Invisible Humans, Visible Terrorists: U.S. Neo-Orientalism Post 9/11 and Representations of the Muslim World

U.S. neo-Orientalism as a new form of Orientalism was ushered in after 9/11. Although it operates within the frames of Said’s theory of Orientalism, U.S. neo-Orientalism offers new approaches to and representations of Islam and the Muslim world that have a different point of departure from that of classical Orientalism. U.S. neo-Orientalism rationalizes military intervention and the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, as well as promoting the mission of American democracy. This study discusses the theoretical frame and features of U.S. neo-Orientalism and tackles its representations in institutionalized neo-Orientalist writings and American literary and war novels