Over at Instapundit, Glenn Reynolds has linked to a fascinating paper on Orientalism. The paper, a debunking of Edward Said’s anti-Western/Eastern-victim diatribe, is to be found on the web site of the admirable Institute for the Secularisation of Islam.
Besides duking it out with an icon of the victimology crowd, Ibn Warraq also presents a fascinating history of the interactions of Europe and the Middle East. It is quite long but well worth the read.
Be sure to put the kettle on before you start!
Orientalism is correct in that a lot of Europeans had lecherous thoughts about what might have been going on in those harems and serails (the horror, the horror!)
For those who don’t have the time to put on the kettle and read this brilliant debunking of Edward Said, I suggest the following interview with Ibn Warraq at:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/8.30/relrpt/stories/s386913.htm
There is also an edited version of Warraq’s article at Butterflies and Wheels:
http://www.butterfliesandwheels.com/articleprint.php?num=23
BTW, whatever happened to such organisations as ‘Women against Fundamentalism(s)’ which were set up after the Rushdie scandal?
No doubt the left (and the political establishment) would now define them as ‘Islamophobic’ groups …
“BTW, whatever happened to such organisations as ‘Women against Fundamentalism(s)’ which were set up after the Rushdie scandal?”
That would be “Wimmin’ against Fundamentalism”.
And in a similar vein, Minaret of Freedom. Freemarket jihad against collectivism.
They’re non too keen on war though.
keep offooooooooooooooooonkem isu3