My Son the Fanatic Depicts the Struggles Faced by Muslims (Book Review Sample)

My Son the Fanatic Depicts the Struggles Faced by Muslims

The film "My Son the Fanatic" recounts the experiences of a Pakistani taxi driver who has spent the better part of his adult life living in the British midlands. He spends his nights working to improve his financial situation, and one of the ways he does this is by providing transportation for commercial sex workers and the people they hook up with, and even introducing them to one another. His life would be considered by Islamic tradition to be deviant of the teaching of the Koran. On the other hand, his son is steadfast in his Islamic belief and is critical of the western culture which he beliefs are shallow. The film is set in the British midlands in the late 1990s and reflects some of the relevant theme on society and culture and how the specifically affected British Muslims. These themes can be highlighted through an analysis of the film and an integration of literature based on the events that occurred in the presented period of time.
One of the most conspicuous themes presented in the film is the theme racial ideology racial ideology is a significant factor in the way people of different races act, how they approach life, and what they believe in. The concept is very similar to that of stereotypes, which may be defined as broad generalizations about a certain population. The two ideas are not interchangeable due to their inherent distinctions. The lens through which one examines racial differences is the primary dividing line. People of one race may be the source of racial stereotypes, which are then projected onto members of another race by individuals of a different race.[Mustafa, Malik. Multicultural Politics: Racism, Ethnicity, and Muslims in Britain. (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press), 2005, 172.]
Ali views his own Pakistani racial ideology as that of a person who is extremist and dedicated to the fundamental teachings of Islam and the Koran. He is of the opinion that he and his "people" have been subjected to tyranny by Western nations and is in urgent need of freedom. He views the Western world as his folk's adversary, and he intends to wage war in an effort to bring about what he perceives to be the end of all that he considers to be moral and just. The fact that he has not directly experienced the persecution that he preaches against is the fundamental flaw in the worldview at that time. He has not been the victim of an assault, and given that he was raised in London, he is yet to live the life of a young Pakistani living in the East and has never had the opportunity to personally face what he campaigns so vehemently against CITATION Pra97 \l 1033 (Prasad, 1997). His ideologies are founded on a doctrine which asserts that young Pakistani Muslims are expected to be in opposition to the principles of Western civilization and that the Region is innately attempting to suppress and decimate all that they consider to be moral. [My Son the Fanatic, directed by Udayan Prasad, U. (1997; Los Angeles, CA: Miramax, 1998), DVD.]
The theme of racial ideology among Muslims was prevalent in Britain from the 1950s to the late 20 the century when they started to immigrate in significantly larger numbers. The ideology rose from an overpowering and natural need to belong to a certain segment of the society. This is a direct consequence of the coexistence of colonialism, racism, and sexism, as well as their respective ideologies and hierarchies. People strive to "other" themselves from the rest of the social hierarchy by placing themselves in a certain position on the social hierarchy. Because of this, they both end up becoming radicals; they are unable to find a compromise, and as a result, they finally push themselves to the point where they will destroy themselves. Ali becomes into a "fanatic," while Parvez remains adamant in his opposition to his religion and its practices. Ali has a sense of alienation from society as a result of the prejudice that is often directed against immigrants and other people who are not originally from the western hemisphere.[Baxter, Kylie. "From migrants to citizens: Muslims in Britain 1950s–1990s," Immigrants & Minorities 24, no. 2 (2006): 164-192.] [My Son the Fanatic, Udayan Prasad.]
Another relevant theme that appears several times in the film is the theme of assimilation. Assimilation refers to a process in which a person or a group gets absorbed into dominant culture of the location to which they have relocated. The process of assimilating into a new culture occurs most often when a person moves away from the society they were raised in. They often experience feelings of alienation, which compels them to make an effort to integrate into their new culture by adopting the customs of that society. They gradually become more like their new culture at the expense their old culture, which results in the watering down of their original culture. There are several instances of this kind of integration that can be found in a variety of faiths, cultures, nations, and places.[Mathias, Rohe, “Sharia in Europe. Perspectives of Segregation, Assimilation or Integration for European Muslims?," in Current Issues in Law and Religion (New York: Routledge, 2017), 217-256.]