Page 13 - Issue 61
P. 13
Vol.1 Issue 61 November 2023 ELITE
Western scholars are the main producers For example, in the ongoing conflict
and distributors of academic knowledge, between Israel and Palestine, most the
which shapes how we see and understand western scholars, like Stephen Walt and
the world. They are often the first and the
John Mearsheimer, often portray Israel
most trusted sources of information and
as a legitimate and democratic state that
analysis on many issues, especially those
has the right to defend itself, while
related to political conflicts and crises. But
Palestinians are depicted as violent and
are their views and visions reliable and fair?
irrational terrorists who threaten the
And what are the consequences for the
people who are directly affected by these stability and the security of the region.
conflicts, especially the non-western This narrative ignores the historical and
researchers who study their own regions political context of the conflict, the
and cultures? The academic field is not a human rights violations and the
level playing field, but a system that reflects oppression that Palestinians face, and
and reinforces the global power structures the resistance and resilience that they
and biases that come from colonialism.
show. It also marginalizes the voices
Western researchers have an edge over their
and views of the local researchers who
non-western counterparts as they can
have a deeper and more nuanced
influence the academic debate and the
understanding of the situation and the
public opinion in ways that may not match
people they study. This is not an
the reality or the diversity of the situations
and the people they study. They may also isolated case, but a pattern that can be
push their own agendas and prejudices, observed in many other conflicts
deliberately or not, that may impact the around the world, where Western
outcomes and the solutions of these academia plays a role in shaping the
conflicts. world’s view of them. This raises the
question of how free and informed we
are when we rely on western academic
knowledge and values to make sense of
the world. And how fair and respectful
we are to the non-Western researchers
who are often ignored or dismissed,
despite their expertise and experience,
because they do not have the credibility
or the authority that the Western
researchers have. This is not to say that
all Western scholars are biased or
malicious, but rather that we need to be
aware and critical of the colonial
shadow of Western academia.
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