My first critical reflection: The Orient

The metaphor for the "The Middle East" is defined by most Western historians as a place of wonder, danger, beauty, legend, and myth. In this particular region of the world, the Middle East played a fundamental role in the developpment of the first human civilisation called "The Sumerian". The Middle East also gave rise to the two most important religions in our society today, namely Christianity and Islam. The ideology from both religions would come into conflict several times in the course of human history. Christianity would become the dominant religion in the Western world. Islam would become the dominant religion in the Middle East. Not only did these 2 religions come into conflict in the course of history, but also the respective societies themselves. Western society would clash with the Middle East regarding their political institutions and their religious beliefs (Edward Saïd, 2005).

Edward Saïd mentions in his book "L'ORIENTALISME" that the hatred between the Western society and the Middle East dates back to ancient history. At one point in time, the Athenians defeated the powerful Persian army under the rule of the Persian king Xerxes (Saïd, 2005). The Athenian empire saw the Persian empire as inferior and barbaric compared to them. Edward Saïd mentions in his book thow Alexander the Great defeated the Persian Empire in the Middle East. Alexander The Great brought with him during his military campaign intellectuals, scientists, and philosophers to civilize the Middle East (Edward Saïd, 2005). Most Western philisophers wrote in their poems about the Middle East being a place of wonder and danger (Edward Saïd, 2005). The idea of racism toward the Middle East was passed down from the Ancient Greeks to the Romans, and later embraced by the Western world. Most Western people consider the Middle East as a place of ignorance that must embrace Western ideology and integrate it into the different cultures of that region.

Most Western governments believed that it was their responsability to bring Western ideology to pacify this region such as democracy, education, and the need for human rights. The American President George W. Bush give a speech to the U.S.congress in 2002 where he considered Iraq was part of the "Axis of Evil". President George W.Bush wanted to introduce Western Ideology such as civil liberty, human rights, and education to Iraq. Most Western people consider the Muslisms as terrorists in our society today. Most Western people believe that the Muslims are a backward people in their political systems and fanatical with their religious beliefs. Most Western governments will support these dictatorship governments in the Middle East because these governments are fighting terrorists within their countries. Most Western people believe that the Middle East has a long history of political turmoil in the region. Most Muslims do not condemn the act of terrorism in their society today. Most Muslims are demanding political change in their countries. A good example of this political change is what is presently happening in Tunisia and in Egypt in the month of January, 2011