While they may not be household names, Bernard Lewis and Samuel Huntington can justifiably count themselves among the most influential academics of the last few decades. As the Cold War was winding down, the two men helped manufacture one of the biggest intellectual frauds in recent memory: “The Clash of Civilizations.” These two men, with the help of countless media appearances and glowing write ups, peddled the dumb but marketable idea that “Christendom” and “Islam,” two entirely fictional entities woven solely out of words, were on track for a final showdown.

Edward Said, who speaks here in selections from two different lectures I’ve edited lightly, was one of the brave few who took on this hoax and exposed it for what it was.

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Podcast created by Sina Rahmani (@urorientalist)