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Try the following quiz game. [
 ] mark is correct, [ ] mark is wrong. (See the end of the article)
In the article of this issue "From the Keihin Region" the difficulties
for Evangelization in Muslim societies are mentioned. Certainly, Islam
is a different culture still unknown to us. Thomas Michel, SJ, explains
in the article published on n.118 of this Bulletin that we often have a
wrong or prejudiced attitude towards Islam. What we really need is to know
more about Islam.
The book I'm introducing here provides a correct knowledge about the history
and teachings of Islam, offers a large number of beautiful illustrations
and detailed data on those countries where the majority of the populations
are Muslim. In other words, the book presents everything about Islam.
The author, Paul Lunde, is American borne from California who has been
raised in Saudi Arabia. He learned the Arabic language and Arabic history
and after working for several years in Arabian countries has published
several works on the historical culture of Islam.
In this book Paul Lunde presents an overview of Islam's position in today's
world, an account of Islam's observances and tenets, the spread of Islam
and its influence on world history, the legacy of Islam on the arts and
sciences, its modern and traditional values, a chronological table, etc.
He explains from different angles the history of Islam and its present
realities, its inherent culture and politics.
In the first place, Muslims constitute 1/5 of the world's population or
about 1,200 million people. 44 countries have a majority of Muslims and
Islam's influence is spread all over the world, from East and Central Asia,
Middle East, Europe, Africa and Latin America. Only the North American
region is not within the influence of Islam. On the other hand, historically
speaking, during the middle ages Islamic sciences, arts and architecture
were clearly outstanding. Today, as a result of international terrorism,
the image Islam holds is extremely bad: "Muslims are considered barbarians
promoting self blast terrorist acts," but using our common sense it
is unnatural to think that 20% of the world population that believes in
Islam would be inferior to the other 30% world Christian population.
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Attracted by the beautiful illustrations, I was unconsciously taken by
a tour of the Islamic world. And, as a matter of fact, I could accept without
any difficult feeling the reality that there exists an original culture
and history, a religious life that has been continuously transmitted.
Some Islamic countries within the Arab world enjoy abundant natural resources
of oil, while others in Africa suffer painfully from poverty and wars.
There are Asian countries like Indonesia and the Philippines abundant in
natural resources and young populations, but severe desserts and lack of
people afflict other countries of Central Asia and the Middle East. There
are extreme fundamentalist countries like Iran and Afghanistan and countries,
like Turkey, with secular governments.
Reading the book I realized that by getting in touch with the richness
of the Islamic world and its complexity one could start having a mutual
religious understanding.
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===== Copyright ®1997-2007 Jesuit Social Center All Rights Reserved
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