My critique on the book "Orientalism" by Edward Saeed

 My critique on the book "Orientalism" by Edward Saeed.

By Naeem Khan

Edward Saeed has analyzed the subject-matter erroneously. He confused colonization , imperialism and Orientalism. 

This was not only the West who attacked on the East. East also attacked on the West as Arabs invaded Spain or Turks occupied many parts of East Europe.  People of East also attacked on each other as Persians and Pashtuns invaded India many times. Arabs also occupied parts of India and so on.

Orientalism is basically the style, artefacts, or traits considered characteristic of the peoples and cultures of Asia. It was not always portrayed as something negative as Orientalism was a Western scholarly discipline of the 18th and 19th centuries that encompassed the study of the languages, literatures, religions, philosophies, histories, art, and laws of Asian societies, especially ancient ones.

Many research works on  Eastern languages were  conducted  by Orientalists. I know that how Pashto as a language was researched by Western scholars. 

Orientalism, the 1978 book by Edward W. Said mainly made Orientalism as a negative concept. But some negative portrayal of the East by some Orientalists do have some bitter truth. I recently wrote a blog on East versus West where I asked this question:

What are the top 5 contributions of the East( except Japan) for humanity?

West has given us modern science,  technology,  philosophy,  medicines,  democracy,  development,  human rights,  liberty,  gender equality and many other useful things.

Even this "West versus East" dichotomy is not correct.  Knowledge is for all.

Geographically, there is NO East or West as the world is a globe;however, let's talk metaphorically and contextually. 

People say that East is more spiritual so I say:

There is NO East or West as the world is a globe;however, let's talk metaphorically and contextually. 

West is more moral and   Spiritual . Most of the followers of Indian or Buddhist gurus are Westerners.  There is rule of law in the West  which make them moral as well.  There is justice, wisdom,  courage and self control: the cardinal virtues of Stoicism.

Pashto Times.