The Idea
The text assumes that some Arab-Islamic imaginaries do not see the September attacks as a wholly separate event, but place them within a longer sequence of violence and threat. The point here is that the shock is not understood as a total break with what came before, but as one link in a tense historical continuum. This does not justify the event, but it explains how it is received within a memory burdened by fear and turmoil.
Condensed Formulation
The Arab-Islamic world: perceives the September attacks as part of the persistence of violence
Its Place in the Book’s Argument
This claim is situated in a context that explains the different modes of reception between the West and the Arab-Islamic world. The book’s argument does not stop at describing the event itself; it also looks at its reverberations within different cultures. Here, the collective imaginary becomes part of the analysis, because it shows that the meaning of the event is also shaped by memory and prior experience.
Why It Matters
Its importance lies in preventing a simplistic reading that separates the event from the conditions of its reception. It also helps situate Arkoun within his broader critical horizon, where direct media narratives are not enough, and attention must be paid to the cultural memory that reorganizes understanding.
Brief Evidence
The text assumes that some Arab-Islamic imaginaries do not see the September attacks as a wholly separate event, but place them within a longer sequence of violence and threat. In this way, the shock is not understood as a total break with what came before, but as one link in a tense historical continuum. This does not justify the event, but it explains the way it is received within a memory burdened by fear and turmoil.
Reading Questions
- How does the collective imaginary affect the meaning of a political event?
- Does the text describe this perception as an interpretation or as a general mental framework?
Degree of Documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear location in the book material.