Reimagining Pakistani Muslim Identity in Pre-9/11 America in Selected Pakistani Diasporic Fiction

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine how pre-9/11 America is portrayed in Pakistani diasporic fiction, and how it shapes Pakistani Muslim identity influencing the interplay between religious and cultural identities. This study applies Aroosa Kanwal’s theory of Rethinking Identities in Contemporary Pakistani Fiction: Beyond 9/11 and Samuel P. Huntington’s theory of Clash of Civilizations and the Making of a New World Order to analyze both novels to contextualize Pakistan’s cultural and religious representation in the pre-9/11 American cities.A qualitative approach has been adopted using interpretation as a research method. The study reveals that both novels emphasize the complex relationship between religious and diasporic identities and challenges experienced by the Pakistani diaspora in pre-9/11 contexts. The study suggests that future research should explore the evolution of Pakistani diasporic fiction post-9/11 to compare how shifting global attitudes have influenced representations of religious and cultural identities.