Arab-Muslim Views of the West From the Ninth Century to the Twentieth

“This work offers a broad historical view of Arab-Muslim views of the West from the ninth century to the second half of the twentieth. In what is a contemporary information culture loaded to overflow with the production and reproduction of words, images, facts, and opinions on a continuously changing daily basis, and in a world profoundly shaken and troubled by the seemingly intractable tensions and open wounds between East and West, one might be forgiven for supposing that there is little concerning this subject’s historical dimension which remains uncovered and in serious need of being said. This book works simultaneously on two levels – historical and philosophical – to demonstrate that, sadly, rather the opposite is true. Not only are many of the major Islamic writers and thinkers, as well as the debates in which they figured and the ongoing legacies they engendered, either unknown or ignored in the mainstream of Western representation of Islamic thought and history, but the very philosophical framework which the best examples offer in terms of bridgebuilding ideas between East and West are routinely overlooked ... This book, then is an important source of ideas, and hopefully inspiration, for the world of social issues and political circumstances surrounding us today ... ” – (from the Preface) Ali Mirsepassi, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, New York University

“The archetypal post-9/11 question (‘Why do they hate us?’) has always contained a kernel of truth wrapped in layer upon layer of ignorance, violence and bad faith. Now more than ever, there is an urgent need for critically informed perspectives on the troubled relationship between ‘us’ and ‘them’ and, equally important, on the question of how to move beyond such stale categories once and for all. Dr. Nouryeh, in his far-reaching study of Arab-Muslim views of the West, has provided us with such a perspective ... This book restores discussions of East-West relations to their proper domain: the domain of a history which was created by all, a present that should concern all, and a future to which all must contribute if we are to transcend the binary thinking that continues to plague ‘East’ and ‘West’ alike ...” – John Collins, Assistant Professor of Global Studies, St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY

Preface by Ali Mirsepassi
Acknowledgements
Instead of an Introduction
1. Arab-Muslim Traditional View of the West
2. Traditional View Modified
3. The Modern View
4. Toward a Critical View
Bibliography
Index

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