|
|
|
|
|
|
Resources |
|
|
|
Introduction: The Arab World and the West
| Article
# : |
17272 |
|
|
Section : |
MODERN THOUGHT
|
| Issue
Date : |
2 / 1990 |
847 Words |
| Author
: |
Editor
|
Arab and Islamic civilization has long been poorly understood in the West. This has been especially true in recent years, when long-standing stereotypes of the Arab-Islamic world as inherently backward, violent, sensual, intolerant, and anti-Western have been exacerbated by the rise of radical Islamic fundamentalism. Terrorist bombings by Muslim extremists, plus the Iranian Revolution and the kidnapping of foreigners in Lebanon, have strengthened the myth created by some Western Orientalists of the Middle East and North Africa as dark, dangerous, alien worlds forever at war with Western civilization. Reality, as the articles that follow illustrate, is quite otherwise.
Islam and Christianity in fact have common roots in Abrahamic monotheism and share a congeries of ethical and spiritual values which issue from their similar Judaic origin. Both first flourished around the Mediterranean and have been linked by intellectual, commercial, and technological bonds and borrowings for almost 1,500 years. Peaceful intercourse, rather than military confrontation, has been the most salient aspect of their historical relationship. Our contributors highlight the fact that Christianity and Islam have spawned sister civilizations that can best be understood as squabbling siblings, not strangers and mortal enemies.
John Voll explains that neither the West nor the Arab-Islamic world would be what it is today without the creative interaction and cultural exchange that have been the hallmarks of their encounters in history. He notes that not only were both societies shaped by Abrahamic monotheism, but both also were heirs to Greek philosophy. This mixture of monotheism and Western classicism led to the marvel of medieval Islamic Spain, whereas
... (1999 of 5541 Characters)
Read Full Article
|
|
