روح الله رئیسی سیستانی

American novels focusing on 9/11 generally demonize and portray Islam as a warmongering religion and its believers as violent people. Previous research has validated this perspective. This article, however, departs from that point of view using an Islamic lens. The first objective of this article is to examine Updike’s mindset and attitude towards Islam and Muslims. The second objective is to highlight the misconceptions by providing illustrations from the Islamic perspective. John Updike’s Terrorist, foregrounds Islam, Muslims and Islamic doctrines, making use of 9/11 as the impetus that charts the chain of events. Based on revelations in the Quran, as well as the traditions and the Prophet Muhammad’s life, the idea of uncivilization will form the basis of the Islamic tool of analysis. Using the Quran as the primary source, followed by the traditions and the Prophet’s life, the subject of uncivilization is reassigned a new understanding. Scholars of Islamic theology may have different understandings and interpretations of Quranic verses and traditions. Referring to the wrong interpretations of Islam, as shown by the references used by the Updike has produced a wrong picture of Islamic doctrines and consequently results in demonizing Islam and Muslims. The conclusions demonstrate Terrorist as Islamophobic and bears the tinges of colonial writings which mainly results in debasement of Islam and Muslims while detecting Updike’s misconceptions about the uncivilization from the Islamic perspective and furnishing it with answers divulges the fact that Updike’s perceptions about Islam are either rooted in his lack of knowledge about Islamic matters or in his bigotry.