, Douala, and Nairobi challenge his predictions. The population of Nairobi and Abidjan will exceed 10 million by 2040. The transformation of these cities into megacities will add to their importance. Paller's "Population and Urbanization" acknowledges the prospects of African cities while noting that rising social inequality, intractable crime rates, and climate change are among the challenges that confront the people of these cities. The availability of a viable health system would increase the productivity and life expectancy of the populace within these emerging megacities; however, achieving this feat is hindered by inadequate funding of the health sector, a lackluster attitude toward health issues, overdependency on medical foreign assistance, and corruption. Amy S. Patterson's chapter on "Public Health" underlines these problems, which affect the development of different sectors in African society. Similarly, in chapter 9, Garth A. Myers's "Environmental Challenges" highlights the causes of the environmental crisis. These include climate change, the extraction of natural resources...

Testimonial Narratives of Muslim Tausug: Against Militarization in Sulu (1972-1974)

In order to provide a counter history to the predominate, monochromatic, and polarizing historiography of Martial Law in the Philippines, this article investigates the use of testimonial narratives from Muslim Tausug witnesses and survivors during the early years of militarization of Sulu province in the southern Philippines (1972–1974). It focuses on the narratives of war and violence which have been silenced and subjugated, as well as the role of identities and culture in the articulation of the conflict. Their testimonies offer a different perspective on the marginalization of Muslim Mindanao under the repressive era of Ferdinand Marcos’ Martial Law. This article contributes to the study of Islam in the Philippines and Bangsamoro by exploring the ways in which Tausug Muslims use their religion to air their grievances and to fight against oppression. They were able to embrace Islam as their framework for emancipation because of their roots in postcolonial experience.

Character as social semiotic in Wole Soyinka’s The lion and the jewel

Semiotics is context bound. Therefore, it is appropriate to situate the locale of any interpretation of art as veritable vehicle for proper understanding. In this regard, Wole Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel as a dramatic text derives a better metaphorical essence when assessed as a semiotic correlative of the socio-political conditions in the Nigerian post-colonial experience. Beyond its engagement in the dramatization of events that constitute narrative, character plays a pivotal role as a means by which thematic concerns can be mirrored. In other words, in all ramifications of its application, character usually plays representative roles, especially considering the fact that fiction aims at reflecting what is obtainable, probable or conceivable in a given context. Relating the dramatic events that played out in the text, it is observed that The Lion and the Jewel in its characterization captures a proper representation of socio-political personalities in Nigeria, including the author, Soyinka. From the jewel of contest which is the political power to the predatory turncoats who plunder and rape the patrimony, the drama demonstrates how character can assume a mimetic essence that indicates prophetic act. Just as it is common practice to tag an overbearing political leader the Orwellian Big Brother, and considering how the drama has succeeded to relate or relay socio-political identities, it is duly recommended that examination of characters in literature, especially African literature, should account for their roles as counterpart identities of politically exposed persons. Thus, there is a Baroka in the politician who snatches power by unorthodox means; a Lakunle in the upstart whose feeble attempt to contest political power is laughable and a Sadiku who is an accomplice in spite of being a victim.

Global 1968 in Egypt: Raḍwā ʿĀshūr’s Farag and the Disarticulation of Area Studies

Abstract This article reads Raḍwā ʿĀshūr’s novel Farag as an afterlife of the global anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist political culture of 1968. I argue that Farag entangles post-1968 Egypt and France from a position of decentered interlocality, which places the histories of Egypt’s 1970s student movement and France’s Third-World-Marxist left in critical dialogue. At a time when the Egyptian left was paralyzed by state co-optation, the political awakening of the novel’s protagonist, Nadā, is fostered by her exposure to the independent left of 1968 France. After she is imprisoned in Egypt several years later for participating in the student movement, however, Nadā must reckon with the incongruities of her postcolonial experience and interrogate French theory’s Eurocentric claim to universality. Thereafter, ʿĀshūr’s novel charts the tragic demise of the radical left across the Global South through the declining parallel figures of Nadā’s French mother and two Egyptian student movement leaders.