Introduction to English Studies in Muslim Societies PDF

INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH STUDIES IN MUSLIM SOCIETIES ENGL 1310  OVERVIEW 01 Literature & Islam 04 Postcolonial literature 02 History of English Literature 05 The birth of Muslim writings 03 Why was English literature 06...

INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH STUDIES IN MUSLIM SOCIETIES ENGL 1310  OVERVIEW 01 Literature & Islam 04 Postcolonial literature 02 History of English Literature 05 The birth of Muslim writings 03 Why was English literature 06 Homework introduced in British India? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LITERATURE & ISLAM? HISTORY OF ENGLISH LITERATURE ENGLISH LITERATURE Education has been used by European colonisers to strengthen colonial grip on colonised societies Edward Said calls imperialism as "educational movement" Acts as cultural domination and mental colonisation Colonialism - the main reason English language and literature introduced to colonial countries including Malaysia ENGLISH LITERATURE Classical European colonialism: military and educational Colonial rule could not be sustained without conquering the minds of the colonised people which was best done through education Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was accompanied by a shipload of savants along with 55,000 soldiers and sailors The British East India Company while trading and conquering vast areas of the South Asian by military force, also brought Western scholars who were divided into Anglicists and Orientalists ENGLISH LITERATURE First introduced in British India 1835 Hegemonic power - an indirect strategy to dominate without using military force Pre-WW1, literature was not taught at schools & universities as it was considered only for "second and third rate minds" and "only pastime for lesser minds" Robert Eaglestone believes that in the academia of pre-WW1 Britain, English literature was looked down upon by university professors. While continental literature - especially Greek, Latin and Italian was regarded highly and taught at British universities ENGLISH LITERATURE English literature was deemed to be below the level of academia or below literary or scholarly significance In 1917, University of Cambridge introduced English literature as a subject to their students After WW1, Britain followed Cambridge to "re-civilise the native savages" (Eaglestone, 2009) English literature was embraced as an academic subject at universities because it perceived to be used as a tool for spreading ideas and values for the civilising mission ENGLISH LITERATURE Ironically, in British colonies, the purpose was to civilise, Westernise the colonised One of the greatest ironies in the history of modern learning is the fact that English literature was first introduced as a subject of study at tertiary level in India, not in England Later on, the British authority rethought their colonial strategy and was looking for an alternative to Christian missionary work. If Christianity was really a religion of love and mercy, how come the Christian colonisers were exploiting the Indians and plundering their land and resources? WHY WAS ENGLISH LITERATURE INTRODUCED IN BRITISH INDIA 1835? To facilitate the exploitation of colonised lands, people and resources To perpetuate intellect, cultural, linguistic and mental colonisation POSTCOLONIAL LITERATURE In the postcolonial world of diverse cultures and of neo-colonial anxiety, there is a perceived urgency to 1) reconstruct national identity 2) reject Western ideas, values and cultural modernity transmitted by such means as literary texts POSTCOLONIAL LITERATURE “the teaching of English literature in the colonies must be understood as part of the many ways in which Western colonial powers such as Britain 1) asserted their cultural and moral superiority while at the same time 2) devaluing indigenous cultural products” - (McLeod, 2000) With the end of British Empire, a reverse trend of the former colonies migrating to Britain caused the subsequent rise of postcolonial literature and studies in the metropolis Immigrant literature, postcolonial literature, Muslim diasporic literature, British Muslim literature Now this new literary tradition has reflected a plural Britain - isn't all white & Christians. London became postcolonial, and multiculturalism became the norm Islam and Muslims are now relevant and dominant themes in debates, media and literary works HOMEWORK What the Quran and Hadith speak about language and literature? Please find relevant Quranic verses or Hadiths then share your understanding in class