This is only a short entry on my thoughts on Tahmima Anam's novel, which is the second of a trilogy. The Good Muslim was published by John Murray in 2011 and follows the novel A Golden Age, which was published in 2007. The third part of the trilogy, Bones of Grace, was published in 2016. As a disclaimer I would like to clarify that I haven't read the first in the series. The kindle edition that I read is a little under 300 pages, though 305 pages including acknowledgements and a preview into the third book. The novel is set in Bangladesh soon after the war of independence and some time later, as the novel switches between years, slowly developing the narrative and context through visits to the 1970s and 1984. It is divided into a prologue, three books, whose titles make reference to Quranic verses and an epilogue ; the first book is entitled "All that is in the Heavens and on Earth", the second, "Every soul shall taste death" and the third, "God wrongs no one, Not even by the weight of an atom".
I read Tahmima Anam's novel, The Good Muslim, as part of my self-study unit to explore whether writers from the Indian subcontinent have largely adopted the worldview of their colonisers, that of modernity and secularism. This is also the reason why I didn't read the prequel, as I had to focus on my core reading list before reading around (prequel and sequel). The novel itself is an easy and quick read and yet the cultural and historical significance is very much apparent; it plays an important role in reminding, or even teaching, people about the War and conflicts in Bangladesh, events that I presume are little known outside those directly concerned.
Anam's central protagonist is a young female doctor named Maya. Most of the chapters are given from her perspective through a third person narrator. There was one chapter in her brother, Sohail's perspective, a first person narrative chapter from the eyes of her young nephew Zaid and a part of a chapter recounting Joy's war experiences. This is significant because Maya's voice is the dominant one, and it is a voice of criticism and, more specifically, disdain towards religion, which in this case is Islam.
Her values are more closely aligned to those of secularism, as science and modernity are valued higher than religious principles. She is concerned over her brother's interest and "conversion", having discovered Islam as a source of solace after the war. I felt that Maya's negativity towards religion was not particularly nuanced, as many of the practices adopted by her recently "converted" brother bothered her, despite them being fairly common or understood in a practicing Muslim community. It seems as if those whose religion is imperceptible are the ones that Maya prefers. Maya herself appears to not consider herself a believer and only reluctantly acknowledges her taught prayers. What I found particularly unsettling was that Maya made certain remarks such as "at least he hasn't grown a beard" or referring to the Quran as "the Book", implying it was the source of the problem and her brother's increased interest was a cause for concern. The reason this is problematic is because it perpetuates negative stereotypes that Muslim/ Asian men face when they choose to grow a beard, for example, or take their faith more seriously by learning more about the Quran. The UK, among many other countries, has been known to actively discriminate against people on these bases and it would be unfair to allow that connection to be validated when, for the vast majority, it is not a sign of fundamentalism. For Maya, the problem is religion itself, not solely the injustices practised in the name of religion or misinterpreted for selfish ends.
On the other hand, I found that Sohail's behaviour was not ideal, nor necessarily a perfect reflection of a pious Muslim due to two core issues, his apparent neglect towards his son and failing to be present during his mother's illness when she was seeking him. Those are not values or types of behaviour that are encouraged in Islam, rather to contrary they are looked down upon. And yet I still found myself more sympathetic to Sohail than Maya, because she seemed to be full of absolute revolt and he appeared to be much more docile and searching a way of peace, mercy and clarity after the shock of the war. Maya's only seemingly redeeming factor was when she attempted to save her nephew from injustice. The Tablighi Jamaat, the group that Sohail joined, definitely has some peculiarities but I believe it is not as catastrophic or threatening as made out to be.
An important theme in the novel was also that of children's education and upbringing. It's an increasingly important discussion since oftentimes when children are granted an education, it is a (compulsory) secular one, and one that usually inhibits creativity, an issue that is increasingly being faced in the Western world. Maya is wary of the madrasa education chosen by her brother, which again creates an opposition of two differing worlds.
Overall, I felt that while Anam was able to create some moving, sentimental scenes, the overall tones are strongly, if not too, anti-religion, and not necessarily anti-injustice that may take place under the guise of religion or in any other given context. For Maya, at least, Bangladesh is a country full of a rich culture but ought to otherwise be secular. However, I appreciate the role of Rehana, the mother, who points out that Maya is not simply the innocent, enlightened party in regards to their family dynamics, as she played a significant role in provoking her brother into a more drastic lifestyle change.
