Xenophobia

One of the main thematic focuses of the novel is exploring the immoral and destructive nature of xenophobia, and a necessary component of that exploration is the illustration of the oppression experienced by the victims of xenophobia. The novel explores the oppressive dynamics of Islamophobia in America following 9/11, and thus it places significant emphasis on the hardships caused for Muslim Americans by that oppression. For example, after 9/11, Mo experienced racial profiling due to his name and Muslim background. He was treated by security officials as if he was a potential terrorist threat; officials asked him questions such as “Where were you during the [9/11] attack?” (24). This unjust assumption of guilt is poised to be a direct preliminary to both socially and politically oppressing an entire demographic group based on the actions of a few individuals.

The novel explores the inherently irrational, immoral, and misinformed dynamics that accompany...