Jacques Derrida, Islam, and the West
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Abstract
Since 9/11, Islam has emerged as the new Other that threatens the world’s peace and stability. Islam and the West are polarized and antagonized. They are viewed as monolithic and exclusive binaries. Islam is seen as the arch-enemy of the West and its human rights and cherished values. The Algerian-born French philosopher Jacques Derrida holds some Eurocentric views regarding Islam, which is not surprising in the case of a philosophy that is based on the extermination of all kinds of authority including religion. However, Derrida’s perception of Islam as the Other of democracy is in sharp contrast with the main tenet of his philosophy which aims at deconstructing binaries and moving the margin to the center. This paper vindicates that Derrida shows some sympathetic attitudes towards Islam and that his philosophy can be used to debunk the Western myth that represents Islam as a violent, exotic,
and destructive Other. Derrida’s deconstruction theory makes it possible to deconstruct the polarity Islam/West and open dialogue
between cultures
Article Details
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