Context

• Post 9/11 the US government identified 160 Muslim Americans suspect of terrorism related to 9/11.
• Deliberate misinformation around Muslim ideologies occurred, spreading powerful messages of hate post 9/11.
• Physical assault, emotional abuse and discrimination created a toxic environment for Muslims living in the west.
• Shamsie highlights the importance of not blanketing the topic of Muslims and terrorism and looking at individual stories.
• Shamima Begum left East London at 15 to support ISIS. Her citizenship was stripped in 2019. She was left stateless. This conveys the precarious nature of role of citizenship and Identity.
• Guantanamo bay is a base in Cuba where the US detains people accused of terrorism. It was established by George Bush in 2002 during the USA's war on terror.
• Guantanamo Bay was very brutal to its inmates, violating human rights with abuse and torture.
• The contestation of voices in home fire is symbolic of the misinformation of the media on Islamic links to terrorism.
• Shamia Begum left the UK at 15 to join ISIS. Her citizenship was revoked in 2019, which may have influenced Shamsie to write. This shows the precarious natures of citizenship and indentity.
• Teachers in the UK are required to promote "fundamental British values" in school to deter pupils from radicalisation. In the Radicalisation and extremism UK report in 2016 labels multiculturalism as problematic.
• George Bush's "war on terror" was instigated after 9/11. He labelled the US as "the heart and soul of the civilised world".
• Theresa May who was the home sectary in 2014 ended the 2006 immigration asylum and nationality act. This allowed the government to have the ability to strip anyone of citizenship, not just duel citizens.
• Keep the home fires burning is a patriotic war song written by Ivor Novello for WW1.