Saracens and Turks: The West's troubled relation with Islam

[TomSea]

Just posting, not saying I agree. But, otoh, this is probably how some more pacifist Muslims see this situation. Article is by a British Tunisian lady, she probably rants a bit.

Saracens and Turks: The West's troubled relation with Islam
Soumaya Ghannoushi

The language used to write about Islam is modern but its content is still largely medieval, argues Soumaya Ghannoushi

Why are negative images of Islam more prevalent than any others in the West? Why is it acceptable to say things about Muslims that would simply be deemed unacceptable of Jews, Hindus or Buddhists for instance?

In order to answer these questions, we need to delve deep into the structures of western consciousness and uncover what lies beneath its outer surfaces. No doubt political problems and the nature of political conflicts relating to the Muslim world in the near and distant past have played a significant role in defining Western perceptions of Islam, but these conceptions do not evolve in a vacuum. Rather, they emerged within a tradition stretching many centuries back.

The truth is that much of what is said of Islam today is medieval in origin. The terms might have a modern ring to them, but the content remains very much medieval in essence. The roots stretch as far back as the 7th century, to Christianity’s earliest encounter with Islam.

Saracens & Ishmaelites: Early medieval Christianity & Islam

Confronted with the massive military, political and religious challenge of Islam, medieval Christian authors elaborated an extensive body of polemics, apologetics and refutations to combat the growing danger of apostasy among their flock, where legend mingled with fact; myth with reality.

The Christianity that confronted Islam was not a blank page, but possessed a rich and intensely colourful stock of interpretations, symbols and myths. Both consciously and unconsciously, Christians resorted to this enormous repository in their attempt to bestow meaning on the phenomenon of Islam before even getting to know it.


Lutz Bachmann, co-founder of Germany's xenophobic and anti-Islamic PEGIDA movement attends a rally on 26 September, 2016 in Dresden (AFP)

Continued: http://www.middleeasteye.net/essays/saracens-and-turks-wests-troubled-relation-islam-684361817

Middle East Eye

[truth_seeker]

I join with many others, who state they learned all they need about islam on 9-11-2001.

Events which followed merely reinforced those impressions, negative.

I had an earlier experience when Iranians held Americans as hostages. That was when I learned about Taqiyya--lying to further islam and/or protect one's self.

Judaism and Christianity have gone through reformations, and become "modern" and non-violent.

Islam needs to become modern as well, rejecting violence, discrimination against other religions, separation of church and state, etc.

[TomSea]

Tunisia shut down 80 radical Mosques after there was that beach attack there that killed some tourists.

Tunisia contributes is a hotbed for extremists and many have gone to join ISIS, perhaps more than any other country per capita after Iraq and Syria themselves.

I think that driver in Germany, was from Tunisia.

I'll try to read more of her columns, she honestly bitches about "colonization", well, hell, Islam went out and took over lands all the way to Indonesia and Subsaharan Africa. You want to talk about colonization, lady? And was in Spain for 600 years.