It makes sense

[Abuhazim]

Dear Members
Here is an something which I think makes sense about the relationship
between Islam and the West. Check
http://orthodoxpeacejustice.blogspot.com/2009/05/americas-new-crisis-understanding.html
and let us know what you think. Thanks

[d_als...@hotmail.com]

Thanks Dr. Rajih for sharing this article with us. Many of the points
that I read in Derrida’s conversation, the book I am working on now,
are reflected in this article too. It seems that an inevitable
awakening is shaking the core of western as well as eastern thinkers.
However, the article in this blog is quoted from Islam Online Website,
an encouraging sign of how our Islamic websites are used to by the
western public as authentic sources of information about Islam. The
hope is that our group becomes a referable resource soon. The link of
the source is given at the end of the article:
http://www.islamonline.net/english/Crisis/2001/10/article2.shtml.

The writer of this article, John L. Esposito, is a Professor of
Religion and International Affairs at Georgetown University and the
Director of the Center of Muslim-Christian Understanding. He wrote
more than thirty books related to this subject. He provided a list of
his books in his official website: http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/jle2/ref.html

I also found many interesting articles listed under his publications,
I will try to look them up in the internet. Here is the list:
http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/jle2/art.html

His publications, books and articles, have been translated into many
languages. I wonder how possible it is to have him personally
contribute to our group.

As for the article, I think Esposito referred to two major points
in the West-East dialogue: ignorance and superiority. “Our inability
to understand” he assumes, “is compounded by continued ignorance of
the faith and the history of Islam demonstrated by many policymakers,
commentators, the media and the general public.” I believe it is
ignorance from both sides, East and the West, that ignites
misunderstanding, manipulation of the media, and eventually hatred.
Derrida thinks that “Ignorance is the primary cause of hatred.”
Obviously, this is the reason why the writer of the blog cited Islam
Online and not one of the misleading ready-to-use recourses provided
by his media.

The superiority of the West is based on the assumption that “Islam
is often viewed to be in conflict with [western] liberal democratic
ideals.” Again, this brings us back to the misunderstanding of
plurality; in other words, different means wrong, that there is only
one leading model of civilization set by the West to be adopted by the
rest of the world, regardless of their different cultural, historical,
geographical, and religious backgrounds.

I just finished reading Islam and the West: A Conversation with
Jack Derrida by Mustapha Cherif (2008), and I am in the process of
writing a short book review for this group about it. I will also try
to find John Esposito’s email and articles, insha Allah.