cover
Contact Name
Tuty Handayani
Contact Email
tuty@uinjkt.ac.id
Phone
+6282227208677
Journal Mail Official
melsasing2023@gmail.com
Editorial Address
Faculty of Adab and Humanities, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University of Jakarta. Jl. Tarumanegara, Pisangan, Ciputat, Tangerang Selatan, Banten 15419
Location
Kota tangerang selatan,
Banten
INDONESIA
Muslim English Literature
ISSN : 29617502     EISSN : 29628199     DOI : -
Core Subject : Religion, Education,
Muslim English Literature specializes in Muslim World Literature including US-Muslim, British-Muslim, Asian-Muslim, and other Muslim cultures and literature; and is intended to communicate original research and current issues on the subject. This journal warmly welcomes contributions from scholars of related disciplines, including Linguistics and Cultural Studies related to the Muslim world.
Articles 84 Documents
Gender and Fundamentalism in Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns Hamzah, Nanda Nabilla
Muslim English Literature Vol. 1 No. 1 (2022): Muslim English Literature
Publisher : UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15408/mel.v1i1.26261

Abstract

This paper aims to challenge the reductionist views of Islam and Muslim women in Khaled Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns (2017). In doing so, this paper explores the connection of gender discourse with the Islamic political movement in Hosseini's novel. It also seeks to challenge the gendered bias in the novel by using Amina Wadud's concept of Islamic Feminism. Through the subjugated life of women's characters, the concept of hegemonic masculinity is applied to give an in-depth analysis of gender relations and fundamentalism in the novel. The research focuses on understanding misogynist attempts that marginalized women and legitimized gender inequality. The findings indicate that hegemonic masculinity is unquestionably backed up under the fundamentalist's reign of the Mujahideen and the Taliban with their implementation of Sharia law. Furthermore, the characters have shown dissimilar attitudes in facing the situations. As the main male character, Rasheed is depicted as a manifestation of the misogynistic setting created by both regimes. Meanwhile, the two main female characters show strength, resistance, and resilience in facing the unequal systems. However, while the fundamentalist justifies their action by using Islam as their shield, it is written in the Quran that Islam never discriminates against women but encourages their fundamental rights. Thus, Hosseini's novel complicates the ideas of gender, fundamentalism, and masculinity through the complex relationships of his characters within their families and societies. However, these complex societies do not represent Islam or the Muslim communities as the Muslim world is not only in Afghanistan, but many countries, such as Egypt, Pakistan, and Indonesia, practice Islam in a very different way from those in Afghanistan Hosseini's novel. 
Islamic Tenets and Values in Laila Lalami’s The Other Americans Febrina, Fitri
Muslim English Literature Vol. 1 No. 1 (2022): Muslim English Literature
Publisher : UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15408/mel.v1i1.26303

Abstract

After 9/11, the stereotypes and generalizations against Muslims are exacerbated. By examining Lalami’s The Other Americans, this paper aims to challenge the prejudice and orientalist perceptions towards Muslims and US-Muslims through the aesthetic strategies that the author uses: Islamic tenets and values. The method used for this analysis is a Critical Textual Analysis and engages with Postcolonial Studies, particularly Edward Said's concept of the Othering. The analysis found that prejudicial perception is a challenge through Islamic tenets such as the practice of Qur'an recital and fasting (sawm) which promotes Islam as consolation and peace. The novel also challenges the image of savagery and backwardness in the orientalist views through Islamic values that reflect the qualities of the Prophet Muhammad by depicting the values of perseverance (istiqamah), compassion, and innovation through embracing entrepreneurship. The findings reveal that the prejudiced views of Islam that are maintained by insularity and ignorance are countered by the Islamic tenets and values that are promoted in Islam and practiced by its believers. Thus, Lalami’s novel undermines anti-Muslim racism by exploring Islamic tenets and values, including the Quran and hadiths, practiced by Lalami’s characters who have suffered from the exclusion of U.S. belonging for centuries. 
Women and Nature in Homeira Qaderi's Dancing in the Mosque: An Afghan Mother's Letter to Her Son Apriatin, Sri Nurul; Djohar, Hasnul Insani
Muslim English Literature Vol. 1 No. 1 (2022): Muslim English Literature
Publisher : UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15408/mel.v1i1.26446

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between gender and nature in Homeira Qaderi’s Dancing in the Mosque: An Afghan Mother's Letter to Her Son (2020). By engaging with gender studies and ecofeminism, this study aims to evaluate the aesthetic strategies that the author uses to portray the impact of the patriarchal system on Afghanistan Muslim women in Qaderi’s memoir. This paper discovers how the protagonist, Homeira, is depicted as the victim of a male-dominated system in multiple aspects of her life. Indeed, the memoir depicts gender discrimination and gender stereotyping that affected Homeira's life as a marginalized person for decades. Furthermore, Homeira realizes that she should become a pioneer in empowering women to resist the patriarchal system in her country through many symbols, including the symbols of nature, as literary devices. Arguably, within the patriarchal ideology, several values of nature and women as the feminine aspect are seemingly used to oppress women because of the biological aspect of women as reproducing, nurturing, and breastfeeding. To challenge this female oppression, the author uses the symbol of nature, such as wings, birds, phoenix, and spiders, to depict how Homeira’s struggles to achieve her freedom and gender justice. Indeed, the author also uses the symbol of books and stories to reveal how Homeira struggles to achieve higher education. Thus, Qaderi’s memoir complicates the ideas of gender and nature to undermine the patriarchal system in her memoir set in Afghanistan and the US. 
The Portrayal of an Iranian Queer Muslim Teenager in Arvin Ahmadi’s How It All Blew Up Abimayu, Muhamad Tri Satria
Muslim English Literature Vol. 1 No. 1 (2022): Muslim English Literature
Publisher : UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15408/mel.v1i1.26451

Abstract

This research examines the representation of an Iranian queer Muslim teenager in Arvin Ahmadi's How It All Blew Up. It also evaluates how the novel describes the sufferings of an Iranian queer Muslim teenager through symbolism, which Ahmadi uses as his aesthetic strategies. This research is descriptive qualitative, which examines the primary text by using close textual analysis. This research engages with Stuart Hall's theory of representation and Chris Barker's queer theory. The research investigates the symbolism representing the sufferings of an Iranian queer Muslim teenager and what aesthetic strategies the author uses to question mainstream society, which tends to exclude a queer teenager from “normal” belonging. Indeed, the analysis is engaged with Stuart Hall's theory of representation and Chris Barker's queer theory. This research discovered five representations of the protagonist character in the novel, namely Amir is represented as an Iranian queer Muslim that was born to an Iranian Muslim immigrant family, an Iranian queer Muslim that grew up in a Muslim family that did not strictly implement Islamic teachings, an irreligious Iranian queer Muslim, an Iranian queer Muslim that was attracted to people of the same sex, and an Iranian queer Muslim that struggled with his family's acceptance of his queerness. Indeed, this research discovers four symbols that are used to represent the suffering of an Iranian queer Muslim teenager, including the symbol of fortress, tunnel, tattoo, and wall. Thus, Ahmadi’s novel reveals how a queer Muslim teenager struggles to fight for his rights to be acknowledged and appreciated in the ideas of “normality” and social belonging. 
Evaluating the Translation of Islamic Terminologies in Islam: The Faith of Love and Happiness Pratiwi, Yulya Era; Syahriyani, Alfi
Muslim English Literature Vol. 1 No. 2 (2022): Muslim English Literature
Publisher : UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15408/mel.v1i2.27443

Abstract

This research aims to identify the translation procedure and translation quality of the book Islam: Risalah Cinta dan Kebahagiaan, written by Haidar Bagir and its English translation version Islam: The Faith of Love and Happiness, translated by Sayed Hyder. It employed qualitative descriptive method to describe the data. The collected data was categorized based on the terms associated with ibadah (worshiping) and muamalah (dealing). It was obtained by carefully reading the books both in the source and the target language, and analyzed using Newmark's translation procedure (1988) and Nababan’s translation quality (2012). This research found 23 data categorized as worshiping terms and 13 data categorized as dealing terms. The results showed that there were 9 translation procedures employed by the translator, where couplet contributed to create a high accuracy level, while synonymy created the low accuracy level. It also revealed that synonymy procedure created a high acceptability level whereas naturalization procedure showed the low acceptability level. 
Fatima’s Mimicry in Aliya Husain’s Neither This Nor That Asiyah, Nur
Muslim English Literature Vol. 1 No. 2 (2022): Muslim English Literature
Publisher : UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15408/mel.v1i2.27444

Abstract

This study aims to reveal Fatima’s mimicry as the prominent figure in Aliya Husain’s Neither This Nor That. The presence of minorities often brings the assumption that they are foreign people, so they are treated discriminatively. Immigrants who live a new life in a country whose ideology, beliefs, and lifestyle of the original population are opposite to those of their home country will experience identity problems. Muslim women or Muslimah who are diaspora from India to America also share the same thing. They have to negotiate their identity, so they can live comfortably. The form of negotiation can be done by mimicry. This research is qualitative descriptive research. This research examines mimicry narratives from a diaspora novel, Neither This Nor That (2010). In addition, other sources such as books, journals, and the web are supporting sources. This paper uses Homi Bhabha's postcolonialism theory, especially mimicry, ambivalence, and hybrid. Ting Tomey's Identity Negotiation Theory is also used to strengthen the analysis. This study reveals that the characters imitate the majority's behavior subconsciously to maintain and save their identity. In doing so, they wait for the right time and momentum to negotiate their identity so that, in the end, a hybrid identity will emerge that accommodates the old and new identities. 
Misrepresentation of Religious Tenet in Syed Waliullah’s Tree Without Roots [Lal Shalu]: An Islamic Overview Uddin, Mohammad Jashim
Muslim English Literature Vol. 1 No. 2 (2022): Muslim English Literature
Publisher : UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15408/mel.v1i2.27479

Abstract

AbstractSyed Waliullah is one of the most versatile Muslim novelists in Bangladesh. Social reformation, awakening people about religion and satire against corruption are his main themes. He also identifies the peripheral community in his writings. His Tree Without Roots originally Lal Shalu in Bangla is the most popular novel for its multilevel portrayal of the Bengali Muslim community. The paper aims at focusing on how Islam and its followers are portrayed wrongly in Tree Without Roots because the novelist through the activities of Majeed wants to divert the mass Muslims from the Qur’anic guidelines to the man-made path for worldly benefits. It concentrates on the controversial protagonist Abdul Majeed who grasps the rural people especially the simple and innocent like women for his greater projection of power and hunger. As a part of his prosperity, Majeed deeply feels inside himself that women can be the most flexible and reliable field for smooth cultivation and experimental adventure. This paper has also traced the sources of the power of Majeed—the protagonist, that he uses to manipulate the villagers and to claim his influential position in Mahabbatpur – a fictional village of Bangladesh which was then East Pakistan. It has focused on the activities of the characters from an Islamic perspective. The paper believes that every Muslim should follow the instructions of Allah reviled in the Qur’an and the path shown in the Hadith by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Finally, the paper has found some ways the author has misrepresented Islam in his writing from a modernist perspective.
Muslim Refugee Girls in Malala Yousafzai’s We Are Displaced Dahlan, Dahlan; Djamereng, Jumharia; klaudiya, Sindi
Muslim English Literature Vol. 1 No. 2 (2022): Muslim English Literature
Publisher : UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15408/mel.v1i2.27509

Abstract

The research intends to find out the kinds of discrimination faced by the refugee girls and also life experiences of the refugee girls that related to the author’s life. Malala as the writer of the memoir We Are Displaced describes her experiences as a Muslim woman who is often treated unfairly both in the homeland and in the host land. As Malala had seen many discriminations in many places, she was inspired to write all discrimination as the movement against that discrimination. Therefore, feminism is a study of efforts to change gender roles, sexist practices, and sexual norms that often limit personal development. This research uses content analysis, especially close textual analysis. The results of this research show that there are 3 kinds of discrimination of the refugee girls. They are: 1) Racial Discrimination, 2) Gender Discrimination, and 3) Social Class Discrimination. This research also shows that some of the refugee girls have the same life experience as the author based on educational value, they are: 1) Independence value, 2) Creativity value, 3) Social Concern value. 
Islamic Values and Education in Sufiya Ahmed’s Secrets of the Henna Girl Chaliza, Annisa Nur; Djohar, Hasnul Insani
Muslim English Literature Vol. 1 No. 2 (2022): Muslim English Literature
Publisher : UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15408/mel.v1i2.27914

Abstract

This research examines how Sufiya Ahmed’s Secrets of Henna Girl challenges patriarchal practices by depicting the female character as struggling to fight for their rights through Islamic values and education. By using qualitative methods and close textual analysis, this research examines how the novel opposes to patriarchal culture and the misconception of Islam as a religion that supports discrimination against women. Indeed, the novel uses literary devices to portray patriarchal culture with the following aspects: the female characters experience patriarchal abuse by depicting men as Tiger King represents powerful men. Secondly, the female characters deal with patriarchal system by depicting women as witches representing powerful women. Thirdly, women experienced patriarchal abuse are depicted through the metaphor of glass vases and sacrificed lambs. Fourthly, the characters are depicted as a drama queen if they pursue their educations and careers. Although this novel is seemingly depicted women as the victims of patriarchal system, they are able to resist this system by using Islamic tenets and values, especially the Quran and hadiths. Furthermore, it is found that even though the female characters receive so many patriarchal practices, the novel can depict them as resisting patriarchy through education and Islamic values. Thus, the novel uses Qur’an, hadith, and Islamic teachings as a way to resist the misconception of Islam as a religion that supports discrimination against women.
Prison and Freedom in Nadia Hashimi’s A House Without Windows Putratama, Muhammad Raihansyah; Chusna, Inayatul
Muslim English Literature Vol. 1 No. 2 (2022): Muslim English Literature
Publisher : UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.15408/mel.v1i2.28357

Abstract

This research aims to analyse a prison where the characters achieve their freedom, while outside the prison they get oppressed by the men. This research uses the freedom concept by Jean-Paul Sartre because of the relevancy behind the theory and the story. The corpus of this research is Nadia Hashimi’s A House Without Windows (2016). The study uses the existentialism theories from Jean-Paul Sartre and Representation theory by Stuart Hall to support the analysis. The result of this research shows a great contrast between the women when they were out of prison and when they were in prison. Outside the prison, they continue to experience oppression from various parties, while when they are in prison, they live more freely than when they were outside the prison. For the inmate, the definition of freedom itself shifts from the common definition. To be able to get freedom is not only in an open space, but it can also be in a prison where the space for movement is limited, but not by their actions and speech.