Edward Said introduced the concept of orientalism to describe the stereotypical image which western scholars had created of the Orient and its inhabitants. Avishai Margalit talks of occidentalism: the West in the eyes of the rest. This ideology, which portrays the West as a licentious, materialistic and idolatrous society, leads, just like Said’s version, to dehumanization and therefore poses a serious moral and political problem. The attacks of 11 September 2001 show just how serious a problem it is.

Nexus Lecture 2004: Occidentalism. The West in the Eyes of its Enemies