Arabs are not mythical creatures!
Orientalism in the Arts, the ambiguous East and the Arab "exotics".
If you have spent at least 20 minutes in a room with me, chances are I have referenced my Newton of the Humanities: Edward Said. In his book, Orientalism (1978), he discusses the philosophy of bifurcating the East and West into polar cultural entities. But in the wise words of my rock, my darling mumma: “English, please, Shayla.” So, what better way to introduce myself to you, dearest reader, than to discuss the topic I am most passionate about: the historical evolution of Orientalism and why it seems the West can never accurately portray Arabs. :)
The theory of ‘Orientalism’ broadly refers to the separation of two cultures: the East and the West. It is crucial to note that the ‘East’, which Said refers to, includes East and South Asia, and North Africa; however, he focuses his analysis on the Middle East. In a way, the wide geography of the East is a direct reflection of the ambiguity of its culture - at least from a Western perspective.
The Eastern region and its cultures are most definitely diverse, and wonderfully so! However, it is this mosaic of cultures which seems to puzzle the West. It is this uncertainty that moulds the foundations of Orientalism. Namely, the two archetypes of the Eastern ‘Orient’ and the Western ‘Occident’.
To use his exact words, Said claims the abstract idea of the ‘Orient’ is a “semi-mythical construct” developed by the West to ensure their culture is clearly distinguished from the East. That way, the culture of the ‘Occident’ can remain seemingly more credible and dignified in comparison.
Hence, it is only natural the creative industry is the main player pushing the “semi-mythical construct” narrative of the Oriental. Think illustrious flute tunes and dancing serpents; arrogant bearded men, thieves and secrecy, sparkling gold and greed, veiled belly dancers. I can almost guarantee you thought of Disney’s Aladdin (1992), or perhaps the Indiana Jones franchise.
However, such external representations of Arab culture do not concern me the most. Caricatures do not phase me (to a certain extent, of course).
It is the underlying normalisation of prejudice that taints the image of Eastern cultures, even in our current age of ‘progressive ideology’ and ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’. And the main culprit of this? A lack of education. Because, how can we expect accurate representation if the artists’ scope of understanding is the works of previous artists? ‘Orientalism’ is the generational accumulation of prejudice turned into stereotype - a snowball which only rolls downwards, and the heavier it gets, the faster and faster it tumbles down the steep summit.
It might be conceited of me to assume you have heard of an underground indie writer of whom I am a day-one fan. William Shakespeare. (Yes. I WAS THERE AT THE GLOBE THEATRE IN THE SUMMER OF 1592). Jokes aside, Orientalism existed in the Arts even before Edward Said’s time, and most certainly before ours, even as far back as the Elizabethan era.
Shakespeare’s Othello is one of his most acclaimed plays alongside Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet. Upon my research, I came across the official “introduction to the play” and subhanAllah, I don’t even need to explain my point in words. So here is a direct quote from the Folger Shakespeare Library page:
“In Othello, William Shakespeare creates powerful drama from a marriage between the exotic Moor Othello and the Venetian lady Desdemona that begins with elopement and mutual devotion and ends with jealous rage and death. Shakespeare builds many differences into his hero and heroine, including race, age, and cultural background. Yet most readers and audiences believe the couple’s strong love would overcome these differences were it not for Iago, who sets out to destroy Othello.”
It sounds like a great love story, and it is! But do you read what I read? (Hint: it’s the word in bold)
“Exotic”.
Now, without looking it up on Google, guess what region of the world a ‘Moor’ is from. It’s North Africa.
The Moors were the most dominant Muslim population during the Middle Ages. While the character of Othello was a caricature of the Middle East, he was most likely portrayed as such to exaggerate and dramatise the cultural differences between the romantic couple. The issue here is not the character itself but the impact his representations have on its impressionable (need I mention, Western) audiences.
It is human nature to be moved by the Arts - arguably, that is the whole point! However, as an audience, we can be swayed into prejudice and misinformation if the artist themself is misinformed. (Notice how I use the term ‘misinformed’ rather than ‘ignorant’) And when misinformation turns into the false representation of an entire cultural identity, whether intentional or not, this quickly becomes normalised in everyday life.
But progression needs time and effort - (baby steps for the apparently indigestable culture of the East). And Alhamdoulillah {Thanks be to God}, we are seeing the diligent efforts of Eastern artists truly infiltrate the mainstream!
A personal favourite of mine is Ramy Youssef, an Egyptian Muslim guy who recently won an academy award for his debut acting role in a YORGOS FILM, which is only an addition to his collection of achievements: several awards for his INCREDIBLE self-directed TV series Ramy (2019), as well as many other projects, world-wide stand-up comedian, guest and host of mainstream talk shows, several magazine covers, and so much more. Everyone say “MashAllah” {God has willed it!}.
If I were to tell little Shayla, a hard-core cinephile who would wake up at 7am every Sunday morning to watch a new film on TV, she would be seeing names that looked like hers in the credits under ‘Directed by’, she would have flipped!
Eastern identities are not limited to colour, nor language and certainly not the soils from which we were moulded. Media in the West has worked towards inclusion in the past few decades, and I certainly acknowledge how far we have progressed! But we are still a long way from achieving accurate representation.
Consume your media mindfully and support rising creators!
Dearest reader and I,
We must take ahold of the pen which writes our narrative, and grasp it tightly! There is hope. A hope where young Arabs, and POC’s in general, are not limited to a caricature, and are given the credibility we deserve! Culture and integrity are not mutually exclusive; and so it is through our art and labour and education that we can prove this to the world.
Yours lovingly, Shayla
Asalamu-alaykum Wa-rahmatullahi Wa-barakatuh.
{May peace and blessings be upon you}.
Such a good read, looking forward to more
Incredible as always Shayla!!