English, the Language of Assimilation, in Sabeeha Rehman’s Threading My Prayer Rug

Abstract

Language, the basis of human civilization, is a medium for people to come
together, communicate their thoughts, emotions, and interact with each other.
Globalization has moved the world towards a common language. Here, English
stands tall, “The worldwide spread of English, its predominant use in diverse
international economic and cultural arenas, and the dramatic expansion of
electronic communication have allowed the language to achieve the status of
an international language or a global lingua franca” (Marlina and Xu 1).
Against this background, the present paper explores how a Pakistani woman
Sabeeha Rehman in her memoir Threading My Prayer Rug has explored
English as a medium to form and establish her own Muslim community in
Staten Islands, the United States so as to complete the process of assimilation
and settlement in the host land, the United States, thereby, diminishing the
aspect of diaspora to underscore that in the present time English, besides,
occupying the status of global language has also achieved the status of the
language of assimilation, hence, reducing the tensions and conflicts
surrounding humankind.