The New Orientalists : Postmodern Representations of Islam From Foucault to Baudrillard

The west’s Orientalism – its construction of an Arab or Islamic ‘Other’ – has been exposed and examined under the critical theory microscope and thoroughly expelled, it seems, from academic thought. At the same time postmodern thinkers from Nietzsche onwards have employed the motifs and symbols of the Islamic Orient within an ongoing critique of western modernity, an appropriation which, this hugely controversial book argues, runs every risk of becoming a new and more insidious Orientalist strain.Ian Almond sensitively yet rigorously examines the work of Nietzsche, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Jean Baudrillard, Julia Kristeva and Slavoj Zizek, as well as that of postmodern writers Jorge Luis Borges, Salman Rushdie and Orhan Pamuk. In doing so he exposes the implications of this ‘use’ of Islam for both the postmodern project and for Islam itself. Taking apart the assumptions, omissions and contradictions inherent in these thinkers’ approaches to Islam and to the Arab world, and drawing on the work of prominent Muslim thinkers including Ziauddin Sardar, Aziz Al-Azmeh and Bobby S. Sayyid, “The New Orientalists” highlights the difficulty of ever speaking truly about the ‘Other’. In light of the current Western climate of fear and hysteria surrounding the Islamic world, this groundbreaking project could hardly be more timely.

the West's Orientalism -- Its Construction Of The Arab Other -- Has Been Exposed, Examined And Expurgated Under The Critical Theory Microscope In Recent Years Yet The Issue Has Acquired Renewed Urgency In Light Of The Current Climate Of Fear And Hysteria About The Islamic World. At The Same Time Post-modern Thinkers From Nietzsche Onwards Have Employed The Motifs And Symbols Of The Islamic Orient Within An Ongoing Critique Of Western Modernity, An Appropriation Which -- This Hugely Controversial Book Argues -- Runs Every Risk Of Becoming A New And Subtle Form Of Orientalism. Examining The Work Of Nietzsche, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Jean Baudrillard, Julia Kristeva And Slavoj Zizek And Of Post-modern Writers From Borges To Salman Rushdie And Orhan Pamuk, Ian Almond Also Draws On Muslim Thinkers Including Akbar S. Ahmed And Bobby S. Sayyid In This Timely Project. The Result Is A Provocative Examination Of The Effects And Implications Of This Use Of Islam For Both The Post-modern Project And For Islam Itself.

Annotation. The west's Orientalism -- its construction of the Arab "Other"--Has been exposed, examined and expurgated under the critical theory microscope in recent years yet the issue has acquired renewed urgency in light of the current climate of fear and hysteria about the Islamic world. At the same time post-modern thinkers from Nietzsche onwards have employed the motifs and symbols of the Islamic Orient within an ongoing critique of western modernity, an appropriation which -- this hugely controversial book argues -- runs every risk of becoming a new and subtle form of Orientalism. Examining the work of Nietzsche, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Jean Baudrillard, Julia Kristeva and Slavoj Zizek and of post-modern writers from Borges to Salman Rushdie and Orhan Pamuk, Ian Almond also draws on Muslim thinkers including Akbar S. Ahmed and Bobby S. Sayyid in this timely project. The result is a provocative examination of the effects and implications of this "use" of Islam for both the post-modern project and for Islam itself Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgements......Page 7 Introduction......Page 10 PART ONE Islam and the critique of modernity......Page 14 ONE Nietzsche's peace with Islam......Page 16 TWO Foucault's Iran and the madness of Islam......Page 31 THREE Derrida's islam and the peoples of the book......Page 51 PART TWO Islam and postmodern fiction......Page 72 FOUR Borges and the finitude of Islam......Page 74 FIVE The many faces of Salman Rushdie......Page 103 SIX Islam and melancholy in Orhan Pamuk's The Black Book......Page 119 PART THREE Islam, 'theory' and Europe......Page 138 SEVEN Kristeva and Islam's time......Page 140 EIGHT Islam and Baudrillard's last hope against the New World Order......Page 165 NINE Iraq and the Hegelian legacy of Žižek’s Islam......Page 185 Concluding thoughts......Page 204 Notes......Page 213 Bibliography......Page 228 Index......Page 234 The west's Orientalism, its construction of an Arabic and Islamic 'Other', has been exposed, examined and expurgated under the critical theory microscope. At the same time postmodern thinkers from Nietzsche onwards have employed the motifs and symbols of the Islamic Orient within an ongoing critique of western modernity, an appropriation which - this hugely controversial book argues - runs every risk of becoming a new and more insidious branch of Orientalism. Examining the work of Nietzsche, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Jean Baudrillard, Julia Kristeva and Slavoj Zizek and of postmodern w The west's Orientalism, and its construction of the Arab "Other", has been exposed, examined and expurgated under the critical theory microscope in recent years, yet the issue has acquired renewed urgency in light of the current climate of fear and hysteria about the Islamic world. At the same time post-modern thinkers from Nietzsche onwards have employed the motifs and symbols of the Islamic Orient within an ongoing critique of western modernity, an appropriation which runs every risk of becoming a new and subtle form of Orientalism Exposes and examines the west's Orientalism and its construction of an Arab or Islamic 'Other'. This work highlights the difficulty of ever speaking truly about the 'Other'. It also examines the work of Nietzsche, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Jean Baudrillard, Julia Kristeva and Slavoj Zizek. Ian Almond. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [219]-224) And Index.