Rethinking Islam from America:

Reflections on “Primitivism” and “Civilization” in Sayyid Qutb

Abstract

This article analyzes the effects of Sayyid Qutb’s (1906-1966) trip to the United States of America on the development of his religious ideas. The journey, which took place between 1948 and 1950, led him to a set of ideas about the role of Islam in Egypt and the way it should guide its followers, in the face of American post-war cultural expansion in the Middle East. The paper argues that the encounter with America was not merely an exercise in the production of alterities, in the sense of intensifying fascination or repulsion; it also served to stimulate self- reflection on his own conduct as a Muslim. The concept of objectification takes on great relevance in understanding the dynamics of these questions.