Warientalism, or the Carrier of Firewood

Notes

1. Abu Lahab, whose name symbolically means flames, is the half paternal uncle of Prophet Muhammad, SAWS.

2. Dechra means village in Algeria.

3. See for example Surah “Al-Humaza,” or “The Backbiter” in English, which occupies the 104th chapter of the Quran.

4. Abu Lahab's wife is Um Jamil Bint Harb; her name symbolically means “war.” She is also known as Arwā. Along with her husband, she opposed Prophet Muhammad's preaching.

5. Hittisme is an Algerian term that pejoratively refers to men passively posing against walls in the streets, gazing and gossiping about absentees and passersby.

6. Bennabi's words may sound “Orientalist” to the uninitiated. “OToT” explains clearly what can count as Orientalist in the Saidian sense.

7. Politics of right means giving oneself the right to do whatever one pleases while also being obstinate as to the act's rightness. It is irrational in itself.

8. The decision of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem is a structure of sentiment; it is a radically personal stance independent of an outside, logical urgency or need to do that. Because uttered by a powerful entity, the personal decision (doxa) affects the collective (endoxa). As a result of this powerful decision, many countries moved their embassies to Jerusalem too, following the example of the US.

9. I refer the reader to “OToT” which explains clearly the knowledge-power complex of Orientalism the way Said conceives of it.