Religion and Orientalism Across Borders: A Global Dialogue

Abstract

This paper aims to navigate profoundly how Orientalism, as a Western portrayal of the "East," frames international relations in the light of the religion resurgence. It zooms out these Western perceptions to understand their impact on the process of policy-making and identity formation. Meanwhile, it also discusses the growing and significant role of religion in world affairs by focusing on how it might either enhance or challenge prevailing power structures. By critically analyzing these interconnections, this article helps to examine and, hence, comprehend the perplexities of negotiating religion and Orientalism in today’s globalized world. Ultimately this promotes further respectful and collaborative international relationships. In this sense, drawing on Edward Said’s work in Orientalism, this paper paves the way to a new vision of voicing the voiceless Other in the context of religious standards that impede not only Western but any sort of misrepresentation. At the same time, it analyzes how religion comes into play as a socio-political force and a site of contestation. This reveals the multifaceted nature of its effect in bridging political gaps and fostering more understanding among the West and East through reinforcing existing local power dynamics or challenging them. Consequently, it demonstrates that religious identities, political ideologies, and orientalist narratives can come into interplay to mirror how the nexus between contrasting elements might offer an insight into multicultural dialogue and peacemaking.