I, Otherstani: War on Terror and Defence of the Margins in Talha and Hamja Ahsan

Abstract

The contextual frame of the article is the widespread Islamophobia which has been scarring British society, particularly after the July 2005 bombings. After presenting the laws and policies which have been worsening this phenomenon (and especially the 2003 Extradition Act) and their impact on British Muslims, the article concentrates on some creative responses represented by Talha Ahsan’s written and video poetry and by Hamja Ahsan’s artivist writings. In different ways and forms, both brothers broaden their concerns onto other forms of otherness, thus stressing the critical power of margins and the political importance of dissent.