Faith across Borders: A Study in Shaila Abdullah’s Saffron Dreams

Abstract

This paper brings out the critical situations of the Muslim community in America after the destruction of September 11, 2001. It shows the identity, culture, faith, hijab and assimilation. The author Shaila Abdullah highlights the protagonist Arissa Illahi, a Pakistani Muslim woman who loses her husband Faizan in the destruction of the twin towers on September 11, 2001 and who faces an identity crisis, culture and faith. She confronts personal tragedy, cultural alienation and a redefinition of her identity in an atmosphere of prejudice. At the same time, her eventual removal of the hijab does not signify a complete rejection of her cultural identity. Rather, it represents a complex negotiation between faith, memory, motherhood, survival, and belonging. At last, she assimilates to the culture of America by concealing her own culture in order to take care of her son who suffers from various ailments.