Roisin as a Secular Western Woman in the Film by Ken Loach - Research Paper Example

College: Essay Three The movie chosen for thematic analysis in this case, with focus on religion is Ae Fond Kiss. The film, directed by Ken Loach, narrates the story of two young adults from Glasgow who fall in love but encounter numerous challenges due to the differences in their cultural and religious background. The male character is Casim Khan, a Muslim Pakistani, while the female is Roisin an Irish with ties, albeit loose to Catholicism. The two young adults meet by chance, when Casim goes to pick up his sister, Tahara, from the Catholic school where Roisin teaches music. Casim and Roisin’s religious and cultural disparities do not present any problem for them as they begin courting, until they are forced to confront biases and demands from people in their individual communities. The film draws attention to the crucial aspect of religious identity and shows how it raises contention in the modern society, given the widespread globalization and inevitable merging of cultures (Ernst 4). This paper attempts to provide insight into the theme of religion, its conflicting aspects and similarities, as portrayed in the film. As the film begins, Casim is shown working as a disc jockey in a club, playing Arabic music. In this scene, the crowd primarily consisting of young British-Pakistanis is depicted dancing wildly to the music. This crowd contravenes the common precept of Islam as a largely conservative religion. It is also fairly unconventional for a Muslim to work as a deejay like Casim does. This scene clearly illustrates the extensive influence that secular western values have had on Islam, and especially on second-generation Muslims. It is evident that these young adults are not devout adherents of Islam and its traditions, like their parents. This lack of complete devotion could be attributed to their intermingling with other cultures and desire to be accepted in a rather diverse society (Ernst 5). Another scene focusing on religion in Ae Fond Kiss is that of Tahara delivering a speech in front of students during what appears to be a class debate (02:48-04:21). The debate evidently revolves around the West’s unified crusade against global terrorism, as shown on the white board. Tahara presents a strong argument stating that she defies the universal definition of terrorism as provided by the West, since it fails to account for the many people subjected to terror in daily circumstances. Most importantly, Tahara says that she rejects the manner in which the West simplifies Muslims. The speech draws one’s attention to the stereotypes held by Westerners for Muslims. It also shows how absurd it is to generalize Muslims and link all of them to terrorism, yet they are as diverse as other religions. Tahara emphasizes this when she says that although she is a Muslim, she still supports the local football team and studies in a Catholic school. This simplification and generalization of Muslims is also examined by Siddiqui (5-7), who also takes note of the war on terror and analyzes what she refers to as Islamophobia. As the film progresses and Casim and Roisin start to date, other religious issues emerge. For example, when the two take a random tour to Spain they take time to compare their views on the world and religion (33:23-34:47). They discover that Islam and Catholicism have several similarities such as the belief in a lifelong commitment to one’s spouse and adherence to certain moral values. However, Casim appears to be more committed to his Muslim beliefs than Roisin is to her Catholic values. While Roisin talks about Catholicism in a mocking way, even saluting to hell fire, Casim insists that there are numerous things that he still values about Islam. Casim’s extra commitment to Islam is also evident from his tendency to prevent Tahara from adopting secular Western tendencies, like going to the club and interacting with men. He also restrains himself from informing his parents that he is involved with an Irish girl and he is not willing to go ahead with the arranged marriage. Casim’s efforts show his desire to follow the strong restraint practiced by Muslim Pakistanis like his father. They also show that Muslims try to ingrain a sense of one’s responsibility toward family and community, as opposed to personal interests. Despite the fact that Casim tries to portray commitment to Islam values, it is evident that he is not a devout Muslim. Other than his deejay job, Casim does not observe prayer rituals, he also fails to attend community gatherings like his father and he engages in illicit sexual relations. The same applies to Roisin, who despite being a Catholic, does not feel any remorse for divorcing her husband although this is against Catholicism. She is also not apologetic about prioritizing her sexual needs over a companionship acceptable under her religion’s doctrine (35:30-35:56). These aspects clearly demonstrate how secular elements have pervaded religion, and not only Christianity but Islam as well. The failure of the two lovers to devotedly follow their religions and instead prioritize their individual satisfaction and joy is a clear illustration of the widespread nature of Western or secular values. Another scene in the film that strongly brings out the religion theme is that, where a parish priest admonishes Roisin for having sexual relations with “every Tom, Dick and Muhammad” (1:11:06-1:13:31). This scene shows that it is not only Muslims that try to isolate themselves from other religions, but also Christianity. Just like Casim’s father is trying to prevent him from being corrupted by secular aspects and beliefs of other religions, the priest is also trying to dissuade Roisin from interacting with a man from a different religion. Eventually, Roisin is dismissed from her job since the Catholic school does not support her decision to divorce and her involvement with a Muslim. This part of the film clearly shows that it is not just Muslims who uphold strict religious beliefs, but Catholics also do the same. It also creates balance between Catholics and Muslims, showing that both are capable of advocating for traditional perspectives on life and against liberal aspects of the modern world. In summation, the film clearly depicts Roisin as a secular Western woman, whose affiliation to Catholicism is superficial. In contrast, Casim is incapable of deciding whether to follow the principles outlined by his religion or lead a secular life like his counterpart. The film distinctly shows the religious identity crisis encountered by many Muslims in a contemporary society. The film was enlightening on issues experienced by youths who are torn between following the religious beliefs strictly followed by their elders and the liberal opportunities provided by increasingly secular societies. One of the principal questions that I thought of, in the course of the movie is why religions can have basic similarities, yet fail to facilitate universal unification. I was also surprised to see how issues on the surface appear normal for expatriates, yet there are numerous underlying differences, which leave most, like the Casim family; incapable of finding their true identity. The movie also draws a comparison between two varying communities, that is, the Catholics and the Muslim Pakistanis. As a result, I could not help but acknowledge that they have numerous similarities thus countering the common belief that the two factions are completely different. Works Cited Ernst, Carl. Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World. North Carolina, NC: University of North Carolina. 2004. Print. Loach, Ken. Ae Fond Kiss. 2004. 9 December 2013. Siddiqui, Mona. How to Read the Qur’an. London: Norton & Company. 2008. Print. Read More