In the dominant historiography, the Middle East is often separated from its traditional position at the cross-roads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. The concept of “Orientalism” has become all too easy to use when discussing European perceptions of the Middle East. Conversely, it has been overlooked when examining how non-Western peoples viewed themselves and each other. This panel hopes to place Orientalism within its proper historical context and re-connect the history of the Middle East with its European, Asian, and African neighbors by exploring non-traditional uses of Orientalism in the historical literature.

We invite papers which interrogate the concept of ‘Orientalism’, strip it of its ideological component, reexamine ‘Orientalist’ historiographies, and seek to historicize specific instances of ‘Orientalism’.

A one-page curriculum vitae and abstracts of no more than 300 words should be forwarded to Kristin Tassin at kristintassin@hotmail.com by February 5, 2009.