Yumna Al-Arashi and Kamila Shamsie
In what ways do the authors offer insights and challenges into contemporary religious and cultural practices?
In Home Fire, Shamsie demonstrates the stereotypical viewpoint of non-Muslim citizens on Muslims who are practicing their religion. For example, Karamat Lone, home secretary of the UK, intentionally avoids walking near mosques to prevent any connection between himself and the religion forming, showing many people are aware of the Islamophobia however they do not wish to correct this injustice, even the people in such high position who should have enough power to speak up. In this situation where the entire country is indirectly against religious practices and considers them as something to be avoided for better public reputation, Muslim people are challenged with pursuing their religious practices.
Yumna Al-Arashi’s photos have the power to urge the audiences to realize and reflect on themselves about their unconscious thoughts on the Islamic culture of wearing Burqa, by fascinating use of juxtaposition. Most of her works show a clear contrast between the subject, usually a female wearing burqa, and the background. In the example below, the subject wears a pitch-black burqa and she stands firmly in the green. This picture initially gave me rather awkward feelings, and I believe many others will feel the same. It is partly because the photographer intentionally structured the picture in such a way that makes people feel something is off (putting a dark figure in the middle of vast nature), however this feeling strengthens the deeper message that Al-Arashi is trying to convey: Islamic culture is often viewed as something that cannot naturally fit into the society. Islamic culture is quite unique and different from any other culture, whereas other cultures have many things in common. This nature of Islamic culture inevitably gave the feeling that Muslims are “odd” to many people as they grew up, and the awkward feeling this picture provides encourages them to spot her message.