Claims of repressed women, in need of saving from Muslim men, and of vulgar, Western women, breaking down the morals of society – neither are uncommon in debates related to religion and culture. In the 19th century, colonialism was legitimized as a civilizing mission for primitive groups of people, where segregation between genders and repression of women were widespread. How is the rhetoric of The Other formed, and, in this process, what is the role of gender?

A Professor of Arabic literature, miriam cooke has, for years, worked with issues related to gender, war and essentialism. In this lecture, she takes a closer look at how essentializing rhetoric functions in public discourse.