Imperialism and colonialism – narratives and realities
[ 1 ] Wydział Bezpieczeństwa Narodowego, Akademia Sztuki Wojennej | [ P ] pracownik
2025
artykuł
angielski
- Bliski Wschód
- Imperializm
- Kolonializm
- Rosja
EN This is the text of the lecture given by Dr. Witold Repetowicz at the Haigazian University, Beirut, Lebanon on October, 16 during the conference “Information Space Security: Good governance and the citizenship state in Lebanon”. This paper focuses on selected narratives that target the image of the West in the Middle East, based on stereotypes and manipulations related to the very concept of the West, as well as the concepts of imperialism and colonialism. The author points out that the concept of the West is subject to narrative manipulation through the popularization of the Russian-created concept of the “collective West.” The author indicates that the conceptualization of this term is, in fact, disinformation. The application of this term to Poland serves as an example. Its goal is to attribute responsibility for colonialism to the “collective West,” as well as for Israel’s actions against Palestine or Lebanon, thereby assigning it to countries like Poland, whose historical experiences and current policies contradict such claims. The author further claims that Russia, although it portrays itself as an anti-imperial and anti-colonial force, has been for centuries an colonial empire and is currently waging a colonial war against Ukraine and seeks to realize its imperial plans. However, the author notes that East-West relations are also influenced by stereotypes present in the West. This concerns, in particular, the failure to consider the regional context in democratization plans, the expectation of quick results, and, in their absence, the belief that democracy is unique to the West and that Middle Eastern societies need authoritarian rule, as otherwise, jihadists come to power.
Analiza wykonana dla projektu Shafafiyat. Artykuł jest kontynuuacją wykładu dr. Witolda Repetowicza wygłoszonego na Uniwersytecie Haigazian w Bejrucie, w Libanie, 16 października podczas konferencji „Bezpieczeństwo przestrzeni informacyjnej: dobre zarządzanie i państwo obywatelskie w Libanie” . Niniejszy artykuł koncentruje się na wybranych narracjach, które atakują wizerunek Zachodu na Bliskim Wschodzie, opierając się na stereotypach i manipulacjach związanych z samym pojęciem Zachodu, a także pojęciami imperializmu i kolonializmu.
Project Shafafiyat
11.2025
11.2025
