Pride, Prejudice and Ignorance. The western Image of the Muslim Orient ATI-Academic Publications, n

Description

Over het boekSpanning eleven centuries of conflict between Islam and the West, this bookpresents an account of the development of the Western image of the MuslimOrient from the advent of Islam to the eighteenth century. In an introductorychapter, the book goes even beyond the emergence of Islam to trace theEurocentric outlook that characterized the Western views of the Muslim worldto the Graeco-Romans conception of Eastern cultures as essentially differentand inferior, despotic and morally decadent. For Eastern Christians and medievalEuropeans alike, the Bible was a source of some of the most hostile interpretationsof the coming and meteoric spread of Islam. Against the backdrop of theCrusades, some of the most offensive material and absurd fantasies were createdabout Islam and the Prophet. Many medieval prejudices persisted during theRenaissance and beyond. The rise of the Ottomans and their rapid advance inEurope resulted in the resurgence of antagonistic feelings against the Muslims.At the same time, the first-hand experience accompanying the spread of tradeand diplomatic relations with the Ottomans helped ameliorate the otherwisetotally negative image of Islam. The extension of travel to the Ottoman provincesprovided the West with more objective and accurate accounts of the MuslimOrient. The book shows how a reappraisal of Islam and its prophet was an indirectoutcome of the Enlightenment project. The book sheds light on the origins ofthe stereotypical image of Islam as reflected in the different manifestations ofEuropean culture.Over de auteursMuhammad Fahmy Raiyah is Assistant Professor of English literature atMansoura University, Egypt, and King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia.