Colonialism is a state of mind
Why did the sales of the Koran in the United States rise in the days after 9/11? It was because it was assumed by many that by reading the Koran, they would understand Islam, and that by understanding Islam they would understand Muslims, and if they understood Muslims, they would understand why the World Trade Center towers were brought down, why the Pentagon was attacked and why nearly 3,000 Americans lost their lives.
This set of assumptions and many like them are derived from Orientalism, a stereotyped connection between Muslims and irrational violence. Outside the picture that Orientalism paints, there is no necessary relationship between the links in this chain of assumptions: The Koran will not tell you why 9/11 happened, nor can Islam, nor will Muslims as a whole.… Seguir leyendo »