Edward W. Said (November 1, 1935, Jerusalem – September 25, 2003, New York) was a Palestinian-American literary theorist. He is considered one of the most important Palestinian and even Arab intellectuals of the twentieth century, both in terms of the depth of his influence and the diversity of his activities. Some even consider him one of the ten most influential thinkers of the twentieth century. He was a professor of literary criticism and comparative literature at Columbia University in New York and a founding figure in postcolonial studies. A champion of the human rights of the Palestinian people, Robert Fisk described him as the most effective voice in defending the Palestinian cause.