4/01/2002

Instapundit has succumbed to the temptation of an easy shot at Edward Said. He links to Gary Farber, who takes righteous glee in this quote of Said's :


The television images on Al-Jazeera have been burningly clear. There is a kind of Palestinian heroism in evidence there that makes this the story of our time.


They imply that Said is praising the efforts of suicide bombers as heroic. Of course, if you read the original article, you'd see the complete quote:


Palestinian hospitals, schools, refugee camps and civilian residences have been at the receiving end of a merciless, criminal assault by Israeli troops huddled inside their helicopter gun-ships, F-16's and Merkavas, and still the poorly armed resistance fighters take on this preposterously more powerful force undaunted and unyielding.


I suspect that Edward's Said detractors read him solely to troll for inflammatory passages that they can soundbite and OOC (Out of Context) for political mileage. Said has been a powerful voice for alternatives to the conflict. Dismissing any voice out of hand solely because of pre-conceived notions is a disservice to both Israeilis and Palestinians as a whole.

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