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Islam and Modernity in the Works of Two Contemporary Malay Anglophone Writers: Che Husna Azhari’s "Mariah" and Karim Raslan’s "Neighbors"

Monash University Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia

Literature written in the English language remains a contested terrain in Malaysia, especially amongst Malay writers who must carefully negotiate between their identities as Malays (symbiotically yoked with Islam) and as individuals living in a modern and increasingly globalized world. This essay explores the strategic compromises writers have to make when writing about sexuality, religion and identity. Its focus is on the issue of polygamy in "Mariah" by Che Husna Azhari and homosexuality and middle-class values in "Neighbors" by Karim Raslan. I argue that these writers have to deploy irony in their narratives in order to introduce taboo issues without seeming to endorse them overtly.

Key Words: Islam • modernity • Che Husna Azhari • Karim Raslan • polygamy • homosexuality • irony

The Journal of Commonwealth Literature, Vol. 44, No. 3, 127-141 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0021989409342160


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