Mohamed Mughal

Mohamed Mughal is an American writer whose fiction falls under the rubrics of literary cubism and absurdism. Mughal’s surreal storylines, often centered on motifs of religion, spirituality, and social commentary, are constructed through a variety of written media. His first book, Resolution 786, an anti-war novel that takes place primarily in modern-day Iraq, focuses on themes of loss, introspection and the absurdities of human experience. True to his cubist leanings, Mughal builds the novel’s plot through a succession of inter-reliant vignettes structured alternatively as e-mail messages, letters, poems, traditional narrative and a legal indictment. Although Mughal’s characters demonstrate existential tendencies, they lack the abject dispassion of archetypal existentialist protagonists such as those of Albert Camus. Instead, Mughal’s characters experience and express feelings deeply and appear to be immersed in a rich potpourri of emotions ranging from elation to despair.

The first draft of Mughal’s second novel, Christmas in Mecca, builds on a minor character that appears on pages 143 and 144 of Resolution 786. Mughal’s voice as an American writer is unique in that he brings a perspective of liberal Islam into his writing.

Early Life

Mughal was born in the mid 1960s to Indian parents settled in Uganda, Africa. When he was two, his family moved to London, England so that his father could complete his professional training. The family returned to Uganda in 1967 where Mughal attended Kitante Primary School. In 1972, Idi Amin expelled Ugandan citizens of Asian descent, seizing all properties, businesses and money.^[1] Given a militarily imposed 90-day deadline, Mughal’s family fled through Entebbe Airport to Naples, Italy, and subsequently arrived in the United States in November 1972 as stateless refugees under the sponsorship of a Lutheran church.^[2]

Writing Influences

Mughal’s childhood in Africa can be seen as a substantial basis for the fictional childhood of his central character in Resolution 786. Mughal’s spiritual pilgrimages to Jerusalem, Mecca, Varanasi, Sarnath, and Kathmandu, combined with travel throughout Europe and the continental United States, is strongly reflected in the varied backgrounds, scenes and characters in his fiction.

Religious Beliefs

Although much of his writing is constructed around themes of religion and spirituality, Mughal’s personal beliefs on these subjects remain unknown.

Education

Mughal has undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemical engineering, engineering management and public policy.^[3]

References

1. ^ BBC, “On This Day,” http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/7/newsid_2492000/2492333.stm
2. ^ Time Magazine, “A Home for Ugandans,” Nov 13, 1972, http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,910440,00.html
3. ^ National Defense, “Responding to Bio-Terrorism Requires a Concerted Effort,” June 2002, http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/ARCHIVE/2002/JUNE/Pages/Responding_to6749.aspx

External links

• Mohamed Mughal official author's website

Persondata
Name	Mughal, Mohamed
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Short description	Writer
Date of birth
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