LAHORE, Oct 7: Speakers at a reference on Tuesday paid homage to Palestinian intellectual Edward W Said, and called him as an exponent and defender of the rights of all oppressed people across the world.

Organized by the World Punjabi Congress here on Tuesday, the reference was attended by writers, poets and university teachers, who averred that the late Palestinian philosopher would be remembered for his consistent international and eclectic approach in his literary and cultural criticism, and humane attitude towards the struggle of people against the imperialist forces.

The speakers included Congress chairperson Fakhar Zaman, Qazi Javed, Dr Anis Alam, Dr Mehdi Hasan, Ms Afzal Tauseef, Ahmad Bashir and Begum Tahira Mazhar Ali Khan.

The late Palestinian had many facets — a writer, philosopher, politician and, above all, a crusader — who not only joined hands with the Palestinian people, but also defended all freedom and democratic struggles regardless of their ethnic and religious classification, they said.

They believed that he supported all such movements because he was committed to the just cause anywhere in the world. The 68-year scholar, who passed away on Sept 25 this year, was also remembered for his courage in exposing the repressive powers of the world while living in the New York and joining a thinkers’ movement, which opposed the US policies.

“For this he had to pay dearly, as he was physically attacked, threatened with death and maligned by the corporate media as an enemy.”

They said: “It was Edward Said who exploded the so-called myth of clash of civilizations propounded by some westerns scholars with the expressed objective of defaming and insulting the Muslim civilization. But he reacted like an Arab in defending the great language and his was the behaviour like that of a secular orientalist.”

Talking about his famous book “Orientalism,” the speakers said this proved that eastern societies were as conscious about their culture and productivity as were the western.

Many speakers wondered that Pakistani intellectuals hardly knew the valuable contribution the late Edward Said had made towards promoting the eastern thought. They were of the view that it was because of the fact that the Pakistani writers had left the habit of reading.