No True Believers: Salma's View Of Justice

Honors English 9 No True Believers Essay
Rebecca Drew

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." This famous quote is by Martin Luther King Jr. It can easily be applied to growing up in difficult situations, such as the one Salma Bakkioui grew up in. As people grow, they can evolve and change their previous mindset and perspective. As well as the way they react and respond in difficult situations. In Rabiah York Lumbard’s young adult novel No True Believers, Salma’s view of justice shifts throughout the story. At first she seems closed minded and judgmental, she then evolves during the story to become accepting and understanding. Although No True Believers does not have a coming of age moment, Salma’s character

Growing up a Muslim she has always felt out of place in her predominately white neighborhood, and school. When her best friend Mariam moves to Dubai, her perspective of justice entirely changes. Early in the novel, her interpretation of justice is that justice is revenge, and that she must work independently in order to see change. She later finds that justice is not given, but alternatively, Justice is earned and must not be taken for granted. Everyone deserves justice in one way or another. When there is a terrorist attack nearby, Salma’s world completely shifts. Along with this, her perception of her school and the people in it alter as well. Numerous struggles in No True Believers steer Salma to fully understand the concept of justice. An important example of this is when her sisters were violently bullied at school by cruel students who accused them of the terrorist attack, solely based on the fact they are Muslims, even when their accusations are not justified. When Salma’s sisters come home crying, Salma is blinded by anger and she plots a plan for revenge, “Little did she know that I had found her words to be more inspiring than interesting. She had planted in my brain a desire for vigilante justice. My own approach to convalescing.” (Lumbard, 145) Clearly, Salma’s idea of justice is portrayed as revenge. This reaffirms the idea that Salma has not yet realized the true meaning of justice, but eventually she will come to realize that justice needs to be mature and well thought out. Salma must realize that she cannot change ignorance, but she can change how she reacts to it. She must not let that ignorance influence her strong emotions. On the contrary, it should influence her to stand up and advocate for change. Instead of reacting poorly she needs to learn to be the bigger person, although this can prove difficult in a multitude of