EXPLORING ISLAMOPHOBIA AND RACISM: A POSTCOLONIAL PERSPECTIVE OF SAMIRA AHMAD'S HOLLOW FIRES

Abstract

The notion of Islamophobia was coined to shed light on anti-Muslim attitudes and Islam. A growing trend in scholarly writing is the examination of xenophobic attitudes and discourse. This troubling tendency, which is fueling Islamophobia and is on the increase primarily in the West, has psychological, social, political, and historical roots. Islamophobia, as a key theme in literature, illustrates racism and other social ills that are deeply embedded in society as a result of religion affiliation. The piece of literature that brings up issues of racism and Islamophobia is Hollow Fires (2022) by Samira Ahmed. This study seeks to examine how racism and Islamophobia are shown, as well as their origins and consequences, in Hollow Fires. Because this research looks at human issues that have their origins in religious prejudice, it makes use of the theories of racism, Islamophobia, and religious discrimination. In particular, this study employs Kevin Boyle's (2004) religious discrimination theory, which traces the origins of Islamophobia and racism to various forms of religious discrimination. Additionally, the effects of religious intolerance on Muslim protagonists. Hollow Fires, written by Samira Ahmed, is the source for the data. It is a collection of narratives and conversations drawn from the book. The research proves that Samira Ahmed's depictions of Islamophobia and racism in Hollow Fires amount to overt religious bigotry. Two things also contribute to the novel's racist and Islamophobic depictions. Specifically, bigotry and hatred based on Muslims' faith leads to discrimination against Muslims. The research goes on to classify the bullying and bad treatment that the Muslim community in the book endured as two negative impacts of religious prejudice