Hello. In this humble essay, I’ll attempt to inshAllah explore and
redefine the term Orientalism. This essay has initially been written
previously. I rewrote this for further edification and clarity. What
is Orientalism? Orientalism is an academic term used by scholars in
art, history,
literary, Theology, geography and cultural studies for the depiction
of Eastern that is( Oriental cultures), including Middle Eastern,
North African, South Asian and Southeast Asian cultures. It is often
done by writers, designers and artists from the West. In some western
universities, these are called (Middle Eastern studies) or just
(Eastern Studies) for short. This definition of Orientalism is
actually taken from Wikipedia. There is another definition.
Orientalism is a way of seeing that imagines, emphasizes, exaggerates
and distorts differences of Arab peoples and cultures as compared to
that of Europe and the United States. It often involves seeing Arab
culture as exotic, backward, uncivilized and at times dangerous. Well
at this point, we must hold the cane from the middle. In other words,
we must be fair. I have always told my fellows who reside in the west,
that you shouldn’t put all western people in one basket. Each and
every culture has different sapidities. There are mild, moderate and
severe ones. One of my very close friends is a mechanical engineer. He
studied and workd in Germany for awhile. Concerning Germany, he
mentioned to me quite positive and encouraging situations that he
encountered with people there. What he mentioned to me defies unworthy
Arab stereotypes about the west. So
for instance, it refutes the stereotype of westerns being
unaccommodating and insensate. Well, quite the opposite, he told me
that people surrounded him treated him with recognised cordial and
hospitable disposal. It also defies the stereotype of western women
being so easy, voluptuous and daring. There are many of them who have
ethical motive, virtue, they have erubescent and girlie shyness. He
also mentioned to me situations that are sufficient to defy the
stereotype of us being constantly despised in the west. It is a proper
occasion to clarify my inimical stridence. Whom is it toward? It
essentially is intended to campaign against the Alt Right Movement.
The best way to put it is to basically portray it in Trump’s camp.
It’s a right-wing southern white supremacy. They aggress against
anyone who is different from them. They are intolerant toward people
with ethnic diversity. They often are misanthrope and dysphemistic.
Many people in the west are not in favour of this hostile camp. I
always make a significant difference between Europe and the United
States. We can generically refer to Europeans as mostly reasonable,
edified and open-minded. However, many Americans due to media
dominance are largely disinformed, insulated and quite prejudiced
about other parts of the world. This is why, American culture is quite
marginalised, it began to be diminished in our region. Europe is the
ideal substitute in my humble opinion. European nations are
geographically closer to us. They have long history in affiliation
with our region, either during Crusades or modern invasion. They
learned a lot about us during neither era. This is why I don’t think
they will return to engage against us once again. Of course, we won’t
deny the existence of anti-Islam movements in many parts of Europe. It
is natural to see such variation. The difference though, that the
hostile camp in the States is quite active and possibly influential
through their mass media whilst in Europe, they may not necessarily
have this impact. In Europe, you may hear about charges of committing
hate crimes either by unbearable acts or through abhorrent rhetoric.
Well in the States, it’s unlikely to hear charges of hate crimes
against detestable southerners, for instance. There are many key
factors to critically differentiate between American and European
cultures. Whilst both are classified as westernly orientated, there
are major differences. First of which, is the social structure of each
side. Europe is more open to welcoming various cultures and throughout
its educational system, these cultures are smoothly desegregated. In
the American camp, there are many communities inhabiting the same
region yet they are constantly skeptic and suspicious of each other.
Most people in the States are obsessed with watching movies whilst
relaxing. They are sort of television addicts. In contrast, Europeans
like to read and they may not be as addicted to television as their
American counterparts. For these reasons and more, I recommend
shifting our focus to invest our interest and intellectually in
particular with the European side. So Orientalism like any academic
discipline, has its pros and cons. Thomas Carlyle is a prominent
Scottish author and historian. He wrote about the French revolution
and he had very positive perspectives concerning Muslims and prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). There are many
orientalists who serve in this camp. Our role here is to collaborate
with them and produce mutual work that is based on deferentially
scholastic approach. We also must allow a suitable room for worthwhile
scrutiny. The west isn’t held accountable for our deplorable state of
nescience. We ought to practically refine our education. I have read
couple of textbooks on Orientalism in Arabic. Well, they both deal
with the subject from the disputing standpoint. It essentially relies
on the conspiratorial theory. It studies and examines Orientalism as a
tool of Colonialism. It critically studies how Orientalists constantly
portray Middle Eastern cultures as strange, awkward and often
threatening to western liberty. Thus, it justifies western expeditions
to Muslim lands. The United States uses Orientally prejudiced notions
to justify its position from the Muslim world. If you listen to how
American prominent figures speak, you will recognise their plain
indulgence with slanted Orientalism. Islam is tactically expended to
terrify and jeopardise lay Americans. The business of insistently
demonising and prejudiciously depicting Muslims as radical terrorists,
murderers, plotters and fundamentally fanatics is the norm in America.
The portrayal of the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as
philanderer and paedophile makes us fathom the vicious American
version of Orientalism. It is essentially based on obscene and
terrifically salacious portrayals. The latter however, is a common
characteristic of American society. The United States is filled with
many social disintegrations, often pertained to misbehavior and sexual
scandals. There are numerous incidents of incest reported in their
country which left the subject of intercourse quite sick and bizarre.
Therefore, they liken prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon
him) to the most horrible practice they ever noticed. This taste of
Oriental literature is not the only one of this discipline. There is
another version which is classified as the relatively impartial side.
It somewhat portrays the moderate approach. It studies Islamic culture
for the purpose of recognising interdependencies. It often avoids
engaging in provocative subjects. It may not be as active as we would
like it but, it fairly exists. Nevertheless, the prepossessing
approach is more likely to be affective due to predominantly vast
American dominance. As hellion Donald Trump once uttered in one of his
despicable speeches, “Americanism is not Globalism”. Therefore, we
ought to really be careful, there are substantial attempts to
Americanise even western cultures. This is why I said to my friends
living in Europe, that we need to tenaciously unite to confront this
manipulating power, which attempts to deviously dominate us. It
essentially relies on racially disparaging remarks, bigotry,
xenophobia and detrimental sentiments. The United States is quite
notorious for issuing visas for fraudsters. They issue visas for
people whom they like to hear their plainly counterfeit chronicles
about being supposedly, ex Muslims. I on multiple occasions asked U.S
pastors to openly confront me on that regard. Until this moment, they
never wrote me back and they probably won’t. I would like to ask
people who work for U.S embassies a straight question that demands a
direct and denotative answer. If someone caught indictable of being
mendacious or unclear about his past, as if he said he was Muslim and
he wasn’t or, he lied about some of his credit contingents, would you
issue this person a visa? Please, yes
or no. I specifically address Americans who like to incorrectly assume
us popping off to immigrate to their country, your presumption isn’t
correct. I am not particularly desperate about obtaining your visa nor
residing in your country legally or illegally. It may be challenging
economically here at home but, I’d better find somewhere else to
settle dignifiedly. The United States is impeached of substantially
secernating ethnicities based on racial disparities. That has been
proven repeatedly through the last couple of years. American
Orientalism is held accountable for this chaotic disarray. American
Orientalism is the chief shamed of religious uncertainty. There are
many people who tend to ramble between various isms purposelessly.
Religion is disapproved in the United States despite insignificant
proclamations of being allegedly a Christian nation. What are we to
commend or repudiate about this state of iniquity. This is a nation
which carries an evangelical banner, yet it has officially accredited
same sex marriage as licit in 2015. I have discussed this subject with
many Christian devotees therein. Many of them thought it couldn’t be
delt with, whilst others gave credit to separating faith and civil
affairs. This is decisive evidence of how paradoxical the United
States is. American Orientalism is often expatiated to odiously
parallel between Jihad and terrorism. This is why we ought to embrace
a scrupulously countering scheme. My role here is to establish solid
ground for scrutiny, preferably with European academe. It confidently
has been proved to be theologically impartial, far from either
explicit hostility or disingenuous flattery. As I mentioned earlier in
this piece of composition, they are casually expected to fairly
disagree with some of what we assert but, they are highly competent to
do so in prestigiously academic manner. The rising tide of
Islamophobia visible in mainstream political circles and reflected in
the media leaves the Muslim community intemperately susceptible to
confront major threats. Racist and detestable rhetoric has already
translated into violent and deadly incidents across the States, with
further armed threats directed at Muslim institutions and individuals
now almost a daily occurrence. These incidents are deliberately
unnoticed. We need a greater, more sustained response that both
examines the roots of Islamophobia and provides the empirical data to
quantify the problem. Only then, we can develop the tools required to
educate policymakers and civil society on how best to counter this
longstanding crisis. Christian and secular orientalists of the United
States are injurious of repulsively aspersing Islam with enormous
ignominy and detrimental disparagement. The deficiency of renowned let
alone ordinary edification is the chief cause for the rise of such
insolence. There might be some Americans who treat the subject
objectively. Most of them, however, are unevenly indoctrinated. I’ll
repeat this statement, if Americans weren’t easy to fool, someone like
Donald Trump would have not been elected president. Despite his
unambiguously inflammatory remarks, he is supported and widely
embraced across their country. Despite his appallingly intolerable
sentiments which were highly offensive to each and everyone, he is
continuously endorsed. Despite his constantly contradicting and
simultaneously assaultive statements, he hadn’t been expelled from the
presidential race. Donald Trump is eminently embraced in spite of his
incredible disqualifications because he says what most Americans like
to hear. Donald Trump is tremendously disqualified, yet he is the
beseeming president for who lay Americans are. If you want to look at
actual Americans, just look at Trump’s spirit. You don’t have to
exhaust yourselves with engaging in pretension of counterfeit
diplomacy, we recognise what American manner is. I don’t think I’ll
ever commit the mistake of believing my enemy. American Orientalism is
the one to describe as imbecile, disinforming and extraordinarily
ignominious in the slightest. Donald Trump on Mexico is
unprecedentedly paradoxical. When he spoke about Mexico to his
rallies, he spoke with intolerable belligerence. But when he spoke to
Mexican officials, his tone of voice has changed. This is quite
typical for American manner. They speak at our face with a softened
tone, but when they speak to their allies, they often change their
tune. This is their typical paradox. I won’t ever speak to people with
ambidextrous. I am plain to people whether I am friend or enemy to
them. My temperament is essentially based on clarity and honesty. This
is how I strongly built my various relationships with people
domestically and overseas. Now, we can see where the cultural gap
comes from. I again, urge you to fairly revise the facts I just
outlined and then ask yourselves, is it necessarily that an individual
coming from a sophisticated nation to be more educated than someone
who comes from a developing one? People here are constantly
bewildered, they want to adhere their identity whilst looking up to
western civilization with considerable attraction. I treat the matter
with a moderate proposition. I admittedly recognize western
significant advancement in technology and contemporary education. At
the same time, I steadfastly adhere my heritage and tradition. With
both in mind, I am able to fairly stand between recognising western
advancement and Muslim traditionality. They both are fairly
consolidative. Unlike predominantly secularized Muslims, I am not
influenced with western manipulation. I recognise that my religion
enjoins me to relentlessly seek knowledge. I am aware of what Muslim
scholars have substantially contributed to various scientific fields
as the prominently outstanding Muslim physician and philosopher, Abu
Ali al-Husain ibn Abdallah ibn Sina. Western orientalists have altered
his name to Avicenna in order to somehow conceal his Muslim identity.
I also recognise that in their numerous encyclopedias, they altered
the name of prominent Muslim philosopher and initial interpreter of
Aristotle literary work into Arabic. They altered his name from
(Ibn-Roshd) to a mispronounced name, they called him (Averroes) in
order to again, withdraw his Muslim identity. This is a common
practice of Christians. They did so to their own scriptures in order
to make them basically suit what they like, they did so to make them
suit their interest. There are many instances of what I call biblical
revisal for theological motivations. They purposely pick up the
translation that suits their interest of the text and preach it
outloud to their disinformed congregations. Well gratefully, we aren’t
consented to do so to the Noble Koran. Its sacred text is infinitely
intact and Providentially preserved. Even when we translate the Koran
into different languages, we recognise that it is a humanly
contribution. Thus, it is consequently susceptible to error. This is
why, it’s vitally necessary to revise and countercheck Koran
translations and instantly correct them where that is relevant.
Christian evangelists and orientalists aren’t so outspoken about the
text at their hands nor they fairly look into the credibility of the
translator. The King James version is a widely recognised and trusted
edition of the Holy Bible in Christian English speaking communities.
However, it has been later declared fallible and thus, a revised
standard edition had to be written. Those are the ones who purposely
evoke doubts about Islam in lay Muslim minds. Those are the ones who
attempt to distort Islam in either a diplomatic or a hostilely manner.
Don’t ever assume that the intention of those who often speak gently
is so innocent. It is quite inconsistent for a Muslim to go study
Islam in their colleges, it’s utterly nonsensical. When I said we
demand to collaborate with them on that regard, I basically meant that
Muslim certified theologians, clerics and renowned scholars are to be
opted to lecture abroad, to teach those orientalists about the proper
discernment of Islamic Theology. A mutually academic practice has to
be broadened. The purpose of this has to primarily be based on
illustrating Muslim culture to the western world. There are many
publications on Islam in many libraries. However, they mostly lack the
least of critical examination which is accredited citation.
Orientalism is not particularly accurate about multiple Islamic
subjects. They express their perspective about them. This is why I
find it so strange for a Muslim to study Islam in western
universities. I actually was interested to do so. But, after studying
Orientalism and its essence, I completely changed my mind. I
decisively recognise that Orientalism factors aren’t intended for
devotion nor even for scholarly objectives. They rather are intended
for cultural disarray and religious imbalance. As all we know,
religion is not particularly prised in western tradition. This is why,
western orientalists may not be able to fathom its crucial role in our
daily life. In the United States, there are pliable masses of people
ripe for propaganda. This is why it’s quite difficult to educate
people there. The United States has large amount of pursuits to
entertain people with. However, it doesn’t seem to have any reasonable
regard for multiculturalism. Despite its publicizing of allegedly
democratic tenets, the United States is indeed the farthest from what
it counterfeitly promotes. Donald Trump and his demented cabinet are
the vivid proof of the United States denotative failure to genuinely
represent what it advocates for. The United States has no significant
impact in the educational arena at the moment. The chief in oval
office has no respect for science and thence, he will probably
derogate the country’s pioneering role in global scientific
development. His primal interest is in greed and warfare expansion.
This age witnesses America’s last days. Orientalism is the tool they
think it will spifflicate Islam hitherto, it is the one that aids it
to thrive. The more they assault Islam, the higher its star ascends. I
sent you a piece on the subject of Shariah. I included in its end a
list of major references and scholarly textbooks on Shariah. I hope
that someone even bothered himself to look them up. This is what I
essentially base my repudiation on. If they chose not to learn, they
have no right to prejudicially assume. I devoted to establish vision
that is constituted on cerebral illumination. I still urge and
encourage people to promptly step forward in edification. Whether we
agree or disagree, education has no proper permutation in my humble
opinion. I regenerate my proposal of edification and mutual
intercultural communication. I am dedicated to explain anything about
my religion to people. However, I am extremely disappointed when some
people base their awareness of my religion on orientalised
manipulation. Each and everything about Islamic culture has to be
attained from original and authentic sources. Furthermore, Arabic is
indispensable for Islamic studies seekers. With it, everything is
transpicuous. However, if you do not know classical Arabic
sufficiently, your interest in the subject is utterly superfluous. I
base my determination on enlightenment and knowledge seeking. I have
written this piece to welcome people into interrogative rhetoric. I am
this type of person who always wants to teach and learn
simultaneously. This is what keeps us grow. If irrigation is used to
supply dry lands and make them green fields, education is what makes
us open and willing to dramatically discover. I thank each and
everyone who patiently made it through to the end. I knew it’s lengthy
but I like to be thorough as much as possible. I keenly look forward
to hearing from you. Thanks again and sincerest regards, Mustafa.
--
(Seeking knowledge is compulsory from cratle to grave because it is a
shoreless ocean.)
