http://higher-criticism.com/2005/09/what-went-wrong-western-impact-and.html ...exposing the evils and deviancy of modern-day extremist movements that operate under the guise of religion... Sat, 04 Sep 2010 11:56:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 http://higher-criticism.com/2005/09/what-went-wrong-western-impact-and.html/comment-page-1#comment-8 Razwan Wed, 21 Sep 2005 00:56:00 +0000 http://66.147.242.95/~deendotc/addondomains/highercriticism/?p=36#comment-8 Lewis seems to fade in his analysis once he reaches the late-Ottoman era. He ahs some useful insights, but I don't think the charge that he is unlike earlier Orientalists holds water. Watt is just as good, if not better. As for a Western historian of Islam, Marshall Hogdson, CE Bosworth and the late medievalist George Makdisi remain my favourites.<br/><br/>Accusations of being a 'scholar-combatant' are not without basis when it comes to Lewis. After all, he is one of the intellectuals who is credited with influencing current US foreign policy towards the ME, as well as outlining that one of the ways to combat Soviet influence in Asia was to empower Muslim "fundamentalists" (for want of a better word). And no this doesn't mean I believe "Zionists control the US"; more that considered intellectual opinions are obviously read in corridors of power -- some more appealing than others and Lewis is more appealing to this US regime than say Esposito (who I use an example -- I'm not saying he is any better/worse than Lewis as a scholar).<br/><br/><i><b>SheilaX replies:</b> Thank you for your recommendations. Personally, I find John Esposito, like Karen Armstrong, rather too vague and apologetic when it comes to radical Islam and its roots.</i> Lewis seems to fade in his analysis once he reaches the late-Ottoman era. He ahs some useful insights, but I don’t think the charge that he is unlike earlier Orientalists holds water. Watt is just as good, if not better. As for a Western historian of Islam, Marshall Hogdson, CE Bosworth and the late medievalist George Makdisi remain my favourites.

Accusations of being a ’scholar-combatant’ are not without basis when it comes to Lewis. After all, he is one of the intellectuals who is credited with influencing current US foreign policy towards the ME, as well as outlining that one of the ways to combat Soviet influence in Asia was to empower Muslim “fundamentalists” (for want of a better word). And no this doesn’t mean I believe “Zionists control the US”; more that considered intellectual opinions are obviously read in corridors of power — some more appealing than others and Lewis is more appealing to this US regime than say Esposito (who I use an example — I’m not saying he is any better/worse than Lewis as a scholar).

SheilaX replies: Thank you for your recommendations. Personally, I find John Esposito, like Karen Armstrong, rather too vague and apologetic when it comes to radical Islam and its roots.

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