Our Challenge Today

What was Hosseini’s intent when he published A Thousand Splendid Suns in 2007? How have Western attitudes towards the Middle East changed over the last nine years and to what extent have literature and the media played a role in this shift, respectively?

In an interview with Khaled Hosseini published online, the author said that he felt “a responsibility to represent his…own culture and to educate others about it” (“Q&A”). However, his main intention was simply to craft a work of fiction that would resonate emotionally with its readers despite cultural differences, fostering empathy for the plight of Afghan women during this troubled period.

At the time A Thousand Splendid Suns was published, about 43% of U.S. citizens described Muslims as fanatical and violent when polled (Pew Research Center). The attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center in 2001 in particular viciously polarized the two ideological groups, which already laid claim to fundamental disagreements respecting women, democracy, and globalization.

Unfortunately, it seems islamophobia has spiked again in the last year, with ISIS responsible for attacks on European cities like Paris and Brussels, and thousands of Syrian refugees flooding the continent. This negative stereotype of Muslims speaks to a larger xenophobia that can be witnessed at any Donald Trump rally. Though Hosseini’s novels are both critically acclaimed literary works, those most subject to anti-Muslim sentiment likely spend little time on literature. It’s too bad, because I highly doubt anyone would describe Mariam or Laila as fanatical terrorists.

Part of the problem lies in the media. Had Mariam been a real person, her martyrdom would likely fail to register on major news networks in America. Several university professors in the U.S. and abroad have become fascinated with the “obsession” pertaining to Islam and the West, which portray average Muslims as “bigoted extremists and terrorists” (Espiritu). This prejudice can be attributed to several factors, including treatment of American journalists by ISIS, competition for high ratings, and fostering support for nationalism by identifying a common, yet misrepresented, enemy.

Still, it’s not fair to assume that the majority of Muslims “cheered on 9/11” and other ridiculous claims. We must remember that they, too, have fallen victim to extremism and suffered at the hands of the sadistic, and we must unite against humanitarian atrocities to prevent future generations of conflict.

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