Neo-orientalist Tropes and Essentialist Othering of Muslims in Masood’s The Bad Muslim Discount

Abstract

This research explores the current trends in the representation of Muslims in contemporary Pakistani fiction by tracing out neo-oriental elements in The Bad Muslim Discount (2021). While it is observed that orientalism reconfigured into new modes in the aftermath of the massive events including 9/11, the war on terror and rising Islamophobia; the role that literature coming from Muslim natives played in the perpetuation of aversion towards Muslims is an ongoing debate. Therefore, it requires a critical analysis of contemporary Pakistani fiction to identify the influence of this prevalent narrative in the portrayal of Pakistani people and their culture. The present research, through Behdad and Williams’ concept of neo-orientalism (2010), endeavours to understand to what extent Pakistani fiction is contributing to circulate a reductive image of Islam. The analysis reveals that it has become a crucial site for reinforcing neo-oriental themes as it encapsulates exoticization, self-othering, and essentialist representation of Pakistani Muslims. Furthermore, it unveils the employment of Oriental gender stereotypes to strengthen the representation of men as fanatical and immune to change while there is a persistent image of victimized veiled women.