Review of History and Political Science

History of Western Image of Islam and Muslims
Dr. Sanaa Refat Alrefai

Abstract
This research aims to review the long history of a tense and fluctuating relationship between the West and Muslims, from the Middle Ages when the conflict manifested two worlds: the Christian world and the Muslim world in the period (8th - 12th centuries); the growth and fading phase of a less hostile image of Islam (13th - 14th centuries); peaceful coexistence when the enemy became a partner (15th – 16th centuries); the stage of turning from peaceful coexistence to objectivity (16th - 17th centuries); the era of mental trend (17th - 18th centuries); the stage of clinging to imperialism and specialization (19th century); finally, the shaking phase of European ethnic fanaticism in the 20th century. The fact is that the circulation of the binary relationship between Islam and the West is improper, and has been subject to complexity and distortion. This relationship went through many different stages, and passed different paths. The current fear of Islam is attributed to political Islam, the cultural image, Muslim immigration, terrorism and the media. To correct the image, there has to be a broad effort to remove Islam from the security considerations in the West and within the Muslim world regimes.

Full Text: PDF     DOI: 10.15640/rhps.v3n1a13