Intellectual Resistance to Orientalism and Islamophobia: A Comparative Critique of Edward Said’s Postcolonial Discourse and Allama Iqbal’s Anti- Colonial Vision

Abstract

This research paper presents a critical analysis of the intellectual and cultural relationship between Islam and the West, primarily drawing on Edward Said’s seminal work Orientalism. By integrating the thought of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the study demonstrates that prominent voices within the Muslim world also offered profound critiques of Western civilization, its alliance of knowledge and power, and its impact on Islamic identity. The paper argues that Orientalism and Islam phobia are interconnected expressions of a broader ideological framework that distorts and marginalizes Islam.Both Iqbal and Said unmask the contradictions within the Western narrative and call upon Muslims to reclaim intellectual autonomy, spiritual self-awareness, and cultural agency. The hostile attitudes manifested in Orientalism and Islam phobia not only misrepresent Islam but also serve to justify political and civilizational oppression. Iqbal, through his deep engagement with Western thought, challenges these biases and urges Muslims to confront them with selfhood, awareness, and active resistance.