In what ways are Media representations of Islam a continuation of Orientalism

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In what ways are Media representations of Islam a continuation of Orientalism? Discuss with reference to one specific Media event.

 This essay aims to provide an accurate picture of how today’s Western media purposely produce negative, culturally constructed views of Islam and the Muslims around the world.  Islam is usually presented as being medieval, ‘backwards’, uncivilised and irrational as well as an obscure group of people who follow a heretical religion.  Using the unfortunate events from September 11 2001 as the main context, the essay will try to demonstrate how these misconceptions in the media are not the result of these events alone, but more importantly history has shown it as part of an ancient myth, created culturally dating back to the enlightenment period.  To clarify this assertion, we need to refer to Edward Said’s discourse on Orientalism. It illustrates how Islam was studied in the past compared to how it is shown today as the significant other. “In short; Orientalism, a Western style for dominating, restructuring over the Orient (Arab/Muslims in the middle east)” (Said: 1995: p3).

In order for us to understand and appreciate what Orientalism is, let us briefly cite Dr. Said in regards to this subject:

From at least the end of 18th century until our own day, modern Occidental reactions to Islam have been dominated by radical simplified type of thinking that maybe still called Orientalism… Dividing the world into two unequal parts, the larger “different” one called the Orient, the other, also known as “our” world, called the Occidental or the West. (Said: 1997: p4)

In general, but more specifically Orientalism is the study of Arab-Muslims and the Middle East. Western academic researchers and philosophers conducted theses studies during the Enlightenment period and beyond. Arguably, these researches are flawed for numerous reasons. In particular, the researches which were carried out are partial and biased because they were primarily prepared to demote Islam and to further the West’s interests; in matters regarding politics, social, economic to forcedly impose on the Muslim world its own secular values. The underlining assumption that Islam is deemed as a threat comes from the dominant Christian West due to the dark ages. Islam in Europe was viewed as a ‘new’ monolithic religion and its unprecedented influence was threatening parts of the Christian world. Islam was its biggest rival. The Christian West in the dark ages was unable to profit from learning about the teachings of Islam. As a result, the unavoidable misconceptions about Islam were born. Its acceptance as a religion, coexisting side by side with Christianity; and its demand to be recognised was not an option that the Christian Europe could easily accept.   The West’s own shortcomings meant that “so as far as the West is concerned, Islam represents not only a formidable competitor but also a late coming challenge to Christianity. Islam was believed to be a demonic religion of apostasy, blasphemy, and obscurity.” (Said: 1997: p5)

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  Let us dwell further into what Said says with regards to media in the present day and its impacts on Islam, about how these ideologies reflect Orientalist attitudes. He illustrates this using a Television Advert to show how the media constructs and instils ideological values, presenting it as being as an unknown evil:

… (Con Ed) ran a striking Television advertisement in the summer of 1980. Film clips of various immediately recognisable OPEC personalities – Yamani, Qaddifi, lesser-known robed Arab figures – alternated with stills as well as clips of other people associated with oil ...

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