Titre
Islamophobia and the Search for a British Muslim Identity in The Road from Damascus
Domaine
Études arabes et islamiques
Auteur.e.s
Mamadou OUATTARA
.
Résumé
Muslim immigrants, in Western countries like Britain, are confronted with the issue of islamophobia. Faced with
this adversity, many migrants are compelled to forge an identity that protects them against the challenges of the
host society. This article analyses how Robin Yassin Kassab’s The Road from Damascus (2008) explores the
impact of Islamophobia on the identity-building process of British Muslims. Using a “close reading” method and
the postcolonial theory through Homi Bhabha’s concepts of ‘hybridity’ and ‘mimicry’ beside Edward Said’s
‘Orientalism’, this study shows how islamophobia challenges the protagonists, Sami Traifi’s stable identity. This
challenge leads him to reconcile with his Muslim identity on his own terms. Ultimately, the analysis reveals that
Islamophobia in Britain is a catalyst that leads Muslim immigrants to reshape their identity by the integration of
Islamic landmarks as Sami Traifi and Muntaz did.
Numéro
1 (10 - 2025)
