The extent to which the participation of orientalists and their work and assertion in establishing Islamic Studies as a separate and serious intellectual discipline is important , in the Muslim World, the terminology orientalist has been disliked to a similar extent. A significant cause for this disliking can be seen in that object and movement that was the reason behind the descent of orientalists into this field. There is no doubt in it that most of the westerners turned to Islamic Studies for the sole purpose of establishing their bias against Islam on the intellectual basis. In the back of this inspiration those anti Islam sentiments were in action whose fortification after clashes of Islamic and Christian world in crusades required, in 19th century, not arms but pen. In other words it can be said that in those times orientalists performed the task in the intellectual field that their governments were doing in the political or battle field. This was the same time when the west was out on its neocolonialist mission for subjugating the rest of the uncivilized world and a large part of the people who became its target was based on the people associated with Islam. According to the famous point of view of Edward Said (S'aeed) neocolonialist mission was not limited to political and economic take over but establishment of intellectual subjugation too was amongst its most important objectives. A large portions of orientalists proved to be an important instrument for practical implementation of this neo-colonial project of intellectual subjugation.
Akhtar-ul-Wasey, Islam and Modern Era (Islam Aur Asr-i-Jadid), Vol. XXXV, No.1&2, Jan-Apr, 2003, p.5