 Orientalism: Not "an airy European fantasy about the orient but a created body of theory and practices".Orientalism revolutionized the study of middle-east and helps to create and shape entire new fields of study such post-colonial theory as well influencing disciplines as diverse as English, History, anthropology, political science and cultural studies. In any field when a concept is discussed, it will entail everything that is associated. In Orientalism, Orientalist represents Orient(As their voices are suppressed, they're given voice by Orientalist). They aren't hidden in text, but exterior and so represented. EDWARD SAID SAID: My interest in Orientalism began for two reasons(the immediate war between Arabs and Israel people in 1973 and disparity between what I experienced being an Arab and how is the representation of what I saw as art). The former was already preceded by lot of images and discussions in the media in the popular press of how the arabs are coward, they don't know how to fight and those are going to be beaten as they aren't modern(misconceptions perceived by media and popular press). But when in October 1973, Egyptian army crossed the canal, all were surprised to see how they demonstrated that they can fight with anyone else and that was one immediate impulse. How it is when you base everything on your perceptions, but suddenly when something unusual, unwanted came out you're disturbed from inside because you only want someone to be as you wanted. An another interpretation can also be made here that in European's looking towards Orients as inferior, backward looking, static, based mere on their perceptions. It can be assumed as when they came to know that Orients are rich in artistic works and objects, while they don't possess such qualities, and only the manipulative political knowledge and some adopted manners of Europeans, so they can be entitled as superior and if the Orients are given some space and importance, they will be able to acquire their place in politics and which was sounded unusual and unwanted to seemingly European manipulative minds and so they were always speaking for arabs in derogatory and disparaging manner, with due aim to demoralize them. In latter reason, Edward Said himself had tried to identify the representation of Orients in the form of artistic works by great artists Delacroix, Andy and Gerome and the novelists who wrote about the orient like Disraeli or Flaubert and he came to know the fact that those representations have very little to do with what he has as background of his life and this reason pushed him to write history again, in the form of Orientalism term(the Orients seen through Orientalism lens). It can be concluded that one reason talks about misconceptions nurtured by media and popular press for arabs and then something unusual happened and another the difference between experience of being an arab and superficial representation of arabs/orients. |
| Aladdin and Arabic Nights: Artistic representation of Arabic World. In repertory of Orientalism In 1850s or 1860s let's say from London or Paris, if somebody wish to look, they would find very little chance to address that subject freely and in creative way A great deal of writing had gone before and this form of writing was in organised form, which Edward Said is considering organised form of Science and so it is called Orientalism. Where it is said that there was a kind of repertory of images that kept on coming: A sensual woman, who is there to be sort of used by man, the East as a kind of mysterious place and full of monsters, "the marvel's of the East" was a phrase that was used that the more I looked the more I saw this was really quite consistent of itself. It has very little to do with poeple who had been there and even they had been there, there wasn't much modification. In other words you didn't get what you could call the realistic representations of the Orients either in Literature or in paintings or in music or in any kind of arts. This was further extended by experts. But one can't find any modification either in Edward William Lane's Modern Egyptians(produced in 1830s) or somebody writing in 1920s. A great example of wonderful Gerard De Nerval french poet, who had been to the Orient on a voyage and Said was reading his book of travels in Syria, where he found that all Orients are the same assets, there develops a kind of image of Orients being timeless, unlike West, they can't develop. And this is a kind of problem with Orientalism that it creates an image outside the history, the image that is placid, still and eternal. Which is simply contradicted by the fact of History. In a sense you might say it is a creation of you might say for Europe an ideal other. Orientalism can be seen as giving life to something which is dull and dead(seen by Europeans) decorating with different associated colours(which can be seen through gaps) creating a theory an a new extension to Orients. |
The whole history of Orientalism portrays muslims, as lesser breed, they only think they understand the language of forest(the language of force) they won't understand anything unless you give them bloody nose.
Though they had produced many artistic works, but still considered as violent and fanatic.
One other aspect was also seen that they were static and placid like people, that they were intolerable of others' cultures' involvement.
So Edward Said is saying lastly by mingling his argument with Antonio Gramsci that "If they had seen their very relation with others, it wouldn't have happened". But it isn't still clear if the reason was this, there may be many reasons..
Artistic painting, architecture and arts with which Arab people were brimming with full. But as it is mentioned in the Video that as they were placid, static(not ready to change) they hadn't even tried to compile their own history.
The Oklahoma is considered one of the largest centers outside middle east. This incident is connected with Edward Said, he said when I was delivering lectures in Canada, after half an hour of an event occurred in the afternoon, my office was inundated with phone calls. I rang phone to my office from Canada to ask if any news need my attention and lady(she told) there are 'Twenty Five' phone calls from major networks, major cables, magazines, news etc and they wanted to talk to you.
The matter was: "somebody has volunteered the instant commentators" that the bombing style on Oklahama, seems to be from middleeast terrorism territory and there were the couple of people around right after the bombing and seen after the bombing.
This seems to be mere assumption based. As any information for endorsement need to be supported by others, and when it is supported, the poeple keep on multiplying and then in satiric manner it will become 'Jihad' similarly can be seen in this incident(the volunteer supported the instant commentators).
As per (CBS NEWS)which was known for 'Islamic Radical Activities'.
For which three poeple from middle east terrorism country, were held responsible(narration of media).
The same thing we had experienced during lockdown that through media many fake news were circulated and as a result a number of atrocities had taken place in India during pandemic/epidemic times.
Said himself belongs to Palestine but when it was taken over by Israelits in 1948, the question of existence was aroused and as a result Said with his family was exiled from the territory. In aftermath the questions of peace, just and reconciliation were raised and differences were considered as destruction and destroyer.
Said ultimately said that orient(individual) can't remain individual in isolation but he/she can see himself/herself in relation with others, to transform yourself, without suppressing the differences(a strong attachment but then practical detachment).
We have deposition of history. History of our family, community, various experiences, various mind impressions etc. Which remains collectively in our unconscious mind. Same as this if we see this idea in a person, then from his/her death to his/her birth to know the person/history we have to start from the end and this very end will lead us to beginning. 
This second idea, it can be inferred that the history must be recorded in documentary form, so it will remain useful to the present living people as well as those who are tracing for historical footprints.
The major conflict between Palestinians and Israelits was the land and this is how their history is considered.
Three Major Religions: Question of Living Together
Palestine is so important in this respect because of its complex localities. A MIXTURE OF ARAB CHRISTIAN, ARAB JEWS AND ARAB MUSLIMS AND OTHER FORMING BACKGROUNDS, WHICH FORM "MOSAIC COMPLEXITIES.
The question was how to live together without coercion among many differences. For which Plaestinians said that we know we would be asked to pay the price for Jews in Europe under holocaust which is entirely based on the catastrophe between Christian and Europe, where Arabs played no part and we're dispossessed and displaced by the victims, we have become victims of the victims.
"poeple will allege, where the soil is boggy, while the other part, where we know if even we will throw stone it will bounce back, noone will attempt to do so".
Someone as "I" is addressing that not all of us but "I say" that they should be thrown out "Until and unless one isn't confronting the situation, one won't be able to come out". The vision was to live together with many complexities, concerning major three religions, with creativity and invention in polity, vision which will replace authoritarian and hierarchical models but the idea we should protect ourselves from infiltration of others(infections of other) is the most dangerous idea unless we found any way or short cut to do it. As a result it will invite wholesale violence of a sort represented by Gulf war, by the killings in Bosnia, the Rwandian massacre and so on.
Hence it seems that until and unless, you're not pushed into water, you won't learn how to come out and so it is that though Orientalism presents two different identities; orients and occidents but gradually when the very concept is merging into one, by different ideas represented by the writers regarding the misconceptions of Orients, it is breaking all norms and giving an extracted idea, a free vent for further elaboration and discussion and where the idea "Orientalism after Orientalism" reflects.
Thank you
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