Review: The Good Muslim by Tahmima Anam
by Jack Murphy
Set in the aftermath of Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence, Tahmima Anam’s fantastic novel, The Good Muslim, debates not only the ethics of war, but delves into the question of what happens to everyone once the fighting has stopped.
Anam dextrously conflates the politics of the age with the fictional families of her narrative to powerfully portray how individuals are affected, long after the war is over. In doing so, Anam also posits religion at the heart of this story, and debates whether it is merely a protective veil to hide behind, or if it genuinely holds the possibility for redemption.
The Good Muslim flits between 1970s and 1980s Bangladesh, and focuses on Maya Haque, a conflicted woman who has spent the years following the war working as a doctor in underprivileged areas of Bangladesh. Much of the novel centres around the relationship between Maya and her brother, Sohail.
Sohail is an atheist before the war, but shortly after begins to subscribe to a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam. Maya is deeply grieved by this transformation and we see how, as her brother changes, their relationship does too.
Maya is a complex and interesting character, and one we are led to sympathise with. Despite being described by her mother as ‘cold’, and occasionally coming across as judgemental, her nature is underpinned by a strong sense of genuine love and affection.
Sohail, on the other hand, is an infuriating character throughout the novel; he is bullish, belligerent and blinded by his faith. Maya recognises his transformation as a sign that he is hiding from his past, but Sohail has no time for Maya’s opinions, and is therefore incredibly irritating for a reader to digest.
Maya’s patience with her brother invoked a great deal of sympathy in me, especially as she gradually comes to terms with his beliefs in the final section of the novel. She accepts that she will never understand his decisions, but has to respect them out of love. It is only when Maya forgives her brother that I could start to forgive him too.
Whereas Anam’s first novel, A Golden Age, opened up my eyes to the struggles of East Pakistan as it became Bangladesh, The Good Muslim really showed me the long term consequences of the war. It explores how characters have to live with the war years after it has finished, and it proves that a war does not just end – it continues long after the actual fighting.
The Good Muslim is a wonderful follow up to A Golden Age, and I am hoping that there will be another instalment of the Haque family soon to come.
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