The Critique Of Bernard Lewis, The Question Of Orientalism

It is no longer unusual to suggeste that the construction of the colonial order is related to the eloboration of modern forms of representation and knowledge

I must confess that I am guilty of harboring unconscious stereotypes of Asian women. Kathleen Uno’s article “Unlearning Orientalism: Locating Asian and Asian American Women in Family History” brought this to light. She makes a very strong argument that Orientalism has exaggerated Asian patriarchy and the subordination of women; therefore, influencing research to highlight only the oppressive aspects of the Asian family. Uno states that once we can free ourselves from the “Orientalist blinders”, it will allow us to shed the stereotypes by revaluating the role of Asian and Asian American women and acknowledging their contributions. (Uno, 2003)

In her work, she joins her disapproval of the abuse against women, non-Europeans, and the poor by the wealthy west. Spivak faces in her essay “epistemic violence” done by sermons of knowledge that shape the whole world. This epistemic violence is like a curse over subjects of discourses. It is similar to Edward Said idea(1935-2003; public intellectual and founder of the academic field of postcolonial studies).(4)His idea of otherness in “Orientalism” display the bigotry of western scholars who write in a biased way about the East in order to create “

The quote that stuck out most to me from the preface is actually a question on page xxi, “Twenty-five years after its publication, Orientalism once again raises the question of whether modern imperialism

If postcolonial literature is the “process of dialogue and necessary correction,” of misconceptions concerning colonialism, then a comparative study of colonial and postcolonial works is essential for attaining a full understanding of the far-reaching effects of European imperialism (Groden and Kreiswirth 582). Reading colonial literature in dialogue with postcolonial literature engenders a more complete interpretation of the effects of imperialism by creating a point of reference from which to begin the revelation and the healing of cultural wounds resultant from European colonialism. Postcolonial literature reveals the lie of imperialism by suggesting that colonization was unsolicited by and unjustly administered to

Ansary argues that an alternative world history exists, one that we don’t normally learn in world history classes taught in the west. Instead, that alternative (or parallel) world history is best perceived through Islamic eyes; it’s an entirely different lens from the one used in the West.

Orientalism, according to Edward Said, refers to the dominance and exaggeration of the Orient, the Eastern countries, by the West in terms of culture, ideologies, political etc. Orientalism originates from the British and French who controlled the Orient of biblical lands such as India through imperialism and authority, which has led to misrepresentations of the Orient. The West, including America, has been known illustrate myths and lies by “filtering into Western Consciousness” as a way to portray inaccuracies about the East as inferior, uncivilized, and hazardous. In American culture, such as movies and TV shows, we see a depiction of characters of Middle Eastern and Asian descent including Arabs, Asians, and Indians whom have been represented

He also brings up the topic about orientalism and how things can exaggerate and distort the culture or the people where it isn’t how it seems. “Ideas, cultures, and histories cannot seriously be understood or studied without their force, or more precisely their configurations of power, also being studied” (Said 62). This is saying that culture cannot be “just” studied without understanding what it means. Also have to know the basics and what makes up that culture without the stereotyping. Edward Said’s Orientalism has used the term “orientalism” in reference to a patronizing Western attitude towards Middle Eastern, Asian and North African societies. In result, a false dichotomy occurs when an argument presents two options and ignores, either purposefully or out of ignorance, other

Orientalism has long been the subject of a religious criticism in the Arab-Muslim world that undertakes to defend Islam against the defamatory image that many orientalist writings give it, but often confuses it in the same Opprobrium of Orientalists, atheists and enemies of the Arab nation. This criticism is so classic that the expression "lies and calumnies of orientalists and atheists" has become a commonplace in our countries. Some of these religious critics have realized that the orientalist was acting in concert with the colonizer, that is to say, they have become aware of the political dimension of the question of orientalism, but this dimension has always remained secondary. While Keith Windschuttle has something different to say about Said’s Orientalism as Keith writes in his article called “Edward Said’s ‘Orientalism’ revisited”. He has questioned Said’s work and the way said has given solution like working and considering the social, religious and political concepts of Muslim women. He claims that Said’s theory is contradicting with the other in his own article. Windschuttle’s article offers a critic on Edward Said’s “Orientalism.” The article talks about how some issues

Colonialism and Orientalism are interrelated especially when limiting the geographical context. In this gender and violence based lens, Colonialism is essentially intending to gain political authority over middle eastern countries discussed in the course as well as exploitation of women and stereotypes. Orientalism on the other hand is when certain aspects of middle eastern (or asian) cultures are disproportionately represented or dramatized inaccurately. These two ideas are critical when dealing with the issue of honor killings and how they are overall perceived by western society.

Global history is a largely documented aspect and the writers on this subject have adopted various approaches that are closely related. In an effort to keep their readers engaged, authors normally present the World Civilizations and the varied global experiences from a more revealing and insightful point of view. This analysis contains evaluation by specific authors that include Peter Stearns and colleagues, Stephen Morillo and Lynne Miles-Morillo as well as Bulliet and colleagues. The books have diverse similarities with minor differences. All the three books provide detailed information on the impact of the end of the Cold War in the 1990s and the collapse of the Soviet Union. This topic is presented in way that

In chapter one, Said discusses “knowing the oriental.” He starts by analyzing speeches and writings of two British imperialists of the early 20th century about Egypt, “British knowledge of Egypt is Egypt for Balfour, and the burdens of knowledge make such questions as inferiority and superiority seem petty ones. Balfour nowhere denies British superiority and Egyptian inferiority” (32). Said makes an emphasis on how stressful the British imperial authorities “know better” their own country which means that they have a natural right to rule over it. Any doubt in this apparent right is dangerous, it destroys the faith of both “Arabs” and colonial officers in what they’re doing.

In the aftermath of 9/11, Orientalist depictions of an Islamic ‘Other’ have been highly visible within the Western world in both official rhetoric and the American press effectively legitimizing normative binaries. Notably, the US ‘War on Terror’ discourses promote imaginary geographies by way of two critical axioms centering around the idea of ‘West’ in opposition of ‘East’: the righteous campaign and Islam in direct opposition to Christianity. As a form of critical analysis, Orientalism provides an essential context in that it helps to unravel the ways in which “Eastern peoples, traditions, and cultures are depicted as irrational, backward, lazy and despotic in direct contrast to the West, which is seen as rational, moral and the pinnacle of civilization.”

Historians are influenced by countless features of their lives. As a part of any race, gender, religion, nationality, time period, political identity or social class they have a unique world view. These factors may help them see a primary or secondary resource in a new light and gain a fuller understanding of the situation. Their views can also cause historians to overlook important features in resources or fail to recognize a particular side of the issue. Historians can broaden their horizons by studying groups that they do not understand. They must keep in mind that these resources also have all of these influences acting on them. They are only a small piece of the puzzle. Historians must never accept and resource as fact without analyzing it. Among all the competing influences a historian is always searching for a new angle and a fuller understanding of events.

He saw this through many ways and because of what was mentioned in the above quote and “the Middle East crisis of 1973 that provoked Said to research and write Orientalism, which was published in 1978” (Irwin 2006, 281). His book however, is not a book about the “history[s] of the Oriental studies, but rather a highly selective polemic on certain aspects of the relations of knowledge and power. Its style and content strongly suggest that it is addressed exclusively to a Western readership” (Irwin 2006, 281). In his book he starts with two points or problems that he saw happen with what others said when studying the Orient. The first one was from Karl Marx who stated that “They cannot represent themselves; they must be represented” and the second was from Benjamin Disraeli who said “The East is a career” (Krishna 2009, 73). Both these points did not sit well with Said as they showed that knowledge or