Perceptions of Islam

A detailed Summary of Perceptions of Islam

How the West Perceives Islam and what Mazrui thinks is the Reality

Most Westerners tend to view the Islamic societies as somewhat backward in their beliefs according to Mazrui. Commonly Westerners believe that this is due to the oppressed religious beliefs of Islamic's. They also believe that the Islamic society is governed inhumanely in comparison to the enlightened, well-rounded democracy of the Western world. However the measurement of cultural differences between the West and Islam is somewhat complex, and the differences between the two is narrower than assumed by most Western beliefs. Islam is not considered just a religion, and most certainly is not just a fundamentalist political movement but is a civilization and a way of life that varies from one Muslim country to another. The Westerners seem fail to recognize how their own societies have failed to live up to their liberal mythology. Many aspects of Islamic culture that Westerners regard as medieval may even have prevailed in their own culture until fairly recently. In most cases, Islamic societies are onl

y a few decades behind in the socially and technologically advanced Westerners. The main question that we must ask ourselves is what path leads to the highest quality of life for the average citizen without the worry of being abused in the process. According to Mazrui, Islamic values deserve serious consideration because the West doesn't provide the answers to all the questions being asked. Many Westerners regard Muslim societies as being unenlightened when it comes to the rights of women, and it is true that the question regarding women is still troublesome in most Muslim countries. The rules regarding the Islamic beliefs on sexual modesty have often resulted in excessive segregation of the sexes in public places, sometimes bringing about questionable differences regarding women's rights. However, Muslim women have always been permitted to own property where the British women where not allowed to do so until 1870. Islamic laws have also allowed the inheritance to both genders equally while in many Western cultures women could not inherit anything if there were sons in t

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Approximate Word count = 725
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

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