GWS 4100 Lecture Notes - Edward Said
Document Summary
Translated arabic writings on medicine, mathematics, astronomy and other sciences were for centuries used as textbooks in medieval europe. Realization of rich culture and treated islam as false religion and refute any contributions that. Muslims have made to the human civilizations [strong europe/western tradition] not just a. Crusades thing, from the beginning (since prophet muhammad claimed islam true religion) European made some efforts in late 11th c and esp 12th cent to gain more accurate knowledge of islam at the same time distorted images (so essentially, both inaccurate and some accurate representations of islam) Crusades & trade &travel brought muslim societies close to medieval christian europeans. Islam seen more alien and threatening than other cultures (at this time europe trying to figure out own i. d) Thus is there is such a thing as a europe. Outlook on the world, a sense of what european is as distinct from non-european, it develop and define itself in opposition to islamic civilization .
