The Depiction of Islam and Muslim Characters in Anees Salim’s Novels: Neither Apologetic nor Assertive

By Grace Mubashir, New Age Islam 27 November 2024 Anees Salim, one of contemporary India’s most distinctive literary voices, has carved a niche with his poignant, melancholic, and often darkly humorous novels. His works frequently centre on individuals from marginalised or overlooked communities, offering profound insights into their lives. Among his most compelling subjects is the portrayal of Muslims and the nuanced depiction of Islam. Salim’s novels neither glorify nor exoticize Muslim characters; instead, they present their faith, culture, and struggles with rare authenticity and complexity. This article explores how Islam and Muslim characters are portrayed in Salim’s works, analysing their literary and political significance. Drawing on specific examples and quotes from his novels, it examines how Salim engages with identity, faith, and marginalisation, creating a rich tapestry of experiences reflective of India’s socio-political realities. Anees Salim ------ Islam as a Quiet Force in Salim’s Fiction Islam in Salim’s novels often operates as a subtle, unspoken force that shapes the characters’ worldviews and decisions. It is neither polemical nor didactic but a quiet presence that influences daily life. Salim eschews overt religiosity or theological debates, focusing instead on the cultural and existential dimensions of faith. For example, in The Small-Town Sea, the protagonist reflects on his father’s rituals, prayers, and deeply personal connection with faith: "My father’s voice would rise and fall in rhythm with the verses he chanted, his face turned toward the sea as if it were the Qibla itself." Here, Islam is not merely a set of religious practices but a source of solace and identity. The father’s prayers are intertwined with nature, reflecting his rootedness in both spirituality and the physical world. Such portrayals resonate with the lived experiences of many Muslims, where faith is deeply personal yet inseparable from everyday life. Muslim Characters: Neither Stereotypes Nor Saints One of Salim’s greatest achievements is his refusal to reduce Muslim characters to stereotypes. In much of popular literature, Muslim characters are often depicted as victims, villains, or one-dimensional symbols of otherness. Salim, however, imbues his characters with individuality, flaws, and complexities, making them relatable and human. In Vanity Bagh, Imran Jabbari, the narrator, is a young man from a predominantly Muslim neighbourhood nicknamed "Little Pakistan." The novel, both a dark comedy and a sharp critique of communalism, follows Imran’s journey as he is falsely implicated in a terror plot. Salim uses Imran’s voice to highlight the precarious position of young Muslim men in India, often viewed with suspicion due to their religious identity: "The world is split into two—those who think I am guilty and those who pretend they don’t." Through Imran, Salim critiques the pervasive stereotypes about Muslims, particularly in the post-9/11 and post-Babri Masjid era. Imran’s humour and defiance offer a counter-narrative to the dominant discourse of fear and prejudice, making him both a literary and political figure of resistance. Memory, Loss, and the Muslim Experience Themes of memory and loss pervade Salim’s novels, often intersecting with the Muslim characters’ sense of displacement and marginalization. In The Blind Lady’s Descendants, the narrator, Amar, grapples with his family’s history and his own identity as a Muslim. The novel is structured as a suicide note, laced with dark humour and introspection, offering a poignant exploration of alienation: "In our family, the stories we told were always punctuated with a sigh, as if life itself was a long, drawn-out breath we were waiting to exhale." This sense of melancholia reflects the broader condition of Indian Muslims, caught between historical trauma and contemporary challenges. Amar’s struggle to reconcile his personal failures with the weight of familial and communal expectations mirrors the larger tensions faced by a community grappling with socio-economic decline and political invisibility. Islam and Intergenerational Conflict In many of Salim’s novels, intergenerational conflict serves as a lens to examine the evolving role of Islam in the lives of Muslim families. Younger characters often question or reinterpret their faith, leading to tensions with older generations. This dynamic is vividly portrayed in Tales from a Vending Machine, where Hasina Mansoor, a young Muslim woman working at an airport vending machine, navigates her aspirations, desires, and familial expectations. Hasina’s diary entries, written in a mix of humour and pathos, reveal her inner conflict: "God must be busy, I thought, managing the traffic of prayers that rise like smoke from the mouths of the devout. Mine must have taken the wrong turn." Hasina’s irreverence and humour do not signify a rejection of Islam but reflect her struggle to find meaning in a rapidly changing world. Through her, Salim highlights the challenges faced by young Muslims, particularly women, who must negotiate traditional values with modernity and independence. The Political Undercurrents in Salim’s Novels While Salim’s works are primarily literary, they carry significant political undertones, particularly in their portrayal of Muslim identity in contemporary India. The socio-political marginalisation of Muslims forms a recurring backdrop, whether in the communal tensions of Vanity Bagh or the quiet prejudice faced by characters in The Small-Town Sea. Salim’s refusal to explicitly moralise or sensationalise adds to the power of his critique. By focusing on the lived experiences of ordinary Muslims, he exposes the subtle and systemic ways in which marginalisation occurs. This approach is particularly effective in challenging dominant narratives, allowing readers to empathise with characters often reduced to statistics or stereotypes. In Vanity Bagh, the communal tension is palpable but never directly addressed in overt political terms. Instead, it manifests through the architecture of the neighbourhood, the characters’ interactions, and Imran’s observations: "The lanes of Vanity Bagh were narrow, as if they had been built to contain our dreams." This spatial metaphor encapsulates the physical and psychological constraints imposed on the community, highlighting the interplay between geography, identity, and politics. Literary Merits: Crafting Voice and Atmosphere Salim’s prose is marked by its lyricism, humour, and ability to evoke atmosphere. His Muslim characters, while central to the narrative, are never reduced to symbols; they are fully realised individuals with distinct voices. The use of first-person narration in many of his novels allows readers to enter the minds of his protagonists, fostering empathy and understanding. For instance, the narrator of The Blind Lady’s Descendants reflects on his family’s history with a mix of nostalgia and bitterness, creating a layered portrait of identity: "We carried our stories like heirlooms, passing them down from one generation to another, polishing them with tears, embellishing them with laughter." Salim’s ability to blend the personal and the political, the tragic and the comic, makes his novels uniquely impactful. His characters’ voices, often tinged with irony and wit, serve as a counterbalance to the weight of their circumstances, adding depth and complexity to the narrative. Political Merits: Challenging Stereotypes In a socio-political climate where Muslims are often viewed through a lens of suspicion or hostility, Salim’s novels serve as an antidote to divisive narratives. By portraying Muslim characters as multi-dimensional individuals, he challenges stereotypes and humanises a community frequently dehumanised in public discourse. Moreover, Salim’s nuanced approach to faith and identity offers a counter-narrative to both communal and secular extremes. His works remind readers that Islam, like any religion, is not monolithic but diverse and deeply personal. This perspective is particularly significant in fostering understanding and dialogue in a polarised society. Conclusion Anees Salim’s portrayal of Islam and Muslim characters is a testament to his literary brilliance and his commitment to truth-telling. His novels capture the joys, sorrows, and struggles of Muslim lives with sensitivity and nuance, challenging stereotypes while celebrating individuality. Through his richly drawn characters and evocative prose, Salim not only expands the horizons of Indian literature but also makes a powerful political statement about inclusion, empathy, and the shared humanity of all communities. In a world increasingly divided by identity, his works offer a much-needed reminder of the complexities and commonalities that bind us all. ----- A regular columnist for NewAgeIslam.com, Mubashir V.P is a PhD scholar in Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia and freelance journalist. 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