Dear Editor:
William Dalrymple mentions me in "Jihad déjà vu" (May 13) where he calls me a practioner of "old-style Orientalism" who is "blissfully unencumbered by any experience of the Muslim world."
I happily accept the Orientalist charge. As I wrote when Edward Said thus described me, to be placed in the grand tradition of Silvestre de Sacy, Edward Lane, and Max Müller is a huge compliment.
But Dalrymple, who takes pride in his research capabilities, should have checked my resumé, conveniently posted on my website, where it states that I "spent six years studying abroad, including three years in Egypt." I also studied in Tunisia and Turkey, and traveled to most Muslim-majority countries.
To top it off, I am writing this reply from Istanbul, one of the Muslim world's largest cities. In two weeks I shall return to the Muslim world, for a visit to Libya. And so on.
His elementary mistake makes one mistrust the other facts in his article claiming that "A bloody 19th century revolt against the British looks terribly familiar."
Daniel Pipes
Middle East Forum
Philadelphia
