Arabs in the mirror : images and self-images from pre-Islamic to modern times / Nissim Rejwan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rejwan, Nissim.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Arabs.

National characteristics, Arab.

Arab countries--Intellectual life.

Arab countries.

Intellectual life.

Intellectuals--Arab countries.

Intellectuals.

Democracy--Arab countries.

Democracy.

Egypt--Social conditions.

Egypt.

Social conditions.

Physical Description:

xii, 210 pages ; 23 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Austin : University of Texas Press, 2008.

Summary:

What is an Arab? Though many in the West would answer that question with simplistic stereotypes, the reality is far more complex and interesting. Arabs themselves have been debating Arab identity since pre-Islamic times, coming to a variety of conclusions about the nature and extent of their "Arabness." Likewise, Westerners and others have attempted to analyze Arab identity, reaching mostly negative conclusions about Arab culture and capacity for self-government.

To bring new perspectives to the question of Arab identity, Iraqi-born scholar Nissim Rejwan has assembled this fascinating collection of writings by Arab and Western intellectuals, who try to define what it means to be Arab. He begins with pre-Islamic times and continues to the last decades of the twentieth century, quoting thinkers ranging from Ibn Khaldun to modern writers such as al-Ansari, Haykal, Ahmad Amin, al-'Azm, and Said. Through their works, Rejwan shows how Arabs have grappled with such significant issues as the influence of Islam, the rise of nationalism, the quest for democracy, women's status, the younger generation, Egypt's place in the Arab world, Israel's role in Middle Eastern conflict, and the West's "cultural invasion."

By letting Arabs speak for themselves, Arabs in the Mirror refutes a prominent Western stereotype-that Arabs are incapable of self-reflection or self-government. On the contrary, it reveals a rich tradition of self-criticism and self-knowledge in the Arab world.

Contents:

The bedouin, the camel, the sand, and the palm tree

Identity and self-definition

Ibn Khaldun's appraisal appraised

"Arabizing the Arabs"

Self-images old and new

Calls for "critical self-analysis"

Unity in diversity

The quest for democracy

Resources and development

The social scene

The case of Egypt

The West's inroads

The difference Israel has made

New lessons for old

The intellectuals

Appendix : portraits in a mirror : three fictional versions.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [199]-204) and index.

ISBN:

9780292717275

029271727X

9780292717282

0292717288

OCLC:

164803646