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9 - Orientalism Revisited

Edward Said’s Unfinished Critique

from Part IV - Critical

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 September 2023

Lawrence Rosen
Affiliation:
Princeton University, New Jersey
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Summary

Edward Said was known not only for his literary studies, his strong support for Palestinian identity, and his influential political commentary but for his criticism of Orientalist scholarship and its impact on the image of Muslims maintain by many Westerners. But for all his criticism of those scholars, it may be argued, however, that Said missed much about their work that should have been addressed. In this chapter, we consider the Orientalist romanticization of the Arabic language, their dismissal of actual Islamic law court decisions, and their emphasis on Arab stasis rather than their social fluidity and creativeness. If we paint a fuller picture of the Orientalists’ scholarship, we can understand both the strengths and weakness not only of their approach to the cultures of the region but where Said himself was able or unable to fulfill his own professed goals.

Type
Chapter
Information
Encounters with Islam
Studies in the Anthropology of Muslim Cultures
, pp. 170 - 179
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Orientalism Revisited
  • Lawrence Rosen, Princeton University, New Jersey
  • Book: Encounters with Islam
  • Online publication: 09 September 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009389013.014
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  • Orientalism Revisited
  • Lawrence Rosen, Princeton University, New Jersey
  • Book: Encounters with Islam
  • Online publication: 09 September 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009389013.014
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Orientalism Revisited
  • Lawrence Rosen, Princeton University, New Jersey
  • Book: Encounters with Islam
  • Online publication: 09 September 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009389013.014
Available formats
×