The Cultural Shift from a Muslim Nation to an Islamic State in Tahira Naqvi’s The History Teacher of Lahore

Abstract

This research paper reads Tahira Naqvi's portrayal of religious extremism and sectarian intolerance in The History Teacher of Lahore (2024) as an essential attribute of postcolonial historical fiction. The examination unravels the aspects of the marginalization of religious minorities using Seyyed Vali Reza Nasr’s critical observations with regard to sectarian intolerance and religious extremism. Nasr suggests that religious extremism is not only a phenomenon in the theological aspect but a political agenda by the elites who utilize religion to acquire power and restructure the state and society. The historical annals of Pakistan serve as a witness to General Zia-ul-Haq’s acquiring the role of that leading political elite to use religion as a weapon to strengthen his authoritarian regime. The research paper also examines the framework of religious fundamentalism and power dynamics as major causes of cultural shifts in the novel. Arif, the protagonist of the novel, is a history teacher who wants to unravel the true history to the young students and changes the rules of inequality in society by secretly helping the religious minorities from violence. The sectarian tensions that Naqvi presents in the novel and the fear experienced by the non-Sunni Muslims align with the argument made by Nasr.