Harun’s View of Religion

Even though Harun says he doubts the existence of God, he uses a good deal of religious imagery and refers to many Biblical stories in his novel. This use of religious imagery and stories indicates that Harun is very intelligent and has a deep understanding of religion and religious background. He has apparently not made his decision that he does not believe in God lightly. Along with comparing the public’s willingness to believe the story of Musa with their belief in the story of Jesus, Harun compares situations he has encountered in his life to several well-known Biblical stories.

One of the first Biblical references to note in the novel are the names of Harun and his brother. The names Harun and Musa are significant Biblically. Harun is the Arabic form of Aaron while Musa, the name that Harun chooses to...