Philippine E-Journals

Islamic Consciousness Reflected in the Contemporary Creative Literature of Sulu

Calbi A. Asain

 

Abstract:

This paper provides content analysis of creative literary outputs of student writers in the Province of Sulu who write for their campus publications. Since they are Muslims, it is interesting to find out what Islam means to them and their expectations of being believers, as reflected in their literary art. In addition, this paper likewise discusses their preferred literary form for mirroring their religious consciousness. In no other time in contemporary history is Islam being put at the center of public scrutiny than it is today. It is not only in the country that such public scrutiny is getting more intense and incisive, but throughout the world as well. Such scenario has been triggered by what racists dub as diabolical developments like terrorism and radicalism attributed to some Muslims, who they think espouse what is referred to in America and Europe as the “hate ideology.” Can these mindboggling phenomena be traced in young Muslim writers’ literary outputs in Sulu?