Politics, freedoms and spirituality in Alaa Al Aswany's Yacouian Building
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Date
2013
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Cape Town
Abstract
Although set in the 1990s and published in 2002, Alaa
Al Aswany�s novel The Yacoubian Building conveys the
corruption and brutality that led to explosive revolutions in
Egypt from 2011. Moreover, his depiction of Cairo-dwellers
with diverse class, cultural and gendered experiences
functions as a microcosm of the dense forms and histories
of contemporary Egyptian socio-political processes. This
article argues that the novel�s power derives not only from
its prophetic insight into Egyptian neo-colonial politics,
but also from its expansive exploration of personal and
collective freedoms. Connecting ideas about freedom to his
scrutiny of how Islamic discourses have been represented
and appropriated, Al Aswany shows that aspects of
Islam have played a vital part in liberating personal and
political struggles. The article therefore demonstrates
that Al Aswany challenges Western-centric, orientalist
and narrowly rights-based conceptions of social justice by
exploring the interconnectedness of sexual, spiritual and
political freedoms.
Description
Keywords
Political freedom, Religious values, Islam, Egypt, Alaa Al Aswany, Yacoubian Building (novel)
Citation
Lewis, D. (2013). Politics, freedoms and spirituality in Alaa Al Aswany's Yacouian Building. Journal for Islamic Studies, 33: 101-126