A Critical Review of Ali Eteraz's Children of Dust
A Critical Review of Ali Eteraz's Children of Dust: A Portrait of a Muslim as a Young Man
Kelius Hardy
World Religions: East and West REL-223-15WE
October 12, 2014
Professor Patricia Spacek
A Critical Review of Ali Eteraz's Children of Dust: A Portrait of a Muslim as a Young Man
In Children of Dust, Ali Eteraz expresses his life story from the circumstances behind his conception, through his early school years, troubling teenage years, and finally reaching a level of self-fulfillment or finding self. In the first chapter, Ali reveals how his life was pre-determined prior to his birth through a pledge or agreement made by his father with God, and his subsequent early school years. We then get to see Ali in a different environment as a teenager in American society trying to come to terms with his culture and that of individuals around him. He continues on his quest to find or define his identity and travels from the States to Pakistan and back, only to add to his frustration. He then takes a wholehearted attempt to reclaim his identity along with his religious beliefs to end up feeling empty once again. Finally, Ali comes full circle with his identity and his religion and finds his true self. The Children of Dust is about the journey the author, Ali Eteraz, takes in his quest to come to terms with his Islamic religion and culture in the midst of negative connotations and different cultures.
Even before his birth, Ali’s life was already pre-determined to be surrounded by Islam and its culture. His father, prior to his birth, had already dedicated his life to serving Islam through a pledge or agreement he made with God to have a son. His parents were so committed to this pledge that after his birth he was taken to Mecca, and brushed against the wall of the Ka’ba, to receive his blessings. Ali was given the name, Abir ul Islam, which stands for perfume of Islam to signify the standing he would have in the Islamic culture. His childhood seemed a very happy one
Kelius Hardy
World Religions: East and West REL-223-15WE
October 12, 2014
Professor Patricia Spacek
A Critical Review of Ali Eteraz's Children of Dust: A Portrait of a Muslim as a Young Man
In Children of Dust, Ali Eteraz expresses his life story from the circumstances behind his conception, through his early school years, troubling teenage years, and finally reaching a level of self-fulfillment or finding self. In the first chapter, Ali reveals how his life was pre-determined prior to his birth through a pledge or agreement made by his father with God, and his subsequent early school years. We then get to see Ali in a different environment as a teenager in American society trying to come to terms with his culture and that of individuals around him. He continues on his quest to find or define his identity and travels from the States to Pakistan and back, only to add to his frustration. He then takes a wholehearted attempt to reclaim his identity along with his religious beliefs to end up feeling empty once again. Finally, Ali comes full circle with his identity and his religion and finds his true self. The Children of Dust is about the journey the author, Ali Eteraz, takes in his quest to come to terms with his Islamic religion and culture in the midst of negative connotations and different cultures.
Even before his birth, Ali’s life was already pre-determined to be surrounded by Islam and its culture. His father, prior to his birth, had already dedicated his life to serving Islam through a pledge or agreement he made with God to have a son. His parents were so committed to this pledge that after his birth he was taken to Mecca, and brushed against the wall of the Ka’ba, to receive his blessings. Ali was given the name, Abir ul Islam, which stands for perfume of Islam to signify the standing he would have in the Islamic culture. His childhood seemed a very happy one