http://tinyurl.com/p5udz9lb
The link posted above argues that if we want to have a better understanding of the acts of violence like 9/11 and the unrest among Muslim populations, we need to focus more on the historical developments rather than those Orientalist caricatures. Orientalist connects Muslims and irrational violence. Orientalist is not simply an attempt to study and understand Islam or the Orient, rather, it is a way of narrating the West’s sense of itself. According to this article, colonialism was not only the imposition of authoritarian racial rule, but also a state of mind. European colonialism provides the appropriate background to understand the chaos in the Muslim societies. Currently, there are mainly two influences of colonialism. One is the Western governors imposing their rules on the natives, another is the westerners making those native rulers believe that ultimately modernization and westernization are the same thing. Since the Iranian revolution, Muslim societies around the world have been involved in the conflict between the native leaders who believe that they can replicate the success of the West and those groups who reject the view that the West knows best. There is a struggle against a world that colonialism made, that is pivotal to analyzing the turmoil. What do you think of the colonialism? Do you think the modernization and westernization are the same thing for colonized people? What do you think of those violent actions?
This article reminds me of what we read from The Wretched of The Earth. The author Fanon argues that: “Colonialism is worse than a lack of governance, it is humiliating, it is to be unseen and unheard”. Moreover, those violence acts of the natives reminds me of what Fanon argues that, “at the level of individuals, violence is a cleansing force. It frees the native from his inferiority complex and from his despair in action,” (Fanon, 94). Even though Fanon advocated violence against the settlers as the way for colonized people to regain their sense of self-respect, such violence would not be automatically justifiable today. It is unrealistic to encourage those terrorist attacks since they are not innocent. According to Fanon: “violence can be effective” and “violence is needed to match violence”. Therefore, violent struggle is a necessary agent for colonized peoples to gain independence.Thus, we should only encourage the colonized to use violence to reject the dehumanizing domination of Western culture.
I agree with your last statement. it is true that you should not encourage violence, but it is necessary when people are fighting for freedom. Colonized people have been put through rough times, and sometimes have to fight for freedom. As for your other question, it does seem that as far as the Middle East goes, colonization and westernization are one in the same. Neither is doing those countries any good because they are being forced into the middle of a conflict that they don't need to be.
ReplyDeleteThank you Adriana, it's true that we should never encourage violence since it is costly. Nevertheless, we should encourage the colonized people to use violence to fight for their freedom since liberation can and must only be achieved by force. However, I don't agree that colonization and westernization are the same thing. Colonization and westernization are different because it is not the civilians that chose to be colonized.
DeleteThe use of violence is necessary for the colonized people because it is the only way to change the government. Throughout history the people who are in control of these colonies were either Europeans or western educated Africans. The government officials only care about pleasing the European countries. i don't think modernization and westernization are the same thing for colonized people because they have a choice. They did not have a choice to be colonized or not.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree with you that violence is the only way that brings people together and fight against the liberator. The government officials in those colonized area care more about the interests of the colonial power and themselves rather than the benefits of the civilians'. Since it is not those civilians that chose to be colonized, it is hard to regard the westernization and colonization as the same thing.
DeleteIn my opinion, the colonies in the past had to use violence in order to separate themselves from their leaders. In their situations, violence was the only way to show that they were unhappy and express their frustrations to who was in charge of them. I do not believe that westernization and modernization can be compared as the same when discussing colonies because they did not get the decision to pick if they wanted to be colonized.
ReplyDeleteThank you Avery, I agree with you that by using violence the colonies can not only express their anger but also make themselves fearless and restore their self-respect. Since the colonial power can only be overturned by violence, we should encourage those colonized people to stand up and use violence to fight for their freedom. I also agree with you that westernization and colonization are different kinds of things since people didn't make the decision to be colonized.
DeleteI do not believe modernization and westernization are the same, however it may be a matter of perspective. Those who do not wish to be modernized may attribute modernization as being forced upon them by Western powers, thus attributing it to westernization with negative connotation.
ReplyDeleteAn example of modernization without western influence can be found in Congo-Kinshasa. High levels of Chinese investment are creating a new infrastructure, and a new way of life for the people in Mobutu's old country. The country is modernizing with little to no western influence.
I agree with you James, just like you have mentioned that modernization can be achieved without westernization. These two things do not need to happen at the same time. Since it is sometimes costly for colonized people to accept westernization, it is not hard to imagine that the colonized people hold a negative connotation.
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