They Set Fire to Our Culture

Literature does not simply mirror society but instead shapes it and comments on the actualities of the society and others interacting with it. Tariq Ali reflects this idea very strongly throughout his text and it truly becomes central sentiment carried by not only those whose culture it is that is being oppressed, but also those trying to oppress.

The portrayal of this sentiment in the conquistadors, who wish to convert those who do not believe in Jesus Christ as the savior to Christianity and destroy their culture, is very interesting. Initially this is attempted in a dismissive manner allowing those of different religions and language to continue their own practices of language and literature, however, it becomes understood that this would not lead the type of governance that is wanted. The Catholic Church’s wish was not merely to convert as many people as possible, but more importantly make believers of them. The only way to truly convert those same people was to cut away their culture and replace it with the oppressors own. A societies culture and language grounds the people to a common belief system and while it does not define them it does give them direction. By removing a connection with historic Islamic scripture, literature and thought they were able to take away any influence and all direction it gives to the society whose culture was being removed.

It is hard to believe that Tariq Ali’s Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree is truly a Historic Fictional piece because of the importance of literature to history and culture to societies and his mirroring of that in the text. There is something very real about how he speaks about literature and the effects it’s removal can have on a society. While the story about the Farid al-Hudayl’s family is fictional the impact of the destruction of Islamic literature, or any societies literature for that matter, on them and their neighbors is one that has been felt in society even today.