Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Terrorism in Western, Arabic Novels | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Frankenstein a Baghdad Cover


Paris – Over the past two decades, literature has deeply reflected the realities of communities in regard of terrorism; as it has been the reflection of every society and the writer’s inspiration source – from which he chose his tools of expression as tragedy and human conscience, etc. Our Arab world, which has suffered from terrorism in all its regions, has been affected by this type of literature since the nineties starting from Algeria.

In his novel ‘Lolita’s Fingers’, Wasini AL-Araj has discussed how the hero who is the writer’s beloved woman turn to become a terrorist suicide bomber in one of Paris avenues, just like many European girls who join ISIS these days.

The Iraqi Ahmad Sadawi has been inspired by Frankenstein to tell the story of “Frankenstein in Baghdad”, the Iraqi who collects shreds of terrorist bombing victims on daily basis to merge them and create a Frankenstein-like creature who suddenly came to life to take revenge from terrorists.

This literature phenomenon has also moved to the United States after September 11 and shocked the U.S. people who used to think they were secured from terrorism. Many writers have focused on this incident like “Freedom” for Jonathan Franzen and “The Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt.

France, which was under terrorism threats and attacks since July 2015, has also read terrorism-relates publications.

Many literary novels have seen light like “Nour” by Rashid bin Zein, tackling the story of Nour, who was married to the Fallujah’s Police Director in ISIS; Nour is the daughter of a moderate Muslim cleric who finally rejected the terroristic and extremist intellect and denounced all its draconian acts.

Many publications in the Arab and western world have highlighted the reality of communities living amid constant terrorist threats, particularly western communities that faced such dangers for the first time.