integrating the west
Reader comment on item: Anglo-Saxon Perceptions of the Islamic World

Submitted by jerome (United States), Jan 31, 2006 at 04:04

The Sceptered Isles had little historic contact with Islam until their own maritime expansion. This should be geographically self-evident. Eastern and Southern Europe share history with Islam. From Al Andalusia to Crimea, Europe has produced El Cid to Cossacks, from 'white slaves' to jannisseries and before the ottomans, mamelukes.

Seriously thought, who cares? The West has expired both as a cultural entity, and as a historic episode. The very concept of 'West' is misleading. Fifty years ago 'West' included France and Holland, does it today? I would venture today's west is much more an anglophone empire, than any politically, culturally unified Western Continental entity. As Carpati points out, and I second, even history counters the idea of a 'West'. Israel particpates in EU sports events, and Turkey is clamoring for membership, but which one is perceived as Western by 1) Anglophone countries 2) itself, 3) rest of the world?

But a West is possible. I believe two prerequisits must be fulfilled.
1) A new history of the 'West', incorporating Eastern and Southern European histories. England should learn who Lope De Vega and Gogol are.
2) Israel and the Diaspora should recognize their own Western roots. Even the Sephardic community should acknowledge this cultural identity.

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments. For informational purposes, we identify countries from which comments are sent.