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SEEING THE WORLD
THROUGH
ISLAMIC EYES
by
Keith W. Stump
The Middle East is in ferment. At the center is Islam. It is time to dispe/
widespread myths and misconceptions about this
important re/igion, and to see what the Bible says about Islam and the world's
N
OT SINCE
the days of the
Crusad es has r el igion
played such a crucial role
in worlcl.affairs.
From Morocco to Indonesia,
Islam is reemerging as a political
and religious force that cannot be
ignored. Moslems are reasserting
their faith-culturally, spiritually
and pol it ically.
"God may be dead in
the West," one observer has
commented, "but He is very
much alive in the Middle
East!"
Westerners Confused
Few topics have created as much
misunderstanding in the Western
world as that of Islam. Most
Westerners do not begin to com-
December 1980
prehend the religion and culture
of that important faith.
Yet few topics are as vital to
understand during this momen–
tous last quarter of the 20th cen–
tury!
Moslems are well aware of how
Western cartoonists depict them,
how Hollywood portrays them,
how Westerners write about
them. The exaggerated and mis–
leading
stereo~ype
of the robed,
hook-nosed carne! driver is well
known-and widely resented–
throughout the Middle East.
To fill this void we publish this
article for our readers.
Events in the Moslem world
are too often interpreted through
Western
eyes. Western observers
often impose their own precon-
ceived notions onto
and interpret them
Western criteria.
gion from the
their own limited
rience.
Here líes the rootoftbe;Wes t 's
gross misunderstanding of the
Moslem world.
Proper
"Camera SeHing"
To properly comprehend the
Moslem world, it is necessary to
put oneself into Moslem shoes, to
think in Moslem terms,
to see the
world through Moslem eyes.
From that perspective one can
t:
begin to acquire a deeper insight
1
into Islam and its role in world
~
events today.
~
~
A century ago, when Britain
ct
15