Islamophobia in the Chronicles, or Lack of It (Spin-off)

[Pete]

Welcome to the Wardrobe, Sheyla! As has already been mentioned, the religion of Calormen is quite different from most of the branches Islam, but there are some (very few though - I can only recall one, and even then very faintly) which are polytheistic rather than monotheistic. As is obvious though, this branch (or branches) that I can recall (from Studies in Religion class I did at the end of High School) is very much a minority within Islam.

But clearly, it'd be fairly unrealistic to suggest there's a hint at Lewis being afraid of Islam. That said, the "faith" or "religion" of Narnia is clearly a relation to Christianity (after all Aslan is in our world too with another name), and I guess if people are looking for religions in the real world which could be seen as being represented by the "religion" of Calormen, one that does kind of spring to mind is that of Islam. One also could probably take them to represent Hinduism or Buddhism.

Regardless of what the "religion" of Carlormen does or doesn't represent (in our own readings and interpretations), I feel it's important to remember that that's not why it was written. Lewis didn't write Calormen to represent Muslims any more than he wrote about them to represent Hindus or Buddhists...

Anyway, thanks! You just got me thinking!

Welcome (again) to the Wardrobe!

[Messenger_of_Eden]

Welcome from me too Sheyla!

I don't think CSL was afraid of Islam because the era in which he lived did not really experience the dark side of it--he lived during a time of relative peace--at least as far as relations between the Arab countries and Europe/America.

The image of Calormen brings to my mind ideas of what the Arabian East would have been before Mohammed/if Mohammed had not come. The Arabs of that century were very much like Calormen in nearly every way. As far as architecture and culture (clothing, cultural traditions etc.) we already have a snapshot in much of the Arab world of the sixth century Arabia. We know much of what things were like because they have not changed--even the clothing styles are in many places the same. Take out Islam and add the polytheism that was, until Mohammed, common, and you get Calormen. At least that is how I have always seen it.

[David]