postcolonial literature
Postcolonial literature is the literature by people from formerly colonized countries. It exists on all continents except Antarctica. Postcolonial literature often addresses the problems and consequences of the decolonization of a country, especi ...
and theory at the
University of North Texas
The University of North Texas (UNT) is a public research university in Denton, Texas. It was founded as a nonsectarian, coeducational, private teachers college in 1890 and was formally adopted by the state 11 years later."Denton Normal School," ...
Raja moved to the United States in 1996, after ten years of service in the
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the Partition of British India, which occurred as a result ...
as an
Infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine ...
officer.
Raja graduated with a Masters in literature from
Belmont University
Belmont University is a private Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee. Descended from Belmont Women's College, founded in 1890 by schoolteachers Ida Hood and Susan Heron, the institution was incorporated in 1951 as Belmont College. It b ...
in 2002, where he was awarded the Graduate Writing Award and at Florida State he was awarded the Davis Award for Best Graduate Student and Davis Award for best dissertation in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
Raja earned his PhD in postcolonial studies from
Florida State University
Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the sta ...
Besides teaching and writing about issues of postcoloniality, globalisation, and political Islam, Raja also actively participates in the public debates through his public writing on his two blogs as well as other popular and scholarly websites.
Raja's
monograph
A monograph is a specialist work of writing (in contrast to reference works) or exhibition on a single subject or an aspect of a subject, often by a single author or artist, and usually on a scholarly subject.
In library cataloging, ''monograph ...
, ''Constructing Pakistan'', (Oxford University Press, 2010), is an interesting explanation of the rise of Muslim national political identity during the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
and offers an innovative explanation of the genesis of the idea of Pakistan. Raja has published extensively in his area of study and on general academic topics in various academic journals and anthologies. Raja is a member of the Advisory Committee (2009–12) of PMLA, the premier journal of literature and languages and was elected to a five-year term on the Executive Committee of the South Asian Studies Group,
Modern Language Association
The Modern Language Association of America, often referred to as the Modern Language Association (MLA), is widely considered the principal professional association in the United States for scholars of language and literature. The MLA aims to "s ...
. Besides his academic and popular writings, Raja has actively presented his views at academic conferences as well as through public talks.
Raja has contributed his views on various issues related to the Islamic world and Pakistan to newspapers such as the ''
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' is an American daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and Tarrant County, the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. It is owned by The McClatchy Company.
History
In May 1905, Amon G. Carter ac ...
'' on a story on Osama bin Laden and to Aljazeera English on a story about the Blasphemy law in Pakistan.
Having won a million dollar grant from the US State Department, Raja is the Director of a partnership program between the University of North Texas and the
National University of Modern Languages
The National University of Modern Languages (NUMLs) (Urdu: ) is a multi-campus public university with its main campus located in Islamabad, Pakistan and other campuses in different cities of Pakistan.
Overview
At the foothills of the mighty H ...
in Islamabad.
Raja continues to contribute his thoughts on issues of
social justice
Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has often referred to the process of ensuring that individuals fu ...
,
political Islam
Political Islam is any interpretation of Islam as a source of political identity and action. It can refer to a wide range of individuals and/or groups who advocate the formation of state and society according to their understanding of Islamic pri ...
, and issues of human rights.
Publications
Raja has published extensively on issues related to postcolonial studies, political Islam, and about Pakistan and the region. Besides his academic work, Raja also writes poetry and fiction. Raja's most recent book ''ISIS: Ideology, Symbolics, and Counter Narratives'' provides a thorough discussion of the ideological roots of ISIS.
*'' ISIS: Ideology, Symbolics, and Counter Narratives'' . Routledge, 2019.
*'' The Religious Right and the Talibanization of America''. Palgrave-Macmillan, 2016.
*''Critical Pedagogy and Global Literature: Worldly Teaching''. (Co-edited with hillary Stringer and Zach VandeZande) Palgrave-Macmillan, 2013.
*''The Postnational Fantasy: Nationalism, Cosmopolitics and Science Fiction''. (Co-edited with Jason W. Ellis and Swaralipi Nandi). McFarland Press, 2011.
*''Constructing Pakistan: Foundational Texts and the Rise of Muslim National Identity 1857-1947''. Oxford University Press, 2010.