The author reflects on their revisiting of Edward Said’s “Orientalism” and its implications on the perception of the East by Western scholars. They discuss the biased narratives in literature, art, and political discourse over centuries, particularly highlighting ongoing Islamophobia. Despite persistent misrepresentation, Islam continues to thrive, evoking a sense of pride.
Tag: history
The Road To Mecca by Muhammad Asad
Asad shares his adventures in a nonlinear narrative. The book starts in the desert of Arabia, with him and his companion Zayd, at the end of their mission, and heading back to Mecca. It is composed of 12 chapters and Asad’s writing is without exception stunning. From his descriptions of the landscape of the desert to Bedouin tribes and people to his explanations and understandings of politics and the human condition, he writes with beauty. There is an effortlessness in the flow of the narrative that makes the time the reader spends with this book similar to the description of time in the desert, you lose yourself entirely within it.
Borders, The Nation State and Palestine
The creation of the nation state is almost entirely an artificial construct. Creating a state that is moulded together into a single entity encouraged to share a national identity has not only been a violent process but one that was born from colonialism and one that continues to benefit colonial interests. If we look at any of the wars taking place across the globe in recent times, (Sudan, Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq) all of them have to do with borders that were imposed on them by imperial powers. Iraq is an example of how the British carved out a country with their own interests in mind and no consideration for the people of the region. The three main ethnic groups, The Kurds, the Sunnis and the Shias, were divided in such a way that certain sects were given power over others therefore ensuring regional tensions and disharmony.
This Hybrid Reads 