Edward Said — "The intellectual is not an expert, but a generalist, a humanist, a universalist."

"The intellectual is someone who is always fighting for justice, even if it is unpopular."

"The Orient is an idea that has been fabricated by the West to serve its own interests."

"The intellectual is someone who is always standing up for the truth, even if it means sacrificing his own comfort."

"No one can deny the importance of geography in the formation of cultures and peoples."

"The Orient is not an inert fact of nature. It is not merely 'there,' as the Occident is. It is an idea that has a history and a tradition of thought, imagery, and vocabulary that have given it reality…"