Acculturation As Enlightenment the Early Origins of Comparative Studies and the Background of Binary Opposition: Self/Other

JKAU/ Arts amd Humanities, Vol. 28, pp: 217 - 224 (2020 A.D. /1441 A.H) DOI:10.4197/Art.28-7.10 Acculturation as Enlightenment The early origins of comparative studies and the background of binary opposition: Self/Other Dr Abbas Abbas Arab Open University Dr Dima Tahboub Arab Open University Abstract. the research presents some of the early efforts that launched the discipline of comparative research in the Arab world which developed in the twentieth century into the broader concept of ‘acculturation’. It presents the nationalist agenda of the pioneer researchers in reclaiming the Arab heritage manifesting its positive effects on world literature and initiating a new era of enlightenment during and after the period of decline and colonization. The research presents this genre of studies as a suitable and credible arena for enhancing human understanding boosted by intellectual similarities rather than differences. 1. Introduction cultures with a spirit of intellectual sorority This study presents the aspects of through which East meets West on grounds of acculturation, intellectual and literary dialogue mutual benefit and exchange. “It is about time between the self and the other as manifested in that Western and Eastern researchers stopped the Arab comparative studies starting with the boasting and exhibiting signs of superiority twentieth century and beyond. The research and egotism while belittling and mocking the presents the early foundational efforts of other. East and West are fed up with the Muhammad AlKhalidi, Sulayman Albustani, mutual pejorative descriptions exchanged by and Qustaki AlHimsi, reaching to Muhammad historians. It is time to put an end to the legacy Hilal who is considered the prime inaugurator of hatred, misunderstanding and fanaticism of of the discipline. The study does not present a the crusades and open a new phase of human historical record of comparative research at the and global communication based on mutual time but a reading of the cultural dimensions respect and access to knowledge” (Isa, 2011, and their importance in acculturation and p.16). In this respect, this neutral meaning of mutual correspondence. It emphasizes the globalism, away from ideology and politics, openness of the Arab culture to all human becomes a crucial component of acculturation 217 218 Abbas Abbas , Dima Tahboub which emanates from comparative studies and studies (1801-1873) which culminate in the an emerging awareness of the other. publication of Muhammad Hilal’s book Acculturation means the interaction of cultures (Comparative Literature). This book is a start and modes of thinking in different contexts of a new national phase to which many writers (AlBazei, 2000,p.117). These contexts include have contributed such as: place and geography as West and East, North -Najib AlHadad’s article “Muqabala bayn and South, religions as Islam and Christianity, Ash‘r Al‘arabi AlIfranji” (A Comparison or modes of thought as tradition and between Arab and Western Poetry) in modernism. AlMuqtataf magazine in 1897. Moreover, “Acculturation is currently used as -Niqola Fayyad’s articles on “Balaghat a synonym for globalization,” Al‘arab wa AlIfranj” (The Eloquence of Arabs (www.alukah.net.) This research maintains and Westerners) in AlMuqtataf magazine in there is a difference between the two as the 1900. former refers to the human participation in the -Sa‘id AlRituni’s article “AlBayan Al‘arabi production of knowledge while the latter refers wa AlBayan AlIfrangi” (Arab and Western to the consumption of knowledge produced by Rhetoric) in AlMuqtataf magazine in 1902. the dominant centre. -Abid AlLatif Altibawi’s article “ Ibn Al‘arabi Hence arises the importance of acculturation wa Danti” in the book Attasawuf AlIslami Al as it presents our vision to the other. It also ‘arabi (Islamic-Arab Sufism) in 1928. means the interaction between the self and the -Fakhri Abu Assu‘ud’s book Fi AlAdab Al other to produce a new cultural formula that Muqaran (On Comparative Literature) in reflects a modern and civilized view of the 1936. world. This view is the accumulation of -Najib Al‘aqiqi’s book Min AlAdab various cultures cooperating together to AlMuqaran (Texts from Comparative produce knowledge capable of improving Literature) in 1948. human life. The main issues that have boggled the minds More than a century has passed since the start of the early Arab comparativists during the of the Arab comparative research with the first stage of acculturation, which is the focal publication of Rifa’a Al-Tahtawi’s book in point of this paper, included defining the 1832 Takhlis Alibriz fi Talkhis Bareez (A identity of Arab literature during the Paris Profile), Muhammad AlKhalidi’s Enlightenment, tracing the meeting points with articles “Tarikh ‘lm AlAdab ‘nda AlIfrinj Wal Western literature and presenting the subjects ‘arab” (The History of English and Arabic of interest to Arab writers and intellectuals. Literature) serialized in Al Hilal magazine in The comparative studies have led to the 1902 and Sulayman Albustani’s book evolution of acculturation in the postmodern Muqadimat Aliladha (An Introduction to the period to enhance the importance of Iliad) in 1903. The early inauguration of this comparitivism in arts and literature. This discipline echoes a new cultural trend period has witnessed a massive rise in the interested in mutual dialogue between nations production of comparative works such as: at a time when the Arab world has been trying Salah Fadel’s Risalat AlGofran wa AlComidya to escape the Ottoman grip which enclosed the AlIlahiyya, Hosam AlKhatib’s AlAdab region in a vicious circle of backwardedness AlMuqaran ‘la Masharif Alqarn AlWhid wal and cultural retardation. ‘shreen, Izideen AlManasra’s AlNaqd Such works of these pioneers present the Althaqafi AlMuqaran, Said Alloosh’s Madaris inagurational period of the Arab comparative AlAdab AlMuqaran, Abdul Nabi Istaif’s Acculturation as Enlightenment .. The early origins of comparative studies and the background of binary …. 219 AlMadrasa AlSulafyya wal Aladab civilization, ideology played a greater role in AlMuqaran, Natheer AlAdma’s AlAdab culture and identity conflicts. In this respect, AlMuqaran Ila Ayn?, Makarim AlOmari’s Huntington regards Islam as an enemy of the Muathirat Arabiyya wa Islamiyya fi AlAdab West and a source of annoyance. These AlRosi, Muhammad Shahin’s Eliot wa Athrohu theories are a response to the criticism of ‘la Salah Abulsaboor wa Asyyab, Muhammad Edward Said in his book Orientalism in which Rajab AlBayyomi’s AlAdab AlAndalusi Bayn he condemns the Western culture because of Ata’thor wa Atta’theer, Muhammad Abid its support to the oriental and colonial project AlJabir’s Hiwar Athaqafat and Ihsan Abbass’ which destroyed some countries with the claim Malamih Younaniyya fi AlAdab Al’rabi. of bringing them democracy and civilization. These writers and comparative studies took According to Said, Orientalism created this two contradictory paths: horrible dichotomy of Islam vs. the West. The first is internalist and conservative aiming On the other hand, the last two decades of the to solidify and unveil the presence of the Arab twentieth century and the twenty first century national voice and cultural persona and its are labeled as cyber and telecommunication effects on world heritage. The second path centuries. They have brought the Arab world celebrates the broad mindedness of Arab some degree of instability with the waves of intellectuals, their extensive knowledge of political change and democraticization that world heritage and their adoption and engulfed the region, especially in the period embodiment of modernism and new known as the Arab Spring. The domination of perspectives. technology and social media has left its With the advent of globalism and the imprint on arts and literature and paved the hegemony of the American discourse and way for the appearance of new literary and cultural models, postcolonialism has appeared critical disciplines such as cultural, feminist as a reaction against attempts of silencing and and environmental, ethnic and translation kidnapping the cultural heritage of world studies. Translation studies, in some academic literature. The writings of intellectuals such as fields, have replaced comparative studies in E. Said and his book Orientalism 1979, The the eighties and nineties. Susan Bassnett, an End of History by F. Fukuyama 1993 and The advocate of this change, is more aggressive in Clash of Civilizations by S.Huntington 1996 describing this substitution as a ‘decline’ of have had a deep impact on steering and comparative studies altogether (1993) but guiding the attention and dialogue, in the despite these radical voices, the effect of academia and elsewhere, towards novel comparative studies on the Arab culture and perspectives. civilization and its view of the ‘Other’ is Fukuyama’s thesis emphasizes the necessity of profound and outstanding, especially those building Western democracy, in its American presented by the pioneers of comparative version, on the ruins of the backward tribal literature, discussed in this paper, at the and religious systems. This view clearly beginning of the previous decade. expresses the cultural centralization of the Still, the comparative studies at the dawn of West. It also makes way for the theory of the the twentieth century have been an individual ‘End of History’ which gives cover to effort rather than an institutionalized discipline American imperialism and strengthens the and some writers,

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