‘THREE ARAB CRITIQUES OF ORIENTALISM er Donald P. Little Donald P. Little, of the Institute of Islamic Studies, Montreal, Canada, was one of the first of the North American scholars to respond to the cia of erientalism mounted by Anouar Abdel-Malek in ‘Orientalism in Crisis, A. Peeaui in ‘EnglishSpeaking Orientalists', and Edward Said in Myths In ‘Three Arab Critiques of Orientalism’, Little questions Tibauw’s willingness to display the ‘courtesy, tolerance and moderation’ he demands of others; calls attention to Abdel-Malek’ bias; and wonders at Said’s failure to draw ‘subtle distinctions’. is. concluding paragraphs, para- doxically, ke implicitly accepts ‘of many of the criticisms. of orientalism made by its critics. Given the absence among Arab intellectuals of a strong impulse to analyze themselves, their culture and what it means to them,' it may be instructive for those of usin the West who want to understand Arabs to study what they have Instructive in at least ewo ways. First, more often than not, jestern scholarship on Arab-Islamic culture have been devas- tat in the patent conviction that Western scholars do not under stand Arabs, Surely if we want to understand them and their culture we should kinow why our past attempts have been rejected by the subjects of our study. “This is copecally true now when mutual understanding between Arab and DeP. Linde, Three Arab Critiques of Orientalisn’, Muslin World, 6%, 2, 197% pp- 210-34.ois le 0 slam and the Arabs, lack ea cites oct ecto Lover . " ive aide impedes, Thaw clams ‘of Orientalism are: discussed separately. Western ron has uinted from the beginning, Tibawh sternerszo study Ishin and list control. ‘Those few is approach has scholars. Indeed, much to and are incapable of historical insmm A aencioniaeda mearecerormcen | atti Ceen ewer, “Christianity. Of the same. tribe aretha” ould nor be judged, or even analyzed, within ynorms and standards. Bar, by the same token, few text sep, where he reduces his political argument since Arab rationalism “is nor be understood by x ne thermore, thar the Westeen ‘moral problem when he attempts to 8 would seem to be hip of H. ALR. Joseph Schacht’ work oa Is the has inefect closed most: by which Orentalists have tried to gain access —courapng isthe fact that while pading for a mo ‘lam on the part of ‘Onient- cooperative study of A id Lefe, denounced for his atempt to find common ground ‘onary dogma and progressive ideology. Islam and Christianity, and Montgomery Watt, whose two has been irom the beginning theGnelectual has been domina by its assumptions and Mir divided early inea two retested inthe Arab world dominated by amateur gatherers of penetrate consciousness ofthe people in : to the European powers’ The two tolerance, goals of the latter petmeated and the Oriel -Malck has said nothing tha Tibawi -eds in a different vein to define more their attention tothe past, mai hich they study either through manuscripts (plundered and archives (stored in the West!) or through the racist 7M8 as been made in assimilating, of preexisting cultures, hough this ing to time and place andl the dumps every Westerner who isket. Thus we find mixed with such‘no matter how inn ss interruptus. a ie eee tec incapat focthis mr Said trac rested ultim the other peoples. This explains Bt(Tibawi are the carer reading and di id the immediate political sain extent explain the thrust of these hey advocated lam and the reconstruction of a mifitant faith_———______*st hw one aoa in refutation of the first charge, the Italian a. Pipe tars ean be cctind tar aesciree e aae “We no longer believe in rans have eaten i a ou ao 2 {people ie Corps hy, financed by . can possibly tend. aid and wuld hazard the guess that few of‘teitally teu inthe development of a mo where such is needed, ‘major criticism is leveled draws between. Western eee ‘heres and ane aes ich stop sh Possible or even d and, tion, romantic mystification, and “a7“Tass Anas Carigues OF ORIENTAL we a sae W. rel ast. The Near a a i ete hs suies.” The exes & hates the plan ofthe book as conceive Di ‘of Orienalism a @ Teonaed Binder te notion te ahandaned; henceforth he student of the Middle Fa tne ofthe disipias iro which se bse it history, religion, poli sce tnd archeology. Whether or not we AB welcome this evidence of selfawarenes ‘realization that changes need robe made. Whil the changes that até needed may not coincide with 1 ‘Malek, or Sud, these signs of discontent should give the encouraging, { should think, is the launching in England of th ‘Middle Eas Studies, which a ‘motivated bias... andits prof “the production of theoretical ‘ne ofthe editors ofthe Review, an Arab: ° an Arab anthropol Tevet Persons and institution 1 Study of the Middle East, ed. 6, pp 38-4 8‘W76K, 973i esa: Hay, ‘ors twayn, 960) Me Gy Pel a ak ‘A study in Ethie Identity he je Trade: the Life Universiey oF Cali> available material, together 14