04 December 2001

Edward Said

Recently, Martin Kramer wrote an editorial for the Wall Street Journal excoriating various "experts" on the Middle East, primarily members of the Middle East Studies Association (link for subscribers here). One of the scholars Kramer calls out is postcolonialist Edward Said. We've previously linked to articles dealing with Said (here and here).

Today, Professor Said's response is published in the WSJ letters section (link for subscribers here). The bulk of his letter contends that Kramer misreads him and is a pawn of AIPAC. *yawn* His conclusion is typical stuff, for him, but still worth reproducing (sunshine being an effective antidote to Said's brand of scholarship):

Like Ariel Sharon, Mr. Kramer tries to exploit the current crisis as a way of obscuring Israel's terrorist military occupation (now in its 35th year) of Palestine.

Edward Said
University Professor
Columbia University
New York

Said has consistently (and inappropriately) described the Jewish presence in Israel (actually only a part of what was mandatory Palestine) as an occupation. It's a new and stylish touch, however, to tack on the term "terrorist." It's very much in vogue these days, after all, to describe one's opponents as terrorists -- never mind if it has any basis in reality (what is reality, after all?) -- and Professor Said is never timid about such matters.

[Posted @ 10:37 AM CST]