Europe and the Mystique of Islam

For centuries the Islamic world has - by turns - been both reviled and admired in the West. Since the time of the Crusades, Europeans have viewed Muslim culture and religion through the unique distorting lens of Orientalism, colouring all aspects of their perception and generating a curious blend of fascination and distrust. Maxime Rodinson, the eminent French sociologist and scholar of Islam, presents his view of the Orientalist debate in this concise and balanced examination of the evolution of Europe's perception of Islam.