On Postorientalism and its Discontents

In this article, I call into question some of the concepts with which postcolonialism occupies itself. Central to its preoccupations are issues of representation and misrepresentation, among many others. In today's context where immigration, whether coercive or voluntary, often figures on front pages, breaking and main news alike, one ought to ponder over the way Muslims are misrepresented in the press, and the way journalism is couched in populist political discourse especially after the attacks on the World Trade Centre. The backlash on Muslims in the West was so relentless that some politicians almost colluded with some journalists to paint Muslims with the typical colours of fundamentalism, justifying subsequent attacks Muslims fell prey to in the aftermath of 9/11.