The Idea
This claim presents September 11 as a historical shock for the Arab-Islamic world, not merely as an international news item. Here, the reception is charged with astonishment, fear, and questions, because the event occurs at the center of an already tense relationship with the West and with the image of the self. The event is therefore not read apart from historical memory, but as a moment that reveals the depth of the existing tension.
Concise Formulation
The Arab-Islamic world: receives: September 11 as a historical shock
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This statement falls within an argument concerned with how the Arab-Islamic world received a major global transformation. The author does not focus on the event as an act alone, but on its meaning in collective consciousness. The claim therefore helps build a picture of the event as revealing a troubled relationship between history, identity, and politics, not merely a fixed point in time.
Why It Matters
Its importance lies in explaining why the event had an impact that went beyond where it occurred. It shows that the shock is not in the facts alone, but in the questions they open up about the self, the West, and the future. This makes Arkoun’s reading closer to understanding how events shape public consciousness, not just recording them.
Brief Evidence
The text presents September 11 as a historical event received by the Arab-Islamic community as a shock, not as a passing international news item. This reception is charged with astonishment, fear, and questions, because it occurs within an already tense relationship with the West and with the image of the self. The event is therefore understood as revealing the depth of the existing historical tension.
Reading Questions
- Why is the event described here as a historical shock?
- How is the reception of the event linked to the image of the self and its relationship with the West?
Degree of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear place in the book’s material.