REPRESENTATION OF ISLAM: A POSTCOLONIAL READING OF NADEEM ASLAM’S MAPS FOR LOST LOVERS

This research seeks to explore image of Islam in Maps for Lost Lovers (2004). It briefly discusses theories of representation from Plato to present; discourses issue of transparency; demonstrates power of representations, and shows their implication for postcolonial studies. It demonstrates how Said, using Foucault’s constructionist-discursive approach to production of knowledge, re-describes Orientalism as a discursive establishment, at the same time, offers a review of Said’s insights on Orientalist’s techniques of representation to construct stereotypes of non-Europeans. Furthermore, this study recalls stereotypes of Islam and Muslims that were normative in Orientalist discourse and shows their continuation in present-day images of Islam. A small critique of some postcolonial works illustrates how fundamentalist version of Islam has been advocated by them; hence, bringing forth the need to analyze ideologies inscribed in postcolonial texts. Said’s theoretical model provides methodology for analysis of Aslam’s novel. The research concludes that Maps presents a reductive view of Islam and reinforces its stereotypical image of fundamentalism. It also indicates that Aslam’s perception of Islam has reminiscences of Orientalists, thereby, showing the connivance of postcolonial works with neo-colonial imperial agenda.