ABSTRACT
Middle Eastern studies would only prosper in the academy if their practitioners demonstrated a studied neutrality toward the conflicts they studied. In the Middle East, Black September and terrorism, and the outbreak of civil war in formerly placid Lebanon, drew America into the region. Today's students of the Middle East are fortunate to witness a period of upheaval in the Middle East. In 1998, the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) organized a panel to mark twenty years to the publication of Orientalism, and it featured Edward Said himself. He was even made an honorary member of MESA, a rare distinction reserved for those who have made signal contributions to the field. In almost every introductory course on methodology, Orientalism is required reading. It may be true that Orientalism has had less of an impact on Middle Eastern studies than on postcolonial studies.
