Books

January2008

EnoughSaid
byDavidPryceJones
OnDefendingtheWest:ACritiqueofEdwardSaid'sOrientalismbyIbnWarraq.

IntheaftermathofWorldWarII,atideofnationalismsweptoverAsiaand
Africa.Itwasunderstandable.Europeanshadjustdevastatedtheirown
continent.BystandersifnotparticipantsintheHolocaust,theycouldnolonger
claimanymoralauthoritytoberulingoverothers.Furthermoretheirpolitical
classeshadalmostinvariablymaintainedthattheywerepreparingtheirempires
forultimateindependence.ForthelikesofNasser,Nkrumah,Sukarno,BenBella
andBoumedienneinAlgeria,NehruandGandhi,andHoChiMinh,thetimefor
selfrulehadarrived.TheThirdWorlddulytookshapeontheinternational
stage.OnecentralelementwassystematicresentmentagainsttheWest,a
resentmentablyattackedbyIbnWarraqinhisDefendingtheWest.[1]
ThirdWorldleadersweremostlymilitarymenreadyandwillingtoresortto
violence.Tomobilizethemassesinsupport,theydenigratedtheprevious
Europeanadministrationsassomanyembodimentsofthewhitemanandhis
manifestfaults.Imperialist,colonialist,racistservedassomanycollective
cursewords.Itisdoubtfulthattheyreallybelievedthesloganeeringand
stereotypingsousefultothem.Assoonastheythemselvesweresecurelyinpower,
theyhurriedtowesternizetheircountriesasbesttheycould,evidentlywanting
similaruniversitiesandhospitalsandarmies,sports,andevenpopmusic.Sofar
reachinghasimitationbeenthatsomeofthenewnationalistrulersincorporated
secondhandthefascism,Communism,andantiSemitismthathadwrecked
Europe.
TheBritishrespondedtoThirdWorldnationalisminawelcomingphrase
aboutthewindsofchange,asthoughthosemobilizingenmitytowardsthem
hadsimplyblowninwiththeweather.OnlytheFrenchmadedeterminedefforts

toresist,andtheninvain.Defendersofempirehadalwaysbeenfewandfar
between.Treasurersresentedtheexpenseresearchshowsthattheimperial
powersallhadtopayoutimmenseandunaffordablesumsonmaintaining
possessionsabroad,andthemoneywouldhavebeenbetterspentathome.The
calculationsareuncertain,butitappearsthatBritainalonemaypossiblyhave
enjoyedsomesmallfinancialbenefitfromempire.Militarystaffsresentedthe
postingabroadoftroopsneededintheEuropeantheater.Empirebuilderssuch
asLordCromer,LordCurzon,andAlfredMilner,orJulesFerryandMarshal
LyauteyinFrance,couldonlyadvanceargumentsaboutresponsibilityforothers
andamissioncivilisatrice.Hardheadedcolleagueslistenedtotheseabstractions
withskepticism.
IntellectualsinEuropewentmuchfurther,pleadingguiltytoallthe
accusationslevelledagainstthembyThirdWorldnationalists.Theyandtheir
predecessorshadalwaysbeenconstantandenthusiasticcriticsofempire,and
nowwerethrilledtohavetheirdiatribesagainsttheirowncountriesthrownback
atthem,asitwerebycleverstudentsanddisciples.Violencecommittedbythe
ruledagainsttherulerswontheirapplause.Thisattitudeofoppositionstarts
withthedelightsowidelyexpressedinBritainoverthelossoftheAmerican
colonieseventheconservativemindedEdmundBurkesupportedthecolonists.
Innumerablenineteenthandtwentiethcenturywriterstreatedwhatever
reflectedbadlyontheimperialpowerasarunningscandaltheIndianmutiny,
theGovernorEyreepisodeinJamaica,DenshawiinEgypt,Amritsar,theArab
revoltsinMesopotamiaandPalestine,partitioninIndia,andsoon.Following
MarxismLeninism,leftistseverywheretookitforgrantedthatimperialismwas
theultimatebyproductofcapitalism,tobeextirpatedaccordinglyintheglorious
andimminentworldrevolution.BernardShawandtheFabians,SirRoger
Casement,J.A.Hobson,BloomsburyandtheNewStatesman,ArnoldToynbee,
andotheropinionmakersalloverEuropeacquiredreputationsastheysavaged
notjusttheBritishbuttheBelgiansintheCongo,theDutchinIndonesia,the
FrenchintheMaghreborIndochina.JeanPaulSartreandFrantzFanon
recommendedthemurderingofFrenchmenasameasurethatArabsowed
themselvesiftheyweretobefree.
Theoutcomeofthislongdrawnantiimperialcampaigninghasworkedits
wayintotodaystruismtaughtinclassroomseverywherethatEuropeanswere
exclusivelyviciousoppressorswhilethosetheyruledareexclusivelyvirtuous
victims.ThisincarnationofthemythoftheNobleSavageoverlooks,orcarefully
ignores,thatimperialismbroughtfarflungpeoplesintocontactwithEuropean
languages,law,andculture,anecessaryprerequisiteifEastandWestwereto

meetonequalterms.
TheUnitedStatesisnotanempire,butitsintellectualelitehassoresentedits
risetothestatusofsuperpowerthattheyhaveadoptedtheselfsamecontempt
fortheirowncountry,nowexemplifyingtheWestasawhole.Inthesecircles,the
UnitedStatesisdepictedasguiltyofunmitigatedracismandimperialism,while
alsoresponsiblefortriggeringtheColdWarandacourseofoutrageousevents
fromMyLaitoGitmo.IncommonwithSartre,NormanMailerrecommended
murderasthekeytopersonalfreedomfromracism.MaryMcCarthy,freshfrom
admiringCommunistHanoiunderAmericanattackbutstillenjoyingroyalties
thatpaidforherlargecountryhouseonCapeCod,agreedwithHannahArendt
intheirexchangeoflettersthattheybothwouldsoonhavetofleeafascist
America.Amongmanysimilarmediastars,thelikesofNoamChomsky,Gore
Vidal,andMichaelMoorehaveprovedasdeterminedastheirEuropean
counterpartstoshoweverythingtodowiththeWestinasbadalightaspossible,
andeverythingtodowithothersinasgoodalightaspossible.
Suchalienationculminatesinthemorbidgloatingthaton9/11Americahad
itcoming,anditspreadsinfectiouslytoo.AsIwrite,theArchbishopof
Canterbury,bynameRowanWilliams,andselfdescribedasanintellectual,a
Druid(ofallthingsinaChristianprimate),andahairyLefty,isreportedgiving
aninterviewtoaMuslimmagazineinwhichhecomparestheUnitedStates
unfavorablytotheBritishEmpireinitsimperialheyday.Itsresponseto9/11,he
opines,hasbeengratuitousviolence.

EdwardSaidwasanoutstandingexampleofanintellectualwhocondemned
theWestrootandbranchwhiletakingeveryadvantageoftheprivilegesand
rewardsithastooffer.Initsdishonestyandexerciseofdoublestandards,hiswas
trulyacautionarytaleofourtimes.BorninJerusalemin1935,helaidclaimsto
beaPalestinian,dispossessedbyZionistJews,andthereforeanarchetypalThird
Worldvictim.Insoberfact,hewasthesonofanAmericanfather,amemberofa
prosperousChristianfamilywithextensivebusinessinterestsinEgypt.
Undoubtedlyanintelligentandcivilizedmanwithonesideofhispersonality,he
becameaprofessorofcomparativeliteratureatColumbiaUniversity.Yetwithhis
otherside,hewrotespeechesforYasserArafatinthe1970s,andwasfarand
awaythemostvociferousadvocateforthePalestineLiberationOrganization.
AlthoughheknewthehistoryofpersecutionthatlaybehindZionism,hecould
notacceptIsraelasanythingbutaninjusticethathadtobeputrightin
bloodshed.Onthepretextofvictimhood,butfromthesafetyofNewYork,he
urgedotherstokillandbekilled.WhenArafatprofessed(falselyasitturnedout)

tobewillingtomakepeacewithIsrael,Saidbrokewithhim,insistingonarmed
struggle.Attheendofhislife,thisprofessorofasubjectwithinthehumanities
wasphotographedthrowingastonefromLebanesesoilagainsttheboundary
withIsrael.
ThecontradictoryaspectsofthemancametogetherinOrientalism,abook
Saidpublishedin1978.ThethesiswasthateveryWesternerwhohadeverstudied
orwrittenabouttheMiddleEasthaddonesoinbadfaith.FromancientGreece
throughthemedievaleratothepresent,theworkofhistorians,grammarians,
linguists,andevenepigraphistshadbeenarationalizationofcolonialrule.
Therewasnocolonialruleinthelifetimesofthemajorityofthesescholars,so
theymusthavebeenprojectingwhatwastocome.ForSaid,thesehighly
eclecticindividualswereallengagedinalongdrawnconspiracy,international
butinvisible,toestablishthesupremacyoftheWestbydepictinganEastnotonly
inferiorbutstaticandincapableofchange.Atbottom,herewasthevulgar
Marxistconceptthatknowledgeservesonlytheinterestoftherulingclass.Said
hadalsolatchedontoMichelFoucault,withhispropositionmodishlyavant
gardeatthetimethatthereisnosuchthingastruth,butonlynarratives
whoseinventorisputtingacrosshispointofview.Thisreducesfactstowhatever
anyonewishestomakeofthem.
Omittingwhateverdidnotfit,misrepresentingevidence,andmaking
unwarrantedgeneralizations,Saidcommittedtheverysinforwhichhewas
accusingWesternersofconcoctinganarrativetoservehispurposes.Ashe
summedup:EveryEuropean,inwhathecouldsayabouttheOrient,was
consequentlyaracist,animperialist.Thenarrativeshapedaconclusion
particularlycrucialtoSaid.EuropeansincludedJewsandlaterIsraelis,andthey
werethereforeintegraltotheconspiracytododownOrientalsandensurethat
Palestinianswereprimevictimsofracismandimperialism.Palestinianviolence
andterrorwasthereforenaturalandlegitimate.
Orientalismoweditsclattofashion.Herewassomeonewithinaprestigious
Americanuniversitymakingthenationalistcaseinanapprovedhighbrowidiom
thattheWestwasreallytoblameforthemisfortunesofArabsandMuslims,
includingharmtheyhaddonetothemselves.Thetimingofthebookwasalso
propitious.ThebalanceofpowerwasalreadytippingagainsttheWest,andin
favorofMuslims.Thepublicwasreadyforinstructionabouttheencounterwith
Islam,thisrathershadowynoveltysuddenlyloomingonthehorizon.Thewhole
rangeofintellectualguiltmongersandmasochists,stretchingouttoMiddleEast
lecturers,areaspecialists,expertsofonekindandanother,andnotleastthose

withantiAmericanandantiJewishprejudices,eagerlypromotedSaidtheir
championandhero.Inthesecircles,Saidearnedfurtherimmediatepraiseby
welcomingAyatollahKhomeinisIslamicrevolutionbecauseitwasantiAmerican
inprincipleandpractice.UniversitiesinstitutedcoursesdeferringtoSaid,who
wasinvitedtopresenthisbrightnewnarrativetooneprestigiousaudienceafter
another.Orientalist,theportmanteautermforeveryWesternerwithascholarly,
literary,orartisticinterestintheEast,isnowfirmlyinthealmanacofcurse
words.SaidsucceededinwideninganimusagainstIsraelbyfoldingitinto
generalizedantiWesternism.Morethanthat,hehadpoliticizedthestudyofthe
MiddleEastinitsmanifoldaspects.

DiscussionofinconvenientfactssoonbegantoexposepiecemealSaids
narrative.AnIsraelischolar,JustusReidWeiner,uncoveredtheextentto
whichSaidhadbeenromancinghisownvictimhood.LeavingJerusalemasa
youngboybeforeIsraelbecameindependent,hehadgrownupinCairoandbeen
educatedatitsmostprestigiousBritishruncollege.Hiscredentialsasa
Palestinianrefugeeandaspokesmandemandedmorethanastretchofthe
imagination.ItwasnottheZionistswhohaddispossessedtheSaidfamily,it
turnedout,butNasserwhenheexpropriatedthepropertyofallforeigners
includingtheirs.ThevictimofArabnationalism,Saidwasneverthelessitsmost
ardentdefender,andthispsychologicalinversionisthemostmystifyingthing
abouthim.Perversityofthesortmayperhapsilluminatethepsychological
processwherebysomanykindredintellectualsmisplacehatredandguilt,
admiringthosewhoinjurethemandcondemningthosewhomightprotectthem.
SaiddidnotlivelongenoughtoreadRobertIrwinsbookForLustof
Knowing,publishedearlyin2006.ThisthoroughrebuttalofSaidisamonument
ofgenuinescholarship,examiningwhotheOrientalistswere,howhistorically
theyadvancedtheirdisciplinesalloverEurope,andwhattheirachievements
havebeen.Attheoutset,IrwincallsSaidsbookaworkofmalignant
charlatanry,andhedemonstratesthepointcalmlyincontrasttoSaid,heisfree
fromeitherspiteorarrogance.(StephenSchwartz,anotherinformedcritic,also
deploysthewordsmalignantcharlatantodescribeSaid.)Irwinsaccountofthe
foundingofchairsinEuropeanuniversitiesforthesakeofstudyingand
translatingEasternlanguagesandliterarytextsisparticularlystrong.Dedicated
scholarshandeddowntotheirsuccessorsatraditionoflearningandresearch.
EvenChristianchurchmenandapologistsamongthemwerepreparedtopursue
knowledgeobjectively.
SomeofSaidscriticshavehadAraborMuslimorigins,forinstanceSadiqal

Azm,FouadAjami,andKananMakiya,andSaidtreatedthemallasthoughthey
weretraitors.Hewouldsurelyhaveissuedanotherpersonalfatwainhisusual
styleofblusterandinsultagainstIbnWarraq,whoseDefendingtheWestfurther
demolishesinclosedetailtheSaidiannarrative.
OriginallyfromtheIndiansubcontinent,IbnWarraqistheauthorofa
previousbook,WhyIAmNotAMuslim.Thisisascrupulouslydocumented
examinationofthelifeandteachingoftheProphetMuhammad,oftheQuran
anditssources,andtheresultingculture.Asheseesit,intoleranceand
ignorance,andallmanneroftaboos,havebeendeliberatelypreservedand
cultivateddownthecenturies,doingthefaithfulnoservice,andcreatingwhathe
openlycallsthetotalitariannatureofIslam.
Liketheearlierbook,DefendingtheWestrestsonverywidereadingin
severallanguagestherearealmostahundredpagesoffootnotes.Theimpactis
allthemoresolidbecausethetoneexpressesneitherridiculenorangerbutonly
determinationtogetatthetruth.ThebookmountsitsdemolitionofSaidfrom
severalangles.Tobeginwith,SaidspseudoFoucaultstyleoftendescendsinto
meaninglessverbiageandcontradiction.Saidsselectivityandfailuretotake
historicalcontextintoconsiderationalsoleadhimastraywildly.Outoflazinessor
carelessness,hemakesegregioushistoricalblunders.Forinstance,atthetime
whenSaidisaccusingtheBritishofimperialismintheMiddleEast,theactual
overlordsweretheOttomanTurks.AndifBritishandFrenchOrientalistswere
imperialagentsbydefinition,howcomeGermanyhadnoMiddleEastempire
whenitsOrientalistswerethemostdistinguishedandoriginalofall?Andwhat
aboutIgnazGoldziher,thefoundingfatherofmodernOrientalismandreadyto
considerconvertingtoIslam,butHungarian,thereforefromacountrywithno
imperialistaimsintheMiddleEast?

AscommonsensesuggestsandIbnWarraqsubstantiates,theinterestof
WesternersintheEastfromclassicalantiquityonwardswasmotivatedby
intellectualcuriositytheywantedtofindoutabouttheotherhumanbeingswith
whomtheyweresharingtheworld.Toseekknowledgeforitsownsakeisthe
specialandwhollybeneficialcontributiontheWesthasmadetomankind.Only
theWestinoneofIbnWarraqslapidaryjudgments,seemstohavedeveloped
thenotionthatthenaturalworldisarationalandordereduniverse,thatmanis
arationalcreaturewhoisabletounderstand,withouttheaidofrevelation,or
spiritualagencies,andabletodescribethatuniverseandgraspthelawsthat
governit.Rationalism,universalism,andselfinspectionareWesterntraits
whichexpandcivilization.Saidsculturalrelativismleadsonlytoadeadend.

Morethanthat,intellectualcuriosityonthepartofonlyahandfulof
Westernscholarswastheindispensablepreludetotherescueandrevivalof
culturesMuslim,Hindu,Buddhistamongthemthatwereontheedgeof
extinction.HenryRawlinsoninPersia,AustenLayardinMesopotamia,Sir
WilliamJonesandHenryColebrookeinIndia,andMaxMllerthegreat
Sanskritphilologistrestoredtothelocalpeoplesthepaststhathadoncebeen
theirs,givingthemprideintheirancestors,andtheselfrespectwithoutwhich
therecouldhavebeennonationalism.Nationalisthistoriansnowconcur,and
eventhemoreextremeamongthemareabletopraiseafigurelikeLordCurzon
forsalvagingthemonumentsofIndiainhisyearsasviceroy.
Thefinalhundredorsopagesprovideanaccountofvariousartists,writers,
sculptorsandevenmusicianswhoeitherworkedintheMiddleEastorused
themesandsubjectsfromit.FromHerodotustoKipling,andfromGentileBellini
toDelacroixandGrmetoSaid,allsuchatalltimesandinallplaceswere
collaboratorswithoneoranotherimperialism.Inreality,asIbnWarraqhasno
difficultyshowing,theywerereportersandobservers,enthusedbyunfamiliar
customsandcolors,andanysocialorpoliticalopinionstheymightexpresswere
insympathywiththelocalpeople.Theywereactuallycelebratingeveryoneand
everythingthatSaidbelievestheywereinjuring.
DefendingtheWestmightseemaspecialistbookwithanarrowfocuson
someonewhomadeaspectacleofhimselfbyabsorbinguncriticallytheThird
Worldismofhisday,alostsoulwhoperhapsoughttobepitiedratherthan
exposed.Thatwouldbequitewrong.Thepurposehereistoreinvigoratethe
humaneanduniversalvalueswithoutwhichthereisnocivilizationworththe
name.IbnWarraqisanxiousbecausethesearebadtimesfortheWest:itsculture
isindecay,itsachievementsdenigrated,itscitizenseverywheredemoralized,and
thereforeinaweakpositiontodefendthemselvesagainstmilitantandmindless
Islamism.Itisasourceofhope,andsomesortofhistoricmilestoneaswell,thata
MuslimbybirthshouldnowbethefreespiritcallingontheWesttobetrueto
itself.

Notes
Gotothetopofthedocument.
1. DefendingtheWest:ACritiqueofEdwardSaidsOrientalism,byIbn
WarraqPrometheus,500pages,$29.95.Gobacktothetext.

DavidPryceJonesisasenioreditoratNationalReview.Hismostrecent
bookisTreasonoftheHeart(Encounter).

MOREFROMTHISAUTHOR
ThisarticleoriginallyappearedinTheNewCriterion,Volume26January2008,onpage60
Copyright2015TheNewCriterion|www.newcriterion.com
http://www.newcriterion.com/articles.cfm/enoughsaid3743