Introduction
It is a fact that the relationship between the west and Islam has been strained for a very long time. As Bulliet (2004) states, Europe has been suspicious towards Islam as a religion, and Muslims as individuals who practice this religion. This scholar says that it is only in Europe as a continent where Islam is least developed compared to the rest of the world.
This is a clear indication that the strained relationship between Europe and Islam did not start the other day. It has been in existence for several years, and it still persists today. According to Roald (2004), there has been a massive battle for supremacy between Islam and Christianity.
Just as the tough battle experienced during the cold war between the world’s powerhouses (the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Social Republic), the battle between Christianity and Islam was on how each would assert its authority in the world.
Led by sheikhs who believed that death in the course of spreading Islam around the world or protecting its principles was a holy death, they launched massive campaigns, raids and other means, including conquering other nations in order to spread this religion. On the other hand, Christian missionaries were combing the world, trying to spread the good message brought by the word.
Christian missionaries would travel several miles and at times overseas in order to ensure that their message would reach all parts of the world, and that they would convert most of the non-believers into Christianity.
During such missions, these two opposing camps would meet. Both camps were strong given the fact that they were supported by strong world powers of that time. Both believed that their religion was the right religion, and that the other was meant to misguide the world. As Bulliet (2004), the two camps believed that the other camp should be destroyed for spreading a religion that lacks basis.
This would lead to conflicts between the two camps, and at times a fully fledged war. Tension would rise when the two were in regions that equally accepted the two religious groups. Scholars have come up with different explanation about the origin of Islam and its relationship to Christianity. According to Roald (2004), there are those who have held that Islam is a creation of the Roman Catholic Church.
Others have different views regarding the Islam and its relationship with the West countries. It is therefore of interests to conduct a research in this field in order to bring a clear understanding of how this negative perception could have developed over the years to what it is today. This research paper seeks to explore the Europe’s perception of Islam in the early and middle centuries.
Europe’s Perception of Islam in the Early Centuries
For many centuries now, there has been a gap between the Muslim and the west. Most of the Europeans are staunch Christians. During the pre-colonial era, the Europeans made a great effort to spread Christianity to the rest of the world. The religion was well received in many parts of the world. Generally, the Europeans did not like Islamic religion.
They tried to convert most of the Muslims they came in contact with into Christianity but with very minimal success. Christianity and Islamic differs in various fronts. The beliefs and faith of Christians and that of Muslims sharply conflicted, resulting to disagreement in the society where the two religions co-existed.
According to Bulliet (2004), perceptions Europe towards Islam has largely pre-occupied the minds of many in Europe. This gap of perception between the two groups is widening each day, drawing the attention of many researchers in trying to check the reality of the matter and identify the remedial measures.
From the European point of view, it is clear that since the onset of Islamic religion, there arose a conflict and competition between the Europeans and the Arabs. Europeans perceived the Muslim prophet Mohammed to be very influential in spreading of the Islamic religion. The influential power within this prophet was taken to be a serious obstacle to the spread of Christianity by the Europeans.
Europeans had negative views towards the Islamic culture that they argued was aped from the Greek lifestyles. According to the Europeans, the Arabic language contributed a lot to the spread of Islamic religion. In professing and spreading their faith Muslims under their powerful leaders employed unique strategies that enabled them to convert many to Islam.
Christians did not take the experience of rampant growth of Islamic religion positively. The painful feeling by the Europeans was experienced in the year 711 when many people from Spain and many parts of German, France many others were converted into Muslims. These areas were already Christianized and their conversion to Muslims was a disappointment to the Europeans.
The competition to transform communities into various religions became tough each day in the early centuries. When parallel Islamic and Christianity believes were taken to the non-Christians in Western Europe, it was surprising to Christian Europeans that Muslims won these non-Christians to Islam because of the nature of their religion that was very accommodative.
This was unpleasing to the Europeans forcing them to make their religion also more accommodative by adopting some of the pre-Christian activities. Europeans had a negative view towards a simple organizational structure in the Islamic religion and they did not like the fact that Jesus career came before Mohammed’s.
Muslims were scriptural monotheist, a factor that was not pleasing to the Europeans as they associated it with the ease of converting many to Islamic religion. The Islam outsmarted Christians in many ways.
The Muslim’s tradition version was conversant to many and the continual translation of Greek language to Arabic. All this factors made Muslims to outcompete the Europeans in spreading their various religions. Europeans did not take the tolerance nature in the Islamic religion lightly.
Islamic allowed the practice and observance of some of Judaism and Christianity practices and belief as well, although the Europeans due to incomplete religious equality they offer to Jews and Christians judge Islam as being intolerant. After the rise of St. Benedicts who discovered Latin monasteries, his leadership was highly felt among the Europeans in the west.
On the other hand, the ‘ulama’ rose and became very popular among the Muslims leading to multiplication of Muslims. Christianity was committed in encouraging its converts to be devoted and prayerful. The religion also discouraged sin and encouraged celibacy with little of travelling.
The idea of Muslim handling the issue of sin lightly, encouraging travelling and discouraging celibacy brought a big contrast with the Christianity doctrines an act the worsened the relationship of these two groups.
Muslims offered a very comprehensive education to the scholars on issues regarding the Islamic religion who late went joined the trading business easing the spread of Islam religion. This strategy was perceived by the Europeans as a counter to spread of Christianity.
From the 11thCentury, the issue of religious conquest took a different course. Arabic language was adopted as governmental language for the most popular religion. Islamic written books increased and their schools grew rapidly unlike the case with Christendom. The introduction of Madrassa in the Islamic schools contributed to the rise of more institutions for religious studies that was a threat to the European mission.
Muslims greatly differed with Christendom in that in Islamic religion has no ecclesiastical structure and priests or monks like are the case with Christianity. Islam was perceived as an enemy and threat to Europeans expansion.
During this early century due to Islamic popularity and its unique leadership, Christianity was extremely affected. The clergy groups among the Christian society would conflicts more often unlike in the Islamic society.
What probably affected the perception of the Europe towards Islam was its ability to conquer new worlds. As stated earlier, Europe had come to embrace Christianity which was spread during the Roman Empire. Christianity, though originating from the Middle East just like Islam itself, was considered an acceptable faith in such countries as Italy, France, Georgia, and Germany among others.
However, when the Arabic speaking Islam prophets came up with Islam, it was seen as an attempt by a new power to rule over Europe. The ability of the Muslims, through their strong emperor, to conquer such regions as Spain and Greece was alarming to the leadership of Europe.
During this time, leadership was closely knit with religion. Europe did not anticipate the Arab rulers to exhibit a show of power that was witnessed in conquering most of the European kingdoms.
Bulliet (2004) says that upon conquering kingdoms that were perceived to be largely Christians, the Muslim leaders came up with policies that allowed the locals to retain their religion, but under specific conditions. Those who converted to Islam were given full rights and freedom as a sign that the ruler appreciated their decision.
However, those who decided to hold on to Christianity, the government would levy a tax on them as a sign that the government were doing them favor by allowing them to practice Christianity in a kingdom ruled by Muslims. Referring to Christians as men of book (in reference to the bible which Christians highly cherished), Islamic leaders would offer security to Christians at a fee.
Generally, Christians were considered inferior to the Muslims in regions that were ruled by Islam. They were viewed as kefir (a non-believer), a term that these Christians highly resented. It was apparent that given their strength and their military prowess, other European states that had survived their conquest was at risk of attack at any moment.
Through their jihad war, the Islam had soldiers who did not fear death. Instead, they embraced it, especially when they realized that they were fighting for their religion. This was something very strange. European soldiers could not understand why one would be so enthusiastic when faced with death. This is another factor that shaped the perception of the west towards Islam.
Europe’s Perception of Islam in the Middle Centuries
In the middle centauries, the Europeans realized that their states were at risk of invasion by Islamic powers. The fall of Byzantine territory was something that other European leaders gave reference to when they were justifying the need to act. They pointed out to the fact that when Byzantine was attacked by the Islamic powers, other states stood and watched, and sure enough, and the territory fell into their land.
The Muslims were determined to ensure that they conquer most of the states in this continent. The mission of the Arabic leaders in conquering this nation was enhanced by the disagreements that existed among the individual European states.
For instance, the Byzantine emperors had a strained relationship with the kings and the popes of Latin Christendom. This was the reason why the Muslims attacked Byzantine. Europeans were left to fight their own battle, and this was why they were easily beaten.
It was coming clear to the Europeans that no nation would be spared. They had witnessed Spain and Greece fall into the hands of the Islamic soldiers some years back, and because they were not supported, the region was taken over by the Islam. By then, Byzantine emperor was thought to be very strong. However, the move by the Arabic powers to take control of this emperor was very alarming.
It was clear to other states that they had to come together as a unit and defend their territories. They had to defend a religion they had believed in for years. They had to fight Muslim rule in this continent and other continents around the world.
The European leaders came together and joined their armies to form a joint military force that they referred to as the Crusaders. This European military force officers from pro-Christian regions who were determined to counter the influence of the Muslim leaders. They were set to attack the Holy Land of Muslims where they believed was the center of power for the Muslims.
According to Bulliet (2004), Europe witnessed a form of peace and unity that was rare during those years. They perceived Islam as a common enemy that not only came to conquer their land, but also to rebuke and distort a religion that had held so dear for a very long time. They perceived Islam as a force of evil spirit, and the Muslims, its agent. They had to fight it, and that was the sole purpose of the crusaders.
The crusaders finally attacked the Muslim rulers in the Holy land, making their initial bases at Jerusalem, Antioch, Tripoli, and Edessa. These were regions that were considered Islamic territories. Their entry into Spain was aided by the Christians who had resented the Islamic rule in this country. The crusaders, therefore, found an easier time fighting the Muslim leaders in this region.
During this era, there grew a strong suspicion between Europe and Islam. Europe did not trust Islam from every sense. It would always describe any item that was foreign and associated with Islam as the other. Europe was getting civilized, and it considered the rest of the world, especially the Muslims, as backward people who needed to see the light that Europe was offering.
This did not mean that the Muslims and other parts of the world were not experiencing development. In fact, Bulliet (2004) says that technology that Europe was using to develop was borrowed from the Muslims. The Latin Christians swore that they would never acknowledge any scientific development coming from the Muslims or any other part of the world for that matter.
It is strange though, that it is from the same Muslims that Latin America borrowed scientific inventions and innovations that propelled it to its current position.
This was a clear case of a borrower having pride. To Europe, the fact that Muslims were able to come up with scientific development did not mean that they were superior. To them, Islam would ever remain inferior to Europe despite any technological enhancements they have.
Conclusion
The relationship between Islam and Europe has been strained for a very long time. As shown in the above discussion, the strained relationship between Europe and the Arab world witnessed currently did not start in this century. It dates back several years back. In the first century, Europe witnessed Islam as a religion and as a kingdom grew.
From Middle East, Islam grew to capture various European empires including Spain and Greece. However, they ignored it, perceiving it as an inconsequential force. In the second century when Byzantine was attacked and conquered, it became clear that Islam was a force to reckon with.
They now perceived it as an enemy that was to be countered. They considered Muslim leaders as barbaric individuals with a retrogressive religion out to conquer the world. They did not appreciate the very existence of Islam as a religion.
References
Bulliet, R. W. (2004). The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization. New York: Columbia University Press.
Roald, A. S. (2004). New Muslims in the European context: The experience of Scandinavian converts. Leiden: Brill.