Islamic Threat, Saddam Syndrome, New World Order: Orientalist Warmongers and Edward W. Said in the 1990s

This essay explores the debate between Edward W. Said and several American Orientalists who portrayed Islam and Islamic fundamentalism as a new threat to the Western world after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. Furthermore, the paper examines the emergence of the so-called Saddam Hussein syndrome, which arose following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait thirty-five years ago. For both questions, this work analyzes counter criticisms of Said, using lesser-known edited and archival materials. The aim of this work is to delineate the principal arguments of prominent Orientalists during that period, Said’s critiques of their perspectives, and their mutual accusations in order to highlight similarities and differences with debates that emerged during other historical periods on the same subjects.