THE ORIENT & THE OCCIDENT

By Mehreen Omer

Orientalism is essentially the perception that the Global West is superior to us and we are inferior to them. It is a cultural hegemony of the occident over the orient. It undermines our ability to critically analyze and understand things. By accepting this orientalist perception, we are legitimizing the ne0-liberalism and colonialism of the west as it was used to legitimize the colonize enterprise of the East India Company in India, as had been in many other countries. No one denies that globalization is predominantly a western idea.

Most people appreciate the efforts of the West to promote peaceful relations with the East. But few realize that all this comes at a price. They will only accept peace if there is a cultural and social integration between the Orient and the Occident. But they are in essence mincing words here. This cultural and social integration is not merely merging values of both the parties involved. But it is absolute authorization of the Occident and legitimate subjugation of the Orient.

Orientalism is narrowly defined as a cultural feature associated with the countries, peoples, or cultures of East Asia, but this statement chiefly hides the larger picture. It is also a sum of oversimplified attitudes of Western intellectuals toward the East, and in particular toward the Middle East. The reason why people fail to understand Orientalism in its entirety is particularly due to acceptance of western laws and the democratic system.

If one understands the process of westernization as the dominant force in the era of globalization but argues as if nothing in principle is wrong with the orientalist perception, he/she might need to reconsider if the referent that he/she is following is worthy of being admired. By adopting a holistic approach and understanding that the political, economic, judicial and social spheres are interrelated to each other, one should not be oblivious to the hidden but phenomenal failures under the rubric of glamour and development.

It’s no surprise that whatever the west portrays as trendy, the east follows it. Let it be reminded here that the west is not inclusive of the entire Europe or North and South America, but rather the Global North in which the United States and Britain are dominant. No one today denies the penetration of westernization in the global societies but what one does not understands why that is so. Certainly, the west has depicted it as being on the axis of development and modern civilization. It is not a coincidence however that the east has fallen pray to their perception and has failed to see what is behind the veil.

Is it agreeable that the one you are going to follow must be someone better than you and must be worthy of following? If yes, we may continue. What is the west we are all fond of? Under the garb of hi-fi buildings, luxurious cars, awesome houses, lies the worst sort of depression and hopelessness. They promote development as being a part of a multinational corporation, having a promising career and a secure future. But development is improving education, literacy, health, hygiene and environment. Unfortunately, many of these factors are rather completely ignored or not dealt with properly. After all, it’s the western perception.

As the world is moving on, people are becoming increasingly materialistic and individualistic. Values of altruism and self-sacrifice are becoming progressively rarer. All this lies in the heart of secularism and liberalism. Families are destroyed and lives shattered. Divorce rates are the highest in these countries and never wonder why. The children don’t know where to go and in order to avoid the negative atmosphere of the house, remain out most of the time. They are exposed to strip clubs and bars and since they feel so devastated already, they don’t mind giving way to their desires. This is the democracy of the west, and this is their society. Many of the people in the west seek to find a way out of this materialistic unhappy life they are entrapped in and look out for peace in spiritualism. New age religions, yoga and other spiritualistic cults are on the rise there. There is a complete hopelessness generated. Amazingly, people are leaving orthodox Christianity, and are either coming to complete spiritualism, or are leaving religion altogether. Resultantly suicide rates due to purposelessness and depression are escalating. Some people think that monasticism is the way out while others think the other extreme.

One of the most lethal weapons to promote social ideas is the media and it’s no surprise that the spread of media in every home has largely and indefinitely contributed to the change of perceptions in every home as well. Can anyone in their right mind possibly deny that the presence of electronic media has altogether created new values and shun old ones? Is it ludicrous to think that the most of the movies produced in the 21^st century have shamelessly promoted fornication, porn, extra-marital relations, sexual harassment and abuse? Who in their right mind could possibly deny that the children are largely been exposed to pornography from an early age? In the age of globalization, every person, be he young or old tries to imitate what he sees on the television in one way or the other.

The media has been used to make objectionable ideas and values acceptable in today’s society. Who could once perceive of homosexuals as being not only so open about their nature, but also very proud of it? Being a gang member used to be somewhat a member of shame; but now, the media promotes “good” gangsters as bringing justice to the world by adding a little moral touch to it. At first the idea of the man having relations with anyone other than his wife seemed an insult to his family, now it has become a norm. One just wonders how did this paradigm shift happen and how did it take place in just a short span of time.

THE CLUTCHES

By Mehreen Omer

The trouble with today’s modern man is his inability to break the clutches of his mind and think freely and independent from other sources. He feeds on the information being fed to him through the hands of others and doesn’t questions what he is being fed. He has incontrovertibly become dependant upon the views and information being presented to him by “others” and so sees the world as “others” want him to see. So in effect, he finds it either inconvenient or too strenuous to work out some information about any thing himself and would readily accept any information presented to him by “others”. Unfortunately, the “others” that he either trusts too much or considers “experts” are the very same people who are not credible at all and deliberately supply false information i.e. in other words propaganda.

So has man become too tired to think critically and put everything under careful scrutiny or has man indulged himself in an inferiority complex seeing the world through the eyes of those that he considers superior. This is the perception of orientalism which basically promotes the notion that the West has better and much superior values and the eastern world has remained backward as a whole. An important personality who needs be discussed whenever orientalism is discussed is Edward Said.

Edward Said (1935-2003) was a Palestinian American writer and educator. In his writings and lectures, Said was highly critical of Western portrayals of Arabs and of United States foreign policy in the Middle East. For much of his life he was a passionate advocate of the cause of Palestinians displaced by the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. His outspoken views gained him both admirers and fierce critics. Said is best-known for his book Orientalism (1978), which discusses the attitude of Western intellectuals toward the East, and in particular toward the Middle East. Said argued that Westerners have a limited, oversimplified concept of the Middle East and its history. This view, he said, goes hand in hand with political imperialism.[i]

In Culture and Imperialism (1993) Said drew similar perceptions from works of Western literature—perceptions of the East as the “other,” of peoples barbaric and limited, of Oriental despots, and of cultures both exotic and degenerate. Said argued that these perceptions remain influential today and have an impact on politics, particularly on policies toward the Middle East and on views of Arabs. [ii]

An excellent analogy that can be cited is that a man who is reluctant to think independently is like a policy-maker who has been told by his enemy how to set his foreign policy. Most people are aware what propaganda is, but still apply little effort to counter it. Even if barely a person becomes aware that a television anchor has lied about things or events in the past, he still doesn’t gives him the certificate of a liar and presupposes that the television anchor can lie about something trivial but not something that is so open. These are the kind of people who are unaware of disinformation. Disinformation does not merely means false information but false information which is presented after lots of true information, so that the person thinks that if that much true information has been given to him, the remaining must also be the truth. That’s why most Hollywood movies would portray governmental corruption and domestic terrorism but don’t go further than that. They would give the facts that make the public hate the puppets (because they already hate them) and not the real people behind them. How many movies are made about a government sex scandal but not about how the government has actually been proved to be behind a terrorism case that they for long blamed on others?

And when such narrow-minded people are told that a certain person is lying; that man pops up angrily and argues baselessly that are they the experts are you the experts. Such a person has undeniably been deluded into believing that just because a person got his so-called Ph.D. in a particular field, he got to be saying the the truth! Even as a layman, one must do his own research and study under experienced teachers and then form his own conclusion. Man always tries to avoid the hassle and find the shortcut which in turn hurts him big time in the long run.

The debate between the east and west seems to be old and outdated yet this is not only about western domination and eastern incompetency but unwillingness will to think critically and independently. No argument regarding this entire notion is well-supported without the mention of the thousand years of golden age of Muslims. It was a time when Muslims literally ruled the world and set the stage for advancements in medicine, astronomy, technology, social sciences, political science, law, history and many other sciences. They led the way; and this being at a time when the European (or more precisely the Western world) was engrossed in their dark ages. Today Muslims have become gripped in their pessimism and have become reliant upon the western world to lead the way. One thing that needs to be reminded here is that the western world considered here is the western values in general and not the western people in particular; since there are western Muslims as well!

Another thing that needs to be considered is that mankind has indeed become inept and entertainment saturated. And this is not by chance, as many would like to believe. Man is also affected by his societal milieu and resultantly adopts the values that the majority agrees to be ethical not what really should be ethical. And this is the problem. What will happen if the majority errs?

So conclusively, man needs to change his mentality and free himself from the clutches of modern-day imperialism. He needs to develop his self-esteem and stop being a puppet being stringed by the elite. Most people today accept and agree that 9/11 was an inside job, but they don’t consider the implications of this. If they lied about such an enormous event, why can’t they lie about other events, be they trivial or momentous? So beware. A Muslim needs to cautioned here that Prophet Muhammad SAW reminded us of these times when great lies will be spoken, so beware!

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References:

[i] Microsoft Encarta (2009)

[ii] ibid

GLOBALIZATION

By Mehreen Omer

They want us to be one of them. They want us to be like them. They want to produce their carbon copies in the hundreds of millions. They want destruction. They want chaos. They want our doom. And how would man be able to swallow, when he will be told that Gog and Magog have achieved these aims. If anyone today has any doubts that globalization is a myth or that globalization is not part of the larger agenda, then he/she must perhaps go back to his philosophy that ignorance is bliss. They mince words saying globalization is unity between the orient and the occident, but one should question; is it really an edifying integration between the orient and the occident or a cultural hegemony of the occident over the orient.

According to Encarta Dictionary, to globalize means to make something adopted globally i.e. to become adopted on a global scale, or cause something, especially social institutions, to become adopted on a global scale. Isn’t that what is happening today, and incontrovertibly in almost every field. What we eat, drink, wear and how we behave, react and move, has been largely, if not completely, influenced by this process of globalization. Essentially, globalization is an authorization of a complete social, economic, psychological, educational, occasional, technological, political and judicial model around the globe with a one-world totalitarian government.

Today, we see different cultures are integrated into a global culture. Corporations have expanded into multinational businesses. To name a few; McDonalds, KFC, Pepsi, Coca Cola, Dominos, Boss, Hardees, Marks and Spencer, Chen One, Lewre, Charles and Keith, Starbucks, Levis, Dolce and Gabbana, Chanel have been found in almost each and every country. Companies like Apple, LG, Philips, Samsung, HP, and Toshiba have expanded their business internationally. Who is oblivious of hotels like Marriot, Pearl Continental and Hilton? Blue jeans and shirts have become the icon and the more branded an accessory, the better it is in the eye of people. Suffice to say, many brands and companies have become so culturally integrated in every society in such a way that they have become a part of them. But this process of globalization is not limited at the corporate level but also extends socially, morally and politically and have become part of our daily lives either unwillingly or unknowingly.

In the political culture, we see a perfect example of globalization in the United Nations Organization. Many people still today think that it was formed just as a reaction to the first two major world wars and to prevent any outbreak of such future potentially destructive wars. But if we understand who was behind the foundation of the United Nations, we shall realize a very sinister reason. But not to provoke any major unpleasant reactions, that reason will not be discussed here. We all perhaps know that the United Nations is not a solo organization but has many groups and sub-groups. Examples include UNESCO[1], UNICEF[2] and WHO[3] etc. Other organizations like the IMF[4] and WTO[5] have also largely played their role in establishing the same economic and trade rules worldwide.

In the social culture, we see ideas and concepts promoted by the media and changing the psychology, mentality, behavior, and personality of the individual. Values of this social culture are being increasingly adopted. These values have their origins in secularism, individualism and liberalism. The media is vital in promoting these values. Movies and programs are encouraging such principles to be adopted in every home and street. Many few invite the notion that Hollywood is not just an entertainment industry, it is a social marketing enterprise used to promote social change and to influence people with some specific ideologies, doctrines and notions.

This spread of globalization is not restricted only to these spheres, but have contaminated the economic realm as well as well. The rapid acceptance of capitalism throughout the world is one such example of globalization. How much destruction, chaos, poverty, unemployment, diseases and corruption, capitalism has brought to the world is no hidden secret. Along with this, the prevalence of interest-based banking system throughout the world is another example of globalization.

In the technological sphere, new technologies have been adopted readily around the world. Even though the Luddites [6]are trying to impose social controls over the use of technology, the Eli-ites [7]are using social controls to increase the acceptance of new technologies. Amazingly, the Eli-ites are winning the race. Even though the harms brought by the society outnumber the benefits brought by it; its acceptance is increasing rather than decreasing. One wonders, whose interest is this acceptance serving?

Indubitably, there has been an occasional amalgamation as well. World Aids Day, Cancer Day, Hunger Day, Earth Day are being renowned throughout the world. Festivals like Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve are celebrated throughout the world. Halloweens have become very common around the globe, and children use it to play trick and treat games, forgetting the history of Hollywood. It has become a phenomenon to celebrate many parties with spilling Champaign all over.

In the judicial circle, laws and legislations are rapidly being standardized throughout the world. Capital punishment is increasingly being abolished in many countries. Many countries are making euthanasia legal.

Even in the educational arena, many textbooks have been standardized to be taught in schools, universities and other institutions. Through such standardization, other works and ideas of other scholars are largely ignored and the new generation that is brought forth moves under the same axis. One should question why are such textbooks in science, history, law, business, economics, arts, humanities have been benchmarked.

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References:

[1] United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization

[2] United Nations Children’s Fund

[3] World Health Organization

[4] Internal Monetary Fund

[5] World Trade Organization

[6] Those against the use of technology

[7] Those in favor of use of technology

GLOBAL THEFT

By Mehreen Omer

Mankind has been lied to. It has been utterly deceived. They’ve been told that the power elite is working for them to provide them with essentially three basic needs; food, shelter and clothing. What they have not been told, is that all these things were already theirs. It was stolen from them, and still is. The world power elite is making you pay money for something you own, and they are gaining money for something that’s not theirs. Unfortunately, this ignorance is not inconceivable considering that our history textbooks have been manipulated so tactfully by the same power elite. This is not hypothetical folks, this is the reality.

A massive global theft of our natural resources has resulted in poverty, starvation, pandemics, endemics, water and food shortages, destruction of livelihoods and even unemployment. If you have remained oblivious to this, then you should know that many works have been done criticizing this global take-over, but of course they are not highlighted by the media. Today, resolutions are passed in the United Nations Council to carve out poverty, disease and famine; only to further enslave mankind. Unequivocally, they are talking rubbish. The United Nations Organization isn’t there to help you; it’s there to enslave you. Many of the problems encountered today, be it poverty, spread of new diseases, famine, drought, or environmental crisis, are all man-made and have been engineered by those in power; not the government; but those who even control the government. It’s comical how just a couple of decades back, such accusations were labeled as conspiracy theories and now the same people are protesting against it.How would conceive the notion of paying a price for something that already belongs to you? How would you like paying a hundred bucks for a hundred bucks note already in your wallet? That’s ridiculous, isn’t it? And yet the reality is even worse. You are paying ten-thousand bucks for a hundred bucks in your wallet. As unbelievable it may seem, but the reality is that you have been fooled so much, that the reality is mocking at you. If one doesn’t even knows his rights, how will he fight for it? They have taken everything from you; your money, food, health, time, job, mind and even soul. They have penetrated into every corner of your home. They don’t need to know what’s happening in your private rooms; because they already know. They’ve prepared you for it. Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction. The entire scenario is like a person taking a vase from your house, packing it up in fancy wrapping, and giving it back to you as a gift.

How would you react? Would you show thanks for something that was already yours? This is just one analogy. The reality goes far worse. A robber after raiding your house returns the next day to return your door mat. Quite disturbingly, mankind is actually thanking the robber for that door mat.

The realm of global theft encompasses many important aspects in our life. The most prominent of them are our national resources; something that is God-gifted to all humanity, regardless of who they are and where they live. Land, water, air, food, the sum of all human knowledge and experience, science and culture are something that are our commons, and have to be claimed back.

GLAMOUR

By Mehreen Omer

Why do we always covet something we don’t have in our lives, even though we do not necessarily need it? Have you ever wondered what is it that makes us so desirous of luxury? We may go by a small cozy chair that is just as comfortable as the expensive office seat, but we would rather prefer the later. We would rather prefer shopping in a mall and pay even thrice for the same quality we would get in a mediocre bazaar. Our brand involvement has increased tremendously, and every thing we buy has to be branded or otherwise is worthless. We have become indolently dependant upon quality that we forget the price that we have to pay for it. Has the infiltration of glamour changed our lifestyle so much that we need to reconsider our paradigm?

According to Encarta Dictionary; Glamour means exciting allure, expensive good looks and a spell. Considering the first definition, glamour is an irresistible alluring quality that somebody or something possesses by virtue of seeming much more exciting, romantic, or fashionable than ordinary people or things. Considering the second definition, glamour means striking physical good looks or sexual impact, especially when it is enhanced with highly fashionable clothes or makeup. Considering the third definition, glamour stands out for a magical spell or charm.

Of course, literally everyone knows in one way or the other what glamour is, but need was felt here to give proper definitions to argue further on their basis. As seen through the definitions glamour is largely used to glorify appearance, but what if appearance and reality are completely opposite things. Then, incontrovertibly, glamour in effect is used as a tool for mass deception. It indulges man in a trance, undermining his ability to judge the true value of things. It must be stressed here that looking good is no crime, but only looking good is.

Why have we become so inept that we are chasing something that we are never going to catch? If we do not realize the gravity of the problem, we will never be able to solve it. Stakes are high and urgent decisions are needed. In this post-normal world, where mass deception is common and outspread, if we do not realize the root of the problem that is facing us than we will undeniably will have to bear unimaginable repercussions. Why are we so obsessed with glamour? They paint ordinary things in different colors, and we become so involved in them. The things we own end up owing us. The things we don’t own allure us. And in this rush of life, we lose the trick.

What we do not perhaps understand is that glamour is not only restricted to fashion, but rather encompasses many aspects of our daily lives. Our entire lifestyles are set under the agenda of promoting glamour. Urbanization is endorsed under the guise of glamour. Big city life and high-rise buildings are seen as development. A person is judged primarily on the basis of the suit he wears in the office, and secondarily on his performance. Wearing a Rolex watch alleviates one’s position at work.

Needless to mention, glamour is widely promoted in the media. One particular movie “Confessions of a Shopaholic” can be discussed in this context. This is how the basic plot goes;

“A childhood memory begins the film, as Rebecca's mother buys her brown shoes that will last forever but aren't fashionable, while other girls get cute fashionable shoes. They laugh at her mundane shoes, and Rebecca feels unworthy. She sees a lady using a credit card and is fascinated by them, coveting one. Now, Rebecca Bloomwood (Isla Fisher), living with her best friend Suze Cleath-Stuart (Krysten Ritter), has moved to Manhattan to get involved in the New York City magazine world. She has several credit cards, and a shopping addiction. She's a journalist for a gardening magazine but her dream is to join the fashion magazine "Alette". Unfortunately, when Rebecca gets to her "Alette" interview the male receptionist informs her that the job has been filled by Alicia Billington. He advises her to join another of several other magazines owned by the corporation, Dantay West and make her way up to "Alette" since the company likes to promote from within. He tells her there are interviews being held at Successful Savings.

On the way to her second interview, she is distracted by a Denny & George sale, eventually buying a green scarf. Her credit card is declined and sale items cannot be held so Rebecca races to the nearest hot dog stand offering to buy all the hot dogs if the seller gives her back change in cash. Rebecca lies, saying its a gift for her sick Aunt Ermintrude. Finally a man offers her $20. When she interviews with Luke Brandon (Hugh Dancy), the editor of Successful Saving, she realises he is the man from who loaned her $20. Whilst he talks on the phone, she hides her scarf in a cubicle outside his office. The interview doesn't go well, when he asks her why she chose to learn Finnish fluently and about the current fiscal crisis. She tries to distract him without any success. Luke's assistant Hayley comes into the room and tells Rebecca that she dropped her scarf. Rebecca knows her game is up and leaves the interview.

Frustrated by her lack of success, she and Suze write drunken letters to Alette and Successful Saving, but she posts each to the wrong magazine. Nevertheless, Luke Brandon hires her. Then, rather than completing a work assignment, she goes to a clothing sale. When examining an expensive cashmere coat, it gives her inspiration for her column, calling herself "the Girl in the Green Scarf". Impressed Luke invites her to a conference in Miami and an important ball. At a restaurant Alicia (Leslie Bibb), asks Luke to the ball, leaving Rebecca feeling dejected. In Miami, Rebecca says her credit collector, Derek Smeath is actually her stalker when he attempts to reach her throughout the film.

Rebecca returns home to confrontations with Smeath, so her roommate Suze makes her join Shopaholics Anonymous. The class leader, Miss Korch (Wendie Malick), forces her to sell all the clothes she just bought, including her maid of honor dress for Suze's wedding and a dress she purchased for a TV show interview for her now famous columns as "The Girl in the Green Scarf". She offers to buy back both dresses from the charity store she was forced to donate to, but can only afford one, and chooses the TV interview dress. During her live TV interview, Rebecca is publicly outed and accused of not paying her debts by Derek Smeath, and consequently loses her job.Luke also breaks up with her after he finds out that she lied to him this whole time. Suze is also angry when she finds out that Rebecca sold her bridesmaid dress, and doesn't let her back into the apartment.

Rebecca is then back at her parents house when Allette herself appears to offer her a position at the fashion magazine as a new columnist, writing about bargain sales. While this had been Rebecca's initial plan, she says that she'd be making another mistake by influencing women to keep shopping for high-end clothes. She rejects the offer, and then decides to sell most of her wardrobe in an auction-style format to pay off her debts.

Rebecca sells all her clothes in the sale, but hesitates over the green scarf during the auction. A blond woman and a telephone bidder begin a bidding war over the scarf. The auction is a success, making it possible for her to repay all of her debts. Rebecca then gives her payment to her credit collector Derek Smeath, paying it all in change by leaving hundreds of jars in his office. Rebecca then attends Suze's wedding, after reclaiming her bridesmaid dress from the homeless woman who had subsequently gotten it from the charity store. Suze forgives her and lets her be the maid of honor again. Rebecca and Luke meet again, and Luke returns the green scarf after revealing that he was the person behind both bidders at the auction. Rebecca ends up working for Luke's new magazine, writing her first column titled "Confessions of a Shopaholic".” [1]

The infusion of glamour in our lives is largely due to the emergence of brands in the hundreds of millions. Corporations have become living, breathing persons. Glamour is not merely an air of compelling charm, romance, and excitement but rather a delusive alluring aura of hell. It makes one adore luxury to the extent that one would go to any extent for that. One is compelled by the its fragrance leading him to forget the price that is paid. You don’t get a Rolex out of nowhere. You don’t get a diamond-studded necklace out of thin air. Some people apparently had to pay the price for it, and be it their life. Those who are living with a lavish lifestyle, in luxurious houses, cars, spas, bars and clubs; should know that a lot of blood was spilled just to get you those things. Your luxury is a result of their sacrifice. Their lives have to be sacrificed for you to get even a normal suit. That is how the system works.

Right now while you are driving a Ferrari, child labor in Africa is in the flow to get the raw materials. Right now while you are sitting tight in your sofa eating a pizza, farmers in the third world are working hard to produce enough to keep something for their family while giving the rest away for usage by transnational corporations. While you are dressing up for a party with a diamond necklace, know that lives were enslaved to harvest those diamonds for you. While you are enjoying a beautiful sunset on your rocking chair, know that that its wood was cut by men who got negligible wage for it.

The things you own have been snatched from others and given to you, just because you can pay for them. That is what these corporations do. They put their brand name on stolen material, re-style it and give it to you, while the real owner doesn’t get more than a penny. Everything comes at a price. There is no such thing as free lunch. The elite are enslaving both the rich and the poor but by different means. They enchain the poor by oppression and the rich by making them so deeply involved in materialism.

What needs to be understood is that quality is someone everyone likes. But what one doesn’t understand is that quality comes at a price. Also, the problem is when one gets so deeply involved in materialistic possessions that he starts flaunting about them.

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Reference:

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confessions_of_a_Shopaholic_%28film%29