Occidentalism

More about the book

Twenty-five years ago, Edward Said's Orientalism identified the denigrating fantasies of 'the East' in the colonial mind, sparking a debate that still rages today. But what about the ways 'the West' is seen in the eyes of its self-proclaimed enemies? These perceptions have been largely unexamined. «Occidentalism» is a groundbreaking investigation into the hostile stereotypes of the Western world that fuel the hatred at the heart of movements such as Al Qaeda. In this book, Ian Buruma and Avishai Margalit argue that although the enti-Western virus has found a ready host in parts of the Islamic world, it is not native there and actually has its origin in the West itself. «Occidentalism» shows that young jihadis are pursuing the same ideals - heroic revolution, spiritual enlightement and moral authenticity - that have typified rebellions around the world for centuries. By tracing the history of revolutionary thought, from the Coutner-Reformation in Europe and many varieties of fascism in East and West, through to current anti-capitalism and religious extremisms, this book demonstrates that today's suicide bombers and holy warriors don't suffer from some unique pathology, but are fired by ideas that have a history. «Occidentalism» is a work of panoramic range and erudition and iwll enlarge permenetly our understanding of the owrld in which we live.