A big factor in the internalized orientalism of the Muslim communities is the rejection of western culture. This rejection of the otherizer by the otherized is a common phenomenon exhibited throughout history. For example, Marcus Garvey and his agenda were a byproduct of the otherized black community. Over time this anti-western governance viewpoint grew to be too extreme for the average black individual, leading to his rejection by the community he was trying to help.
In the Muslim community we find mixed responses as to the value of western ideals. For example, while the women in many Muslim countries find western freedom desirable, they find the majority of western ideals as repulsive [x]. Moral corruption embodied by an obsession with sex and drugs is repulsive to these individuals. In direct contrast with the western viewpoint, 'sexual freedom' is ironically seen as the degradation and objectification of the female sex. This form of rejection, however, is justified as a fundamental difference in the cultural ideological viewpoint of the other. As the rift between the otherizer and the otherized grows, this rejection may take less logical forms to establish an extreme sense of self apart from what is depicted by the otherizer.
In the Muslim community we find mixed responses as to the value of western ideals. For example, while the women in many Muslim countries find western freedom desirable, they find the majority of western ideals as repulsive [x]. Moral corruption embodied by an obsession with sex and drugs is repulsive to these individuals. In direct contrast with the western viewpoint, 'sexual freedom' is ironically seen as the degradation and objectification of the female sex. This form of rejection, however, is justified as a fundamental difference in the cultural ideological viewpoint of the other. As the rift between the otherizer and the otherized grows, this rejection may take less logical forms to establish an extreme sense of self apart from what is depicted by the otherizer.
As disillusionment increases between the otherizer and the otherized, the rejection of the dominant culture becomes more extreme. For example, this may be embodied in the Muslim community by a rejection of western clothing as a way of assimilating into western culture. As depicted in the video Can I wear Jeans & A Jumper? Do I HAVE to wear a Thobe?? The depicted authority pushes for the removal of western influences in impacting anything about a Muslim's life. He especially emphasizes the clothing as a source of potential base for falling into the trap of westernization for the sake of being western. Some have taken this form of rejection and accepted it as the norm. And others have furthered sought to further it.
Like in the case of Marcus Garvey, there exist communities, organizations, and sects that are dedicated to the complete rejection of westernized culture. This is extremely well depicted by the Wahhabi 'pure Islam' that rejects any perceived foreign ideals in its social and political structure. |
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In extreme cases this rejection of western cultures may take drastic turns. As detailed in a recent gallup survey, the United States of America are disapproved of by Pakistanis. This depicts a larger phenomenon showing disapproval of the west in general in the Muslim world. Utilizing the hatred and the desire to reject the otherizer, the extremist organizations such as Al-Qaeda capitalize on the weakness in the otherized to grow in support. ISIS has fed off this same phenomenon in order to gather support from blinded followers who are primarily interested in fighting the ideals of the 'villainous' otherizer. These organizations usually have political, rather than religious, basis that leads to their corrupted method of operations.