Covering Islam: How the Media and the Experts Determine How We See the Rest of the WorldKnopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1997 M03 11 - 272 pages In this classic work, the author of Culture and Imperialism reveals the hidden agendas and distortions of fact that underlie even the most "objective" coverage of the Islamic world. "No one stuyding the relations between the West and the decolonizing world can ignore Mr. Said's work." --The New York Times Book Review From the Iranian hostage crisis through the Gulf War and the bombing of the World Trade Center, the American news media have portrayed "Islam" as a monolithic entity, synonymous with terrorism and religious hysteria. At the same time, Islamic countries use "Islam" to justify unrepresentative and often repressive regimes. Combining political commentary with literary criticism, Covering Islam continues Edward Said's lifelong investigation of the ways in which language not only describes but also defines political reality. |
Contents
Introduction to the Vintage Edition | xi |
Introduction | xlix |
Islam and the West | 3 |
Communities of Interpretation | 36 |
The Princess Episode in Context | 69 |
Holy War | 81 |
The Loss of Iran | 95 |
Unexamined and Hidden Assumptions | 110 |
Another Country | 123 |
Orthodox | 135 |
Knowledge and Interpretation | 162 |
Notes | 175 |
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