Said’s canonical Orientalism critique was preceded by a neglected Marxist one

Evidence

It is curious, to say the least, that a good part of Said’s critique had already been put forth, a decade and a half earlier, by the Egyptian Marxist Anouar Abdel-Malek (“Orientalism in Crisis,” Diogenes 11, no. 44 : 103–40). A promising topic of research into the subject of authorship and canonization might be why Abdel-Malek’s penetrating critique—though cast in a laborious style and at times terse to an enigmatic point—never managed to gain anything near the canonical status that Said’s liberal work achieved. — Wael Hallaq, Restating Orientalism, 608 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Historicism charges erase liberation struggles’ use of Marxist critique. — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory: Classes, Nations, Literatures, 713; Said’s Orientalism replaced Marxism with Foucauldian Discourse Theory — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory: Classes, Nations, Literatures, 723; Said’s critique refined Oriental Studies without changing its systemic function (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Aid’s orientalism critique largely repeated earlier Marxist work that never gained canonical status #corroborates (0.92) — Wael Hallaq, Restating Orientalism, 608