Orientalism

Communication

20 February 2011

Edward Said on Orientalism

1. The video on Orientalism made me come to a realization of how much the media shapes our views of people and other cultures by altering our perception. This video made me stop and think about the people who live in the Middle East, and how their differences define who they are. As Edward Said explains, and I agree, Orientalism is only a lens that distorts actual reality of places and people.

2. Edward Said says that the Orient “was almost a European invention” because he argues that the Europeans divided the world into two parts; the east and the west, or the occident and the orient. This boundary was used to define the concept of them and us, and the Europeans used orientalism to define themselves. European writers and artists developed an image of the timeless orient as if their societies would never progress and evolve. The east was described as a mysterious place by people who had not been there, and without any realistic representation.

3. In the more modern times, United States became involved in an operation known as the "War on Terrorism." Following the September 11 attacks, the administration of President George W. Bush launched an invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 to overthrow the Taliban regime. In 2002 the administration led by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, developed a plan to invade Iraq, remove Saddam from power, and turn Iraq into a democratic state. The U.S. dominated multinational force in Iraq still have considerable power in the country and, with the Iraqi armed forces, conduct military operations against the Iraqi rebellion while the Iraqi government is increasing in providing security.

4. The role of perception in Orientalism is quite strong. Our media’s focus on the negative aspect of the Muslim world is a threatening picture. Muslim people in the Middle East are portrayed as violent and extreme fanatics. Independent media is...