Children of Dust by Ali Eteraz Essay Example

"Children of Dust" by Ali Eteraz is captivating that is meant to blow the reader's mind. It shows a conflict between social and religious life. The title of the book has featured mostly on the theme in the memoir. The author has used literary devices to show how he struggles with social life and Muslim teachings. The story shares life experiences in Pakistan and USA where the narrator is faced with love for God and earthly temptations he is surrounded by earthly things, but chooses to focus on Muslim teachings to keep close to God. Dust in the memoir means earthly things that are meant to vanish one day. It is clear that the narrator is faced with a dilemma in following Islamic teachings while faced with temptations of the flesh and worldly property. The book uses literal writing styles such as humor and irony to draw a perfect image to the readers on the intention of its author.

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The book starts by telling a story before Ali was born in Pakistan. His father prayed to Allah to get a boy. In his prayers, he promised to make his son a servant of Islam. This covenant becomes the core of Ali's story throughout his life. Ali spends most of his life struggling to fulfill his father's promise to Allah (Eteraz 1). The narrator tells his Muslim background which influences most of his decisions. His father spent time teaching him Islamic history of Pakistan. He had to attend madrassa to become part of the community. Even when he went to the USA, he stayed in a Muslim family. Therefore, he does not understand why he struggles with his faith. He grew to become a liberal Muslim who faced struggles with his faith.

The names Ali takes up in the journey of his faith mark the struggles of his life. When he was born, he was called Abir ul Islam, meaning perfume of Islam. This name was the fulfillment of promise his father had made on his trip to Mecca. Later, when he went to the US, he changed his name to Amir because his classmate would couldn't pronounce his name accurately. In the US Ali became the Islam students' president where he was able to impose several changes. Later in his quest to find a wife from the religion he changes his name to Abu Bakr Ramaq. Later in his reformation quest, he called himself, Ali Eteraz on the internet. He sought to reform Islam religion to end stereotyping of Islam followers. All these four names that he picked represented the struggle of faith of Ali. He did not believe in himself enough. He was a boy that followed both secular and religious life. It is a sign that he needed both sides to understand how the world works. He could not survive on his faith alone; he needed to balance it out with social life. As much as he focused on fulfilling his father's promise, he also inspired change among his peers.

Despite the memoir having humor, encounters of Eteraz's on his religion were not happy ones. He says that in his teachings on madrassa they used to be beaten up. He also argues on some of the teachings in did not agree on. He explains his lesson on urine, which he says that if it touches his clothing meant that he was impure; however, he views this subject as an exaggeration on Islamic teachings. However, he wants to fulfill his dream of becoming a great Islamic leader, so he had to learn their ways. Despite the flaws he found in his religion, he stayed in it. His passion for Islamic religion did not fade. Instead, he sought to impose change on what he felt was wrong. The author shows strong passion and bravely for going against odds to become a reformist. He fulfills his destiny of becoming an Islamic leader despite the struggles of faith he faced (Eteraz 52).

Ali Eteraz arranges his ideas in a format that shows evident struggles he underwent through. He faced trials and temptations in his time in the US. He says that he would sex-chat with girls online. However, he says that he thought about the action as a thought crime. It is clear he tried to justify his actions. He focused on his religious faith and forgot that he was a human being under puberty. Ali gives several accounts in which he felt to be against his faith but could not help himself. Tribulations followed when he was the president of the Islamic students' association. He felt that he did not follow the right path as required by his faith. The author shows a good flow story that is clear and understandable. The story captures his life and the entire dilemmas in making decisions.

The core of the memoir is not realized when the writer gets to understand postmodernism. This is where the author raises the principle of Confucianism and Islamic region. The author questions his social experience and his religion. He learns that life is about interaction and not radical teachings. The author shows that good life integrates socialization and religious faith. As Ali came to realize previous Islamic teachings did not integrate secular life in them. He understood that life is beyond religious comprehension, it also includes secular understanding. This is realized by his quest to bring reform in the Islamic religion through his leadership.

"Children of Dust" by Ali Eteraz focuses on human struggles to find their identity. In this case, the author is seeking to unfold more truth about him by exploring other secular options. The book is marked by unmasked sexuality and how it contradicts with Islamic teachings. At the same time, the memoir shows the struggle of an Islamic teenager growing in a Christian community. His life is not as smooth as anyone may think. Most of the difficulties experienced are masked through humor used by the writer. The deeper meaning of the book is how one survives in when faced with a faith dilemma. Ali is faced with problems, especially since he is brought up by fundamentalist Muslims while he turns to be reformed. Ali represents a modern secular world that focuses on life and interaction with society whiles his parents represent a conservative culture of the Islamic religion. Ali's goal was to bring change and present his religion as peace-loving and get rid of stereotyping that revolves around Islam (Waterman 50).

"Children of Dust" by Ali Eteraz opens the mind of its readers to a world of possibilities. Sometimes one is conflicted between traditions, faith and political affiliations that they have to set their priorities right. In a world full of hypocrisy, Ali's story serves right to its audience to focus on what matters most. At the same time have an open mind to a world of limitless possibilities. In a world where freedom of choice is ensured one can be faced with conflicts with what is best for them (Waterman 48). In the case of Ali, he did not know what was right or good for him, although he figured out that he was meant to be a reformer. The story of Ali's life is relevant to a contemporary world which is marked by different religions, cultures and political ideas. Ali focuses on the sense of personal and collective identification. In the story mentioned above, Ali's struggles are rendered by a collective identification which he came to dispute on his accounts. Despite having tribulations and trials he later came to understand how a normal world works. Through his experiences of Confucianism and Islam Ali sought to introduce a transformative Islam religion.

Conclusion

Ali Eteraz in the "Children of Dust" shows his skills of storytelling. As discussed above he shows intelligence, bravery and daring tactics to cope with his tribulations. One can tell that through humor and stylistic devices of literature, he gives the reader an exciting story that is educative both on social and religious lives. The book has captured all the necessary features of personal identification through Ali's life to fit in both his religious and secular world. The memoir briefs the reader on how to cope with situations that require choices of priorities. At the same time, it opens up possibilities for everyone through exploration and self-discovery. In conclusion, Children of Dust by Ali Eteraz is an exceptional memoir that equips readers with the knowledge necessary for self-identification in a diverse society.

Works Cited

Eteraz, Ali. Children of Dust: A Memoir of Pakistan. New York: HarperOne, 2009.

Waterman, David. "Review, Children of Dust by Ali Eteraz." Pakistaniaat: A Journal of Pakistan Studies 2.2 (2010): 48-50.