This paper aims at studying the coverage of the cartoon controversy with the Orientalism
– and Occidentalism – critique as a backdrop. In 1978, Edward Said published his book
‘Orientalism’ that dealt with the interplay between the “Occident” and the “Orient.” In
reference to this view, the West has created a dichotomy, between the reality of the
East and the romantic notion of the “Orient”. The Middle East and Asia are often viewed
with prejudice and simplification, as backward and unaware of their own history and
culture, and this view has been linked to political hegemony. “Occidentalism” may be seen
both as a simplification of the West (Carrier 1995) or as a response to the Orientalist
othering, which may entail a reversed othering of “the West”. Occidentalism may also be
seen as part of the counter-Enlightenment,a sort of response against industrialization,
rationalism, secularism, and individualism (Buruma & Margalit 2004). The study evaluates coverage of the cartoon controversy in the Egyptian and the Pakistani press – two countries in which the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad caused critique, anger and protests – and focuses particularly on representations of “The West” linked to the controversy. The main hypothesis here is the dilemma that has been empowered in current modern thinking between Occidentalism and Orientalism: are we looking at a “clash of definitions?” (Said 2000).
