Decolonising and Islamicising the study of English Literature: an argument for a comparative paradigm

The study of English Literature was first introduced during the late eighteenth century in order to consolidate the superiority of British culture in comparison to the cultures of the colonised people. In the postcolonial period of the twentieth century, the continuation of the study of English lite...

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Main Author: Mohd Ramli, Aimillia
Format: Proceeding Paper
Language:English
Published: 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://irep.iium.edu.my/25584/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/25584/1/INTERNATIONAL_CONFERENCE_ON_COLONIALISM_AND_DECOLONIZATION.pdf
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author Mohd Ramli, Aimillia
author_facet Mohd Ramli, Aimillia
author_sort Mohd Ramli, Aimillia
building IIUM Repository
collection Online Access
description The study of English Literature was first introduced during the late eighteenth century in order to consolidate the superiority of British culture in comparison to the cultures of the colonised people. In the postcolonial period of the twentieth century, the continuation of the study of English literature had mainly been justified by Western liberal humanism’s belief that canonical works in English literature display universal values that should be cultivated in the minds of readers regardless of their nationality and ethnicity. The advent of theory in the last few decades, however, has meant the introduction of critical theories into the study of English literature. All of these approaches, both the humanistic model of universal values and critical theories in the study of English literature, pose a problem for Muslim academicians who view their personal belief in Islam as being at odds with these secular approaches. To counter this problem, this paper will suggest the use of a comparative paradigm that will juxtapose and compare between the Tawhidic framework of Islamic literature and the above-mentioned Western approaches in courses that study English literature. It will suggest a new reading of English literature from an Islamic perspective and framework.
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spelling iium-255842013-02-13T20:08:13Z http://irep.iium.edu.my/25584/ Decolonising and Islamicising the study of English Literature: an argument for a comparative paradigm Mohd Ramli, Aimillia LC Special aspects of education PE English The study of English Literature was first introduced during the late eighteenth century in order to consolidate the superiority of British culture in comparison to the cultures of the colonised people. In the postcolonial period of the twentieth century, the continuation of the study of English literature had mainly been justified by Western liberal humanism’s belief that canonical works in English literature display universal values that should be cultivated in the minds of readers regardless of their nationality and ethnicity. The advent of theory in the last few decades, however, has meant the introduction of critical theories into the study of English literature. All of these approaches, both the humanistic model of universal values and critical theories in the study of English literature, pose a problem for Muslim academicians who view their personal belief in Islam as being at odds with these secular approaches. To counter this problem, this paper will suggest the use of a comparative paradigm that will juxtapose and compare between the Tawhidic framework of Islamic literature and the above-mentioned Western approaches in courses that study English literature. It will suggest a new reading of English literature from an Islamic perspective and framework. 2012-04-17 Proceeding Paper NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/25584/1/INTERNATIONAL_CONFERENCE_ON_COLONIALISM_AND_DECOLONIZATION.pdf Mohd Ramli, Aimillia (2012) Decolonising and Islamicising the study of English Literature: an argument for a comparative paradigm. In: International Conference on Colonialism and Decolonization: Challenges and Prospects ICCD 2012, 17-19 April 2012, ISTAC. (Unpublished) http://www.iium.edu.my/news/international-conference-colonialism-decolonization-challenges-prospects-iccd-2012
spellingShingle LC Special aspects of education
PE English
Mohd Ramli, Aimillia
Decolonising and Islamicising the study of English Literature: an argument for a comparative paradigm
title Decolonising and Islamicising the study of English Literature: an argument for a comparative paradigm
title_full Decolonising and Islamicising the study of English Literature: an argument for a comparative paradigm
title_fullStr Decolonising and Islamicising the study of English Literature: an argument for a comparative paradigm
title_full_unstemmed Decolonising and Islamicising the study of English Literature: an argument for a comparative paradigm
title_short Decolonising and Islamicising the study of English Literature: an argument for a comparative paradigm
title_sort decolonising and islamicising the study of english literature: an argument for a comparative paradigm
topic LC Special aspects of education
PE English
url http://irep.iium.edu.my/25584/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/25584/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/25584/1/INTERNATIONAL_CONFERENCE_ON_COLONIALISM_AND_DECOLONIZATION.pdf