Answer the following questions. Be specific and use examples to illustrate your point when appropriate.

Answer the following questions. Be specific and use examples to illustrate your point when appropriate.

 Edward Said critiques Orientalism. What does he mean by this term? Why is it problematic from his point of view?

Said describes Orientalism as the Western attitude that views Eastern culture as inferior, primitive, and exotic. He further elaborates it as the acceptance in the West of the “the basic distinction between East and West as the starting point for elaborate theories, epics, novels, social descriptions, and political accounts concerning the Orient, its people, customs, ‘mind,’ destiny and so on.” As pointed out by Said, one of the most problematic aspects of Orientalism is the belief that radical ontological differences that exist between the natures of the West and the East, to the advantage of the West. The belief is deeply rooted in the notion that western societies, mentalities, languages, and cultures are inherently and essentially superior to those of the Eastern world.  He further says that the essence of the Orientalism ideology is the distinction between Oriental inferiority and Western superiority, which can be proven to be a stark fallacy by any independent thinker.

An example of Orientalism that is well common in the Western world is the constant and rampant depiction of the Eastern world as being full of ruthless, crude, and generally bad people. In almost all movies depicting characters from the Orient and the West, those from the Orient usually end up being the villains and are associated with terrorism and crime. This kind of generalization is fallacious as both sides have their own criminals, and there are obviously certain situations where people from the East are on the right side while those from the West are on the wrong.

Sadik J. Al Azm writes about “Orientalism in reverse. What does he mean by it? Why is it problematic from his point of view?

Sadik J. Al Azm views Orientalism in reverse as being problematic as it sins doubly by trying to capture the essence of the “Arab mind” by analyzing Arabic words and texts based on the words and texts of the master Orientalists. This textual attitude eliminates originality reality from the Arabic language as it creates unrealistic value on it, permitting Orientalists to make the language equivalent to mind, society, history, and nature. This is highly problematic as Orientalists hold the notion that the language speaks or expresses the Arab Oriental, instead of the Arab Oriental speaking or expressing itself through the language. Another problematic element of Orientalism in reverse is its racial stance by concluding that a comparison between the psychological and linguistic elements prove that the superiority of the Oriental mind over the Occidental one..

Al Azm also noted that the Islamic Orient and the West were antithetic and that the Oriental people not only confront Western imperialism but the Western ideologies as a whole, including the most developed ones like Marxism, are unsuitable for them. He also notes that the degree of emancipation of the Orient cannot and should not be measured in line with western values and standards such as women’s liberation, secularism, and democracy. This is in line with the thought that the Islamic Orient cannot be understood using the epistemological tools of Western social sciences and that there are no relevant analogies with Western phenomena relevant to the Orient. Therefore, the superiority or suitability of either of the two cultures cannot be determined by analyzing parallel elements, as they are worlds apart.  An example of Orientalism in reverse is Secular Arab nationalism, which features obsession with language and proving the superiority of the Oriental mind. Another example is Islamic revivalism, whose proponents advocate a return to “authentic Islam” characterized by a rejection of all opposing ideas from the West and guided by the notion that “Islam is Islam” and “the West is the West.”

What is the difference between the “Middle East,” the “Arab World,” and the “Islamic World?”

The middle East refers to the geographical area that includes Western Asia and North African counties like Egypt, Sudan, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania, while “Arab World” refers to Arab-speaking states, populations in Western Asia, North Africa and elsewhere. Islamic World, on the other hand, refers to all people who practice the religion of Islam to all societies in which Islam is practiced.

What is an ethnicity? What are the major ethnic groups in the Middle East? Where are they located geographically?

Ethnicity can be defined as a social or group identity that an individual ascribes to him or herself, and that is also accepted by others. Ethnic categories are often based on differences in language, religion, and cultural practices between groups. A past shared history, such as descent from a particular ancestor or group, is a common feature of ethnic identification.

The major ethnic groups in the Middle East are as follows:

• Arabs- Located in most countries in the Middle East except Iran, Turkey, and Israel.
• Iranians- Located in Iran
• Turkic Peoples- Located in Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan.
• Kurds- Located in Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Turkey.
• Berbers- Located mainly in Algeria, Morocco, and Libya but can be found throughout North Africa and even into Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Conference of the Birds story by Attar is a parable of Sufism, or one could call it “Sufism 101.” How is it so?

The Conference of the Birds story by Attar is said to be a parable of Sufism because it is a symbolic representation of the path followed by Sufi Muslims to reaching the state of complete annihilation in God. The story starts with a meeting of birds in which they distress over the lack of a king. The hoopoes, who is the wisest of all the birds, suggest starting a journey to find the Simurgh to solve the problem. The hoopoe then guides all the birds, who represents the human vices that hinder people from gaining enlightenment. In Sufism, the seeker of enlightenment follows a path under the guidance of a master, represented by the hoopoe in the story.  The birds have to cross seven valleys to reach their destination. In Sufism as well, the seeker has to move through various stations like the tawba, suhd, and faqr on their path to understanding God’s true nature. During the journey, most of the birds perish due to various factors, and only thirty complete the journey. After facing the Simurgh, they realize that they were one and the same as the Simurgh. This represents the final phase is the Sufi path in which the seekers realize that they all reflect God because all humans are God’s shadow and reverberation. After this, they can be said to have reached the state of complete annihilation in God (fana’).