Critique of the Western Concept of Terrorism in Salman Rushdie’s Shalimar the Clown

Abstract

Shalman Rushdie in Shalimar the Clown stands as a vehement critique of the western concept of terrorism by presenting his character Shalimar as a terrorist-cum-personal avenger. Shalimar is not a terrorist but he is tagged as a terrorist. He involves in the terrorist groups to take revenge against Max Ophuls to whom he wants to kill for Max seduced his beloved wife, Booonyi. Rather than a terrorist, Shalimar is an avenger. He involves himself in religious fighting groups and terrorist groups not for the sake of any religion, nation and tribe but for vendetta. He is dubbed to be a terrorist by the western hegemonic power. The west defines terrorism and categorizes some groups as terrorist to impose its hegemony over them. The so-called ‘war on terrorism’ is a part of the same design. To defeat what it calls the terrorists, the west provides weapons to some other groups. Critiquing the western concept of terrorism, Rushdie conveys his message that American counterterrorism is itself the breeder of terrorism and terrorism is not what the west has defined as such and it is not a Muslim phenomenon alone, but there are many Shalimars to whom the west has given the tag of terrorism.