Edward Said describes Orientalism as a myth that has been so intricately spun over hundreds of years that it has become "knowledge." The culture that makes this possible is one of superiority over the East. Western power and its commitment to defining the Eastern people as Orientals, makes the myth strong. Although this colonial attitude was developed years earlier during times of Imperialism, it is still alive today. Westerners know that they are not too different from Easterners in terms of experience and that Orientals have a place in their culture. Defining the East as a place of strange behavior with people that can't be trusted, helps Westerners define themselves by contrast.
I think that we are definitely still disconnected from the East and although we know more truth about that part of our world today than we used to, it still seems like a far away place with people completely different than us. Different can often feel scary. This is obvious in the common American fear of Middle Easterners, specifically Muslims. We have come to assume that "all" Muslims and Middle Easterners are terrorists because of the actions of some of their people. By labeling them as evil, we simultaneously define ourselves as "good" and as the victims, when in reality, they are the victims of our closed-mindedness.
I completely agree with you and people's view of Muslims. It is incredible how many people thoroughly believe that all Muslims are terrorists, when that is completely untrue.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting, I like your last sentence. By labeling them as the bad guys and automatically saying we do everything perfectly, that shows how we lack an open-mind like you said. Indeed, we do say were the innocent ones but also the victims and that's contradicting. Thanks for sharing!
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