Islam verstehen

East and West, the Islamic world and the West are on the verge of breaking into parallel worlds. It is all the more important to deepen knowledge and understanding of both world cultures now. Gerhard Schweizer presents a nuanced picture of this millennium conflict.

September 11, 2001, the attacks and the terror in Madrid (2004), London (2005), and Paris (2015), Brussels and Nice (2016) – Islamism solidifies its status as a symbol of evil with the catchphrase "Holy War" against the infidels, particularly the culture of the West. The Islamic world, even when it unequivocally distances itself from such acts of violence, evokes deep fears.

But who makes this assessment? The "West," the "Christian Occident," "concerned politicians," the "silent majority," the "AfD," the "Front National," and other xenophobic right-wing populists across Europe or Donald Trump in the USA? It is high time for a comprehensive portrayal of how Islam has historically developed, what cultural goals it pursues, and how its (world) politics are presented today.

The conflicts date back to ancient times when ancient powers fought each other; to the Middle Ages, during the Crusades, when Islam and Christianity exchanged and waged war against each other. Today, the two world religions and civilizations stand as East and West in a millennium conflict that remains unresolved.

This has not always been the case. For centuries, cultural inspirations and scientific insights from the Islamic world in astronomy, mathematics, medicine, philosophy, theology, and the natural and social sciences generally reached the Christian Occident. The major and most important trade routes ran through the Islamic empire. All of this made it possible to understand each other's culture.

Gerhard brings to life the history, culture, worldview, and politics of Islam.