ग़लतफ़हमी की जड़ें

In the aftermath of September 11, the long and checkered relationship between Islam and the West entered a new phase. The attacks were interpreted as the fulfillment of a prophecy that had been in the consciousness of the West for a long time, i.e., the coming of Islam as a menacing power with a clear intent to destroy Western civilization. Representations of Islam as a violent, militant, and oppressive religious ideology extended from television programs and state offices to schools and the internet. It was even suggested that Makka, the holiest city of Islam, be “nuked” to give a lasting lesson to all Muslims. Although one can look at the widespread sense of anger, hostility, and revenge as a normal human reaction to the abominable loss of innocent lives, the demonization of Muslims is the result of deeper philosophical and historical issues.

In many subtle ways, the long history of Islam and the West, from the theological polemics of Baghdad in the eighth and ninth centuries to the experience of convivencia in Andalusia in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, informs the current perceptions and qualms of each civilization vis-à-vis the other. This paper will examine some of the salient features of this history and argue that the monolithic representations of Islam, created and sustained by a highly complex set of image-producers, think-tanks, शैक्षणिक, lobbyists, policy makers, and media, dominating the present Western conscience, इस्लामी दुनिया के साथ पश्चिम के लंबे इतिहास में उनकी जड़ें हैं. यह भी तर्क दिया जाएगा कि इस्लाम और मुसलमानों के बारे में गहरी गलतफहमियों ने मौलिक रूप से त्रुटिपूर्ण और गलत नीतिगत फैसलों का नेतृत्व किया है और जारी रखा है जिसका इस्लाम और पश्चिम के वर्तमान संबंधों पर सीधा प्रभाव पड़ता है।. सितंबर के बाद कई अमेरिकियों के दिमाग में आतंकवाद और उग्रवाद के साथ इस्लाम की लगभग स्पष्ट पहचान 11 दोनों ऐतिहासिक गलत धारणाओं से उत्पन्न परिणाम है, जिसका नीचे कुछ विस्तार से विश्लेषण किया जाएगा, और कुछ हित समूहों का राजनीतिक एजेंडा जो टकराव को इस्लामी दुनिया से निपटने का एकमात्र तरीका मानते हैं. It is hoped that the following analysis will provide a historical context in which we can make sense of these tendencies and their repercussions for both worlds.