Orientalism, Clash, and Islamophobia

Edward Said was born in 1935 in Palestine.
He moved to the United States in 1951.
Education: Princeton and Harvard.
Position: Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University.
Death: 2003.
Best known for his 1978 work "Orientalism."

Academic Meaning: Within European and American area studies departments.
General Meaning: A mode of thinking that significantly divides the world into Orient (East) and Occident (West).
Discursive Meaning: "A corporate institution for dealing with the Orient – dealing with it by making statements about it, authorizing views of it, describing it, by teaching it, settling it, ruling over it: in short, Orientalism as a Western style for domination, restructuring, and having authority over the Orient."

Systematic Difference: There is an absolute and systematic difference between the West (rational, developed, humane, superior) and the Orient (aberrant, undeveloped, inferior).
Preference for Abstraction: Abstractions about the Orient, particularly those based on texts representing a "classical" Oriental civilization, are always preferred to direct evidence from modern Oriental realities.
Eternal and Uniform Orient: The Orient is seen as eternal, uniform, and incapable of self-definition, fostering a highly generalized vocabulary for its description from a Western standpoint, viewed as scientifically "objective."
Fear and Control: The Orient is ultimately something to be feared (e.g., the Yellow Peril, the Mongol hordes, the brown dominions) or controlled through methods like pacification, research and development, or outright occupation whenever viable.

Orientalism begins in the late eighteenth century; its images often outlast colonial periods.
It served as an enumerative method for population control through classification.
There is a focus on sacred texts, where the written word is privileged and the West is perceived as needing to help the East reclaim lost heritage.
Often, Orientalism reflects a male pursuit involving sexual fantasies about a passive, sensual Orient, projected onto oppressive brown males from which brown females must be saved.
The images produced by Orientalists support colonial endeavors.

Harem Paintings: Often portrayed excessive nudity and sexualization.
Hollywood Films: Frequently depict Arabs and Muslims with violence.
Notable Figure: Lutfia El Nadi (1907-2002), the first African or Middle Eastern female pilot in 1933, from Egypt to Alexandria.

Following the Cold War (1947-1991), scholars sought new paradigms for understanding global conflict and cooperation.

Proposed in "The End of History?" (1989) that humanity is witnessing not merely the end of the Cold War, but an end point of mankind’s ideological evolution, leading to the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the last form of human governance.

Claimed the dominant source of conflict would be cultural, where nation-states would remain dominant but civilizational clashes would shape future global politics.
Emphasized non-Western civilizations as significant actors in a multipolar and multi-civilizational world.

The term is attributed to Bernard Lewis from his 1990 article "The Roots of Muslim Rage" published in the Atlantic Monthly, raising concerns of an orientalist viewpoint in his argument.

Argued in "The Roots of Muslim Rage": "We are facing a mood and a movement transcending issues and policies, a historic reaction of an ancient rival against our Judeo-Christian heritage. It is vital that we do not react irrationally against this rival." (Atlantic Monthly, Sept. 1990, p. 60)

A civilization represents the highest cultural grouping of people and a broad cultural identity just below what separates humanity from other species.
Civilizations are dynamic, rising and falling, often dividing and merging.

Huntington viewed religion as a central force motivating and mobilizing people! He stated that it could be the most profound difference between peoples, with conflict arising from differing beliefs in gods.

Huntington elaborates that while Western culture has spread, fundamental differences remain, especially regarding concepts like individualism and human rights, which often clash with Islamic cultural values.
Noted that Western attempts to spread these values often lead to “human rights imperialism” backlash and a resurgence of local values, evidenced by increasing support for religious fundamentalism.

Huntington argued that the problem for the West isn’t Islamic fundamentalism itself, but Islam as a whole, characterized by a belief in cultural superiority. Conversely, the challenge for Islam is its perception of the West’s perceived cultural superiority.

Huntington clarified that he does not assert civilization identities will replace all other identities or that nation-states will vanish.
Instead, he suggests differences between civilizations are real and increasingly significant, and that conflicts between civilizations will become the principal source of global conflict.
He highlights that international relations will gradually de-Westernize, involving non-Western civilizations as active participants rather than merely subjects.
Conflicts between groups from differing civilizations are more likely to escalate into violence than those from the same civilization.

States should refrain from interfering in conflicts involving other civilizations.
Core states in fault line conflicts must negotiate and mediate.
Civilizations should avoid promoting their values as universal, focusing instead on cultural coexistence through commonalities while respecting differences.

Discussion on popular conception vs. Huntington's theory regarding the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Mention of clips including Senator Marco Rubio discussing ISIS and the Paris attacks.
Reference to recruitment rhetoric used by ISIS.

Monolithic Perception: Islam is seen as a single, unchanging bloc rather than a diverse, evolving faith.
Isolationist View: Islam is viewed as separate and "other", lacking common values or influence on other cultures, contrasting with its interdependent nature.
Inferiority Complex: Islam is often considered inferior, framed as barbaric or primitive, instead of being recognized as distinct but equal.
Violent Stereotypes: Islam is categorized as violent and a threat, overlooking its potential for partnerships in problem-solving.
Political Ideology Misconception: Islam is incorrectly seen primarily as a political ideology for weaponization, rather than a sincere religious faith.
Overall Dismissal: Criticisms of the West by Muslims are often disregarded without consideration.

Reference: Andrew Rippin, Muslims: Their Beliefs and Practices, 4th ed., Routledge, 2011.