What Islam Did for Us

With its subtitle 'understanding Islam's contribution to Western civilisation', this book actually offers rather more, and one understands why when one reads that the author has written about esoteric Christianity. The first two parts cover the initiatory tradition and the origins of Judaism and Christianity, then the foundation of Christianity itself and the early history of the church and Jerusalem under James. Only in part three do we arrive at the foundation of the world of Islam. Part four explains Christian Europe and the response to Islam, while part five analyses the ongoing hostility between Islam and Christianity. The intellectual debt of the West to Islam is well known, but the religious toleration in Islamic Spain is less so.

The Crusades begin to shape modern relations between the two faiths, and developments during the Renaissance enable the West to surpass Islam in science and technology. In addition, the Mongols sacked many centres of Islamic culture and learning. From a political point of view, it has been the divide and rule policy of Western imperialism that has largely caused the difficulties with which we are now wrestling. States like Iraq were created artificially by drawing lines on a map. The Middle East has become a major strategic playground where allegiances change according to national interest and in support of the military industrial complex which has to maintain a degree of conflict in order to ensure high defence expenditures and its own continued existence. He also is confident that Islam can solve its problems owing to its basic principles of faith. However, one wonders whether his emphasis on tolerance and respect is as prevalent these days (he makes no mention of the position of women). Without a lasting solution to the Israel Palestine conflict, one can only be cautiously hopeful.