الإسلام والغرب: نحو عالم أفضل

Introduction @

and women of genius have always yearned to cross identity borders. A large unexplored Western body of thought, with illuminating ideas about the "self" and the "other", waits to be revisited. That said, the theories of "clash of civilization" stand on rickety conceptual frameworks. However foreign and distant it might seem, Islam remains one fundamental constituent of Western history, civilization and culture. It is not far from the truth to say that it is the third heritage of Western civilization, not least because it ignited, as it continues to ignite, Western debates about a number of basic issues. Without Islam, the Western mind would never have rethought its faith, reexamined the tenets of Catholicism, nor would there have been a reforming movement like Protestantism and the like. Islamic philosophy and science have pervaded the Renaissance with a distinctive hue. Denying the influence of Islamic heritage on the course of Western intellectual and scientific traditions is only comparable to denying Western civilization's influence on Islamic culture. In the early stages of Islamic history, the translation of Greek texts enhanced further the spirit of reflection among Muslims. Today, Western ideas and ideals represent the main instigating force for thought in Islamic countries. The dilemma of "Westernization" or "Modernization" continues to wreak havoc in contemporary Arab thought. Whether we like it or not, the West is "there," a living entity that must be dealt with. The annihilation of the "other" is simply impossible. This is the reason why it is of a paramount importance for all of us -West and East, Muslims and others- to engage in a new process of thinking. The forum was indeed an occasion for the participants to articulate a strong belief in a common future beyond the artificial mental divides that condemn Westerners and Muslims to perpetual antagonism. Whatever the subject of the contribution, the participants in the forum proceeded first to identify the barriers that

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