One of the fundamental early attempts to establish Oriental Studies on sound academic footing was Josef von Hammer-Purgstall’s Fundgraben des Orients, established in 1809. It is a pity that in his Orientalism (1978) Edward Said ignored early texts like this, since this was far more influential than many of the prejudicial books he rightly critiques. Rather than dismissing all Western writing about an “Orient” for which accurate information was just coming together, it is relevant to look at the intention of this particular effort. Here is how von Hammer-Purgstall explains the project:

We feel that it is our task to show the true path for the improvement of Oriental Studies, thereby applying the meaning behind our motto: “Say, unto God belongeth the east and the west: He directeth whom He pleaseth into the right way.” Thus all of those in the West who gaze at the East, and vice versa, will meet here, helping each other to extract from the raw mine treasures of knowledge and learning.

Quote from Ziad Elmarsafy, The Enlightenment Qur’an: The Politics of Translation and the Construction of Islam (Oxford: Oneworld), 2009, pp. 170