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a_sullivan16's review
5.0
"But underlying in every interpretation of other cultures - especially of Islam - is the choice facing the individual scholar or intellectual: whether to put intellect at the service of power or at the service of criticism, community, dialogue, and moral sense" (172).
I don't think I could have read this book at a better time. This is my first individual exposure to Said and I'm truly grateful for it. Him being a comparative literature professor makes SO much sense, and I think the very last chapter should be standard reading for literary postcolonial studies. So inspired by the work in this book.
I don't think I could have read this book at a better time. This is my first individual exposure to Said and I'm truly grateful for it. Him being a comparative literature professor makes SO much sense, and I think the very last chapter should be standard reading for literary postcolonial studies. So inspired by the work in this book.
spacestationtrustfund's review against another edition
3.0
عندما جعل علي شريعتي هجرة النبي محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم من مكه إلى المدينة ،فجعلها تنطبق على وضع الإنسان ذاته باعتباره اختياراً وكفاحا وصيروره متواصله ،إنه هجره لانهائية ،هجرة داخل نفسه من الصلصال إلى الإله ،إنه مهاجر داخل روحه نفسها.يجب أن ننتبه فوراً إلى أنّ الغرب، لا المسيحية، هو دائماً في موضع التنافس والعداء ضد الإسلام. لماذا؟ يكمن السبب في افتراض أنّ "الغرب" أكبر من المسيحية، دينه الرئيسي، وقد تجاوز مرحلتها. أمّا عالم الإسلام -على ما فيه من غنى وتعدد وتنوع في تاريخه ومجتمعاته ولغاته - فيقول الافتراض إنه ما يزال غارقاً في الدين والبدائية والتخلف.
مطلبي هو الإحترام الواجب للتفاصيل الملموسة للخبرة البشرية، والتفهم النابع من النظر إلى "الآخر" نظرة ود وتراحم؛ والمعرفة التي تُكتسب وتُنشر بأمانة أخلاقية وفكرية؛ فهذه بالتأكيد أهداف أفضل وإن لم تكن أيسر تحقيقا في الوقت الحاضر من المواجهة والعداء الذي يختزل الخصوم ويحقّرهم.
لم أستطع أن أكتشف فترة في التاريخ الأوروبي أو التاريخ الأمريكي منذ العصور الوسطى ناقش أحد فيها الإسلام أو فكر فيه خارج إطارٍ صاغته العاطفة المشبوبة، والتعصب، والمصالح السياسية. وقد لا يبدو ذلك اكتشافًا يدعو إلى الدهشة، ولكنه يضم في ثناياه جميع ألوان المباحث العلمية والأكاديمية التي كانت منذ مطلع القرن الثامن عشر تطلق على نفسها اسمًا كُلّيًا هو مبحث الاستشراق أو كانت تحاول، بانتظام، دراسة الشرق. ولن يختلف أحد مع القول بأن أوائل الذين علّقوا لى الإسلام، مثل بطرس المبجل، وبارتليمي دربيلو، قد اتخذوا موقف المجادلة المسيحية المشبوبة فيما قالوه. ولكنّ أمامنا افتراضًا لم ينظر أحد في صحته يقول إنه حين تقدمت أوروبا والغرب فاتخذت خطواتها في العصر العلمي الحديث، وحررت نفسها من الخرافة والجهل، كانت مسيرتها بالضرورة تتضمن الاستشراق. أليس صحيحًا أن سلفستر دي ساسي، وإدوارد لين، وإرنست رينان، وهاملتون جِبْ، ولويس ماسينيون، كانوا من الباحثين والعلماء الموضوعيين، وأليس صحيحًا أن من آثار التقدم الذي شهده القرن العشرون بشتى ألوانه في علم الاجتماع والأنثروبولوجيا واللغويات والتاريخ أن أصبح الباحثون الأمريكيون الذين يقومون بتدريس الشرق الأوسط والإسسلام في جامعات كبرى مثل برنستون وهارفارد وشيكافو، بالضرورة، غير منحازين ولا يمارسون الدعوة إلى شئ فيما يفعلونه؟ أما الإجابة عندي فهي بالنفي. وليس ذلك لأن الاستشراق أكثر تحيّزًا من العلوم الاجماعية والإنسانية الأخرى؛ لكنه وحسب، مثل غيره من المباحث المذكورة، له سماته الأيديولوجية ويتأثر مثلها بالعالم من حوله. أما الفارق الأوحد فهو أن باحثي الاستشراق يبادرون باستخدام مواقعهم، باعتبارهم خبراء، في إنكار (وأحيانًا حتى في إخفاء) مشاعرهم العميقة تجاه الإسلام بلغة الثقات التي تهدف إلى الشهادة "بموضوعيتهم" وكذلك "بحيادهم العلمي".
classicapricot's review against another edition
4.0
This is a good companion to his other work 'Orientalism' as it explores in depth an example of modern day Orientalism which is the relationship between the West and Islam, as Westerners view of Islam is far from what is actually is true, mainly due to outdated stereotypes and archetypes that permeate society.
It is also an interesting exploration of how truth and fact is formed as often it comes from other people and not from an individual finding out things for themselves.
It is also an interesting exploration of how truth and fact is formed as often it comes from other people and not from an individual finding out things for themselves.
jenny44indy's review against another edition
4.0
This was a difficult, but important book to read. Difficult, because it's level of scholarship and vocabulary far exceed my current capabilities.
Important, because it is good to challenge and stretch one's own boundaries, and because it questions the American media portrayal of 'Islam' and the 'Middle East' as far too narrowed and in its own interest. Say whatever you will about the matter, the fact is, American knowledge in this area is skewed for political policy, or simply because of a shortage of trained linguists and especially scholars that are not tied by some sort of business, policy, or educational endowment interest. And while this is the case for many academic disciplines, it is especially true for this area of study. Studying Islam is not just about studying Islam as the west sees it, it cannot be reduced to the study of the region in its entirety. It should be broken down into its diverse languages, diverse groups within Islam, the non-religious aspects of those societies, and for the sake of study as opposed to the sake of how to interact in business and politics. That is a very idealistic and tall order, but we can surely do better. This book was written in 1981 and updated in 1997. The way the trends the author discusses have changed, and, unfortunately, gotten worse as he warned about is frightening though in hindsight, and with Sept 11 2001 in mind, not very surprising.
But it saddens me, to see this state of things. His final pages resonated with me very well, especially just in that every scholar, every bit of research is not done in a vacuum and that those variables of human social tendency must not be discounted - I think this observation holds across many disciplines and situations regardless of cross-cultural dialogues. It holds true within a culture, within a small situation - like your every day working and social life.
I will leave a quote from the last page I found particularly useful:
Page 171: "It is certainly true that the Islamic world as a whole is neither completely anti-American and anti-West nor unified and predictable in its actions. Without trying to give an exhaustive account of these changes, I have been saying that this has meant the emergence of new and irregular realities in the Islamic world; it is no less true that similar irregularities, disturbing the calm theoretical descriptions of earlier years, have emerged in other parts of the post-colonial world. Merely to reassert the old formulas about "underdevelopment" and "the Afro-Asian mentality" is foolish enough; but to connect these casually with notions about the sad decline of the West, the unfortunate end of colonialism, and the regrettable diminishment of American power is, I must say as strongly as possible, rank folly. There is simply no way in which socieites thousands of miles away from the Atlantic world in both space and identity can be made to conform to what we want of them. One can consider this a neutral fact without also regarding it (as I happen to) as a good thing."
This book stirs up many thoughts, much reflection. I recommend it, even it if took me months to get through it and patience with a dictionary. Even though it is dated, its message rings clearer now than before, I think.
Important, because it is good to challenge and stretch one's own boundaries, and because it questions the American media portrayal of 'Islam' and the 'Middle East' as far too narrowed and in its own interest. Say whatever you will about the matter, the fact is, American knowledge in this area is skewed for political policy, or simply because of a shortage of trained linguists and especially scholars that are not tied by some sort of business, policy, or educational endowment interest. And while this is the case for many academic disciplines, it is especially true for this area of study. Studying Islam is not just about studying Islam as the west sees it, it cannot be reduced to the study of the region in its entirety. It should be broken down into its diverse languages, diverse groups within Islam, the non-religious aspects of those societies, and for the sake of study as opposed to the sake of how to interact in business and politics. That is a very idealistic and tall order, but we can surely do better. This book was written in 1981 and updated in 1997. The way the trends the author discusses have changed, and, unfortunately, gotten worse as he warned about is frightening though in hindsight, and with Sept 11 2001 in mind, not very surprising.
But it saddens me, to see this state of things. His final pages resonated with me very well, especially just in that every scholar, every bit of research is not done in a vacuum and that those variables of human social tendency must not be discounted - I think this observation holds across many disciplines and situations regardless of cross-cultural dialogues. It holds true within a culture, within a small situation - like your every day working and social life.
I will leave a quote from the last page I found particularly useful:
Page 171: "It is certainly true that the Islamic world as a whole is neither completely anti-American and anti-West nor unified and predictable in its actions. Without trying to give an exhaustive account of these changes, I have been saying that this has meant the emergence of new and irregular realities in the Islamic world; it is no less true that similar irregularities, disturbing the calm theoretical descriptions of earlier years, have emerged in other parts of the post-colonial world. Merely to reassert the old formulas about "underdevelopment" and "the Afro-Asian mentality" is foolish enough; but to connect these casually with notions about the sad decline of the West, the unfortunate end of colonialism, and the regrettable diminishment of American power is, I must say as strongly as possible, rank folly. There is simply no way in which socieites thousands of miles away from the Atlantic world in both space and identity can be made to conform to what we want of them. One can consider this a neutral fact without also regarding it (as I happen to) as a good thing."
This book stirs up many thoughts, much reflection. I recommend it, even it if took me months to get through it and patience with a dictionary. Even though it is dated, its message rings clearer now than before, I think.
shanepunk's review against another edition
3.0
Very detailed. I would recommend only if you are very fascinated in a topic but actually, I think I would have enjoyed it more if besides of being deeply interested in the Middle East and various religions, I was passionate about journalism. The names mentioned in the book rarely said anything to me. I recognized Thomas L. Friedman because I have previously read his collection of columns. It feels like Said used to have very strong opinions on the USA, maybe negative ones, for sure when it comes to the government and he justifies this view in a very meaningful and eye-opening way. I am glad I have read this book, still cannot wait to dive into "Orientalism", which I have a feeling, I will enjoy more than this one. However, I am still willing to admit that I was most of the times intrigued, even shocked which does not happen a lot for me when I read books.
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