Occident versus Orient
West versus East

Summary/Abstract: This paper will discuss oppositions between West and East as well as the discontinued dialogue between the two civilizations, particularly after the latest terrorist actions. The logic of stereotype thinking of both sides contributes to this gap widening: Edward Said’s story on “western colonialism” and conscious western manipulation with the picture of oriental world” as well as Peter Bernard Louis’ consideration that non-existence of “functional democracy” in Islamic society to these days is not incidental The image of the Other in this context by adding negative accusing tones hastily turns into image of the enemy. Such proclamation is a dangerous social occurrence leading the mass to believe that the others are really hostile. In fact this concerns erroneous image about the Others, perverse reaction of separate trends in Islamic world over Western world as well as such terrors that Western “democracy” imposes over Islamic world. The dialogue between cultures might be possible if Basam Tibi’s massage is heard, that is, “Islam must recognize secular values of Western modernity”, but the “West must acknowledge equality between religions”. However, this is not sufficient to avoid the new type of terrorist war between “crusaders” from Occident and “jihaders” from Orient. Their conflicts are unavoidably connected with the process of globalisation and Hard and Negri’s concept of a new Empire.

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