FutureasthePresent:ScienceFictionUtopias and DystopiasfromtheMuslimWorld
dsdMuhammadAurangzebAhmad
FounderandEditorIslamandScienceFictionProject
CenterforDataScienceDepartmentofComputerScienceUniversityofWashington
ProjectWebsite:Islamscifi.com
MeaningsofUtopias/Dystopias
• Utopiasareareflectionofagroup’shopeandaspirationsforhowaperfectsocietywilllooklike• Dystopiasareareflectionofhowthesocietywilllooklikeifthingswentterriblywrongsocially,culturally,environmentallyetc.• TheMuslimworldisanartificialand realconstructspanning57countriesandthreecontinents• Islamicate:ComingfromorrelatingtoIslamculturallyorcomingfromtheMuslimworld
Al-Farabi’s CityofFelicity
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• Al-Farabi isconsideredtobeonethegreatestoftheearlierMuslimPhilosophers• Wroteārā ahl al-madīna al-fāḍila (TheVirtuousCity)whichisinspiredfromPlato’sRepublic• DescribesaperfectsocietyruledbyenlightenedPhilosophersrulingonthebasisofIslamicPrinciples• Alsodescribesrecipesfornear-perfectsocieties• BecamethebasisofpoliticaldiscourseintheIslamicworldformanycenturies
Author:AbuNasrAlFarabiYear:early10th CenturyType:UtopiaTheme:PhilosophicalUtopia
Sultana’sDream
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• WrittenbyRuqaiya Sakhawat Hussain,aBengaliMuslimwomanin1905• ConsideredtobetheoldestworkofFeministScienceFiction• Ruqaiya alsofoundedAnjuman eKhawateen eIslam (IslamicWomen'sAssociation)tofostereducationamongMuslimwomeninBengalIndia• Describesanalternateworldwheretheworldisrunbywomen• Aworldwhichisfocusedongainingknowledgeandimprovingsocialconditions• Societyisrunontheprinciplesofnon-violence,cooperationandwarisoutlawed
Author:Ruqaiya S.HussainYear:1905Type:UtopiaTheme:FeministUtopia
Semavi Ihtiras
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• AnumberofsecularistutopiaswerewritteninKemalist Turkeyinthe1930sand1940s• Semavi İhtiras (TheCelestialPassion)isoneoftheearliestTurkishutopias• DescribesthefutureofsecularandrepublicanTurkey• ThestoryisaboutNobel-prizewinningTurkishauthorsandwomenwhohavemanymorefreedomsascomparedtotherestoftheworldincludingthecontemporaryWest• Thewomeninthenovelhaveprivatejetswhichtheyusetoflyovertheworld(freedomofmobility)• Religionhaslostitsholdoverthemasses
Author:Raif RecdetYear:1933Type:UtopiaTheme:SecularistUtopia
Al-Budal-Khamis
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• WrittenbyamemberoftheMuslimBrotherhoodwhileinjailinthelate1960sbutwasnotpublisheduntil1987• AgroupofpeoplegetfedupbytheproblemsandconflictsonEarthandtakearockettoMars• ThealiensocietyisruledbyjustrulersandthesystemoftheplanetisverysimilartothemoralandlegalsystemofIslam• TheutopiaenvisionedhereisareflectionofhowtheMuslimBrotherhoodenvisionedajustsociety• Ittakeatopdownapproachtogovernancebutwherepeoplehaveinternalizedthesystemsothatthereisnocoercion
Author:AhmadRaifYear:1987Type:UtopiaTheme:ReligiousUtopia
Uzay Ciftcileri
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• AgroupofpeoplelandonaplanetinhabitedbypeoplefromEarthwhocomefromaSufiMuslimbackground• ImaginesasocietythatisrunonIslamicprinciplesofbrotherhoodandmysticism• Ittakeabottomupviewofhowtogovernsociety• Aperfectsocietyisachievedbyinnerreflection
Author:AliNarYear:1988Type:UtopiaTheme:ReligiousUtopia
Utopia
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• DescribesanearfutureDystopianEgyptiansocietymarredwithdeepsocialandclassdivisions• TherichliveisElysianlikeconditionswhilethepoorarelivinginforthworldconditions• MiddleEasterneconomieshavecollapsedaftertheinventionofasuperfuel intheUSandOilreservesbecomeuseless• TheEgyptianmiddleclasshasdisappearedandthepoorhavedegradedintobarbarianism• ExtrapolatesthedownwardspiralofEgyptiansocietyinrecentdecadesintothefuture• ThenovelhasbecomepopularespeciallyafterthefailureoftheArabSpring
Author:AhmadTawfikYear:2011Type:DystopiaTheme:ClassDivisions
TheQueue
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• ThenovelisareflectiononthefailureoftheArabSpring• SetintheaftermathanunspecifiedeventknownastheDisgracefulEvent
• MarriageofKafkaesquebureaucracyandOrwellianGovernment
• Peoplearelinedupagainstagovernmentoffice(TheGate)togettheirpleasheard
• Thequeuehasgowntobekilometerslong• Awholecommunityspringsuparoundthequeuewithitsownsystemsofbarterandtrade
• Phonesaregivenforfreetothepeopleinthequeue(surveillance)
• Thereissinglepapercalled TheTruth• LawsarearbitrarilyhandeddownbytheGate
Author:Basma AbdelAzizYear:2016Type:DystopiaTheme:TotalitarianRegime
Conclusion
• Thefutureisthereflectionofthepresentcapturingourhopes,aspirationsandfear• Justthepastcanbemoldedtofitone’sagendasocanthefuture!• ThesameistruefromUtopiasandDystopiasfromtheMuslimWorld
PrideandPrejudiceandRobotsbyMuhammadAurangzebAhmadandZaidAli
AdditionalResources
IslamandScienceFictionProjectwww.islamscifi.com
Contactinfo:
MuhammadAurangzebAhmadFounderandEditorIslamandScienceFictionProject
CenterforDataScienceDepartmentofComputerScienceUniversityofWashington
email:[email protected]:www.aurumahmad.com
