Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-1-2023
Abstract
This paper explores the novel "Forty Rules of Love" by Elif Shafak, which evokes the historical personality of the great scholar Jalal al-Din al-Rumi, dubbed by the West "the Shakespeare of the Islamic world". He was known for his moderation and tolerance, his call to coexistence and fraternity between the members of different religions, and his condemnation of violence and extremism of all kinds. The novel strives to change the misconceptions of the West regarding the Asian countries of the East and to challenge the negative attitude towards Islam, known nowadays as Islamophobia. The paper aims to address the evil of fanaticism and violence and introduce the Western reader to the sublime spiritual aesthetics of the East, which starkly contrast with the savage image of Islam as presented by the media.
Recommended Citation
Abou Adel, Mohamad, "Aesthetics of Religious Coexistence and Tolerance in Shafak's Turkish Novel" (2023). CoHSS Faculty Work. 38.
https://scholarworks.uaeu.ac.ae/cohss_facwork/38