Stigma And Discrimination In The Submission By Amy Waldman

The title of the text The Submission by Amy Waldman is an interesting one as it alludes to a variety of interpretations. Firstly, the translation of Islam or Muslim is to submit to God. Secondly, Mohammad Khan does the opposite of the Islamic religion as he does not submit to withdrawing his memorial competition entry. However, it is not his fault that he was chosen by the jury before they knew any personal information about him. The text demonstrates that he is not easily persuaded and led by others. Therefore, he is a very independent and non-submissive person. This is proved within the text when Mo is described as carrying ‘his own path within him’ (Waldman, 178).
Furthermore, the text highlights the stigma and discrimination that people
This quote further highlights the religious discrimination that Muslims face because of peoples’ lack of understanding of what it means to be a Muslim. The wider community do not think to consider that others of a different race and from a different religion commit murderous crimes on a daily basis. However, these murderers do not get racially and religiously persecuted or discriminated against to the same extremes as Muslims do. This idea is also explored within the text: ‘you have mixed up these bad Muslims, these bad people, and Islam. Millions of people all over the world have done good things because Islam tells them to. There are so many more Muslims who would never think of taking a life. You talk about paradise as a place for bad people. But that is not what we believe. That is not who the garden is for’ (Waldman, 296). This quotation demonstrates how much racial and religious discrimination affects the Muslim community as a whole, making this text a real eye opener to the ongoing issue seventeen years after the 9/11 attack. We also have to think about the character of Asma, who is a Muslim woman that lost her husband in the attack. She is an outsider amongst the mourning families because she lives in America illegally. Though it is evident that characters like Mo and Asma are being discriminated against, there is also
However, one criticism that stood out is the idea of intention and interpretation within the art world. As previously discussed, Mo is being judged because of the colour of his skin and not for the work that he has done to construct the garden memorial. The art that Mo created should be judged at face value, for his construction best suits the purpose of the memorial, which is to remember those that died and to be a place of reflection, peace for those who have lost loved ones in the attack. However, because of his race the families that lost loved ones cannot picture this purpose. This is because they strongly believe that it will place an Islamic mark in the city to remind them of the perpetrators of the senseless attack. Therefore, because of the prejudice remarks, Mo refuses to answer any questions about his intentions with the memorial as he claims no one would ask questions if he was not a Muslim. This creates more hatred as it is believed that he is concealing information. However, it is possible to dislike the creator or the artist, but still be able to appreciate the art for what it is. As the text portrays, the people of New York cannot do that even though Mo’s intentions are true. It is evident that his aim was to create an artistic space that suits the aesthetic of the city, represents a large variety of cultures from around the world and a place where the dead can be