Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

Geneve, pp76 Fr.3

This is the second small volume by these joint authors. The earlier one, Glimpses of Islam, was reviewed in our last issue. This has a similar aim, namely to plead the cause of Islamic peoples before the court of western opinion. Aga Khan believes, as in the first chapter, that pan-islamism, is the expression of group and faith loyalty of all true believers and has social and religious, not political significance. It goes back to the Koran statement (49:10) "all believers are brothers." This brotherhood of Islam does not constitute a menace to Christendom but may even be a directive for the war-torn and distracted nations of Europe. Dr. Zaki Ali again draws a picture of the great cultural debt that Europe owes Islam in science, medicine, philosophy and geography. It is an excellent although a somewhat over-statement of that legacy of Islam to which western scholars have often called attention. The third and last brief chapter appeals to the UNA and other international groups to pay this debt by fair dealing and granting political liberty to Moslems everywhere. The barrier to reconciliation between Islam and Christianity is lack of understanding of the former by the latter. "The peoples of Islam extend to Europe a sincere and friendly hand, but the condition for confidence and cooperation is that there be equality and liberty and sovereignty with absolute respect of their religion and that their institutions be preserved intact."There is no discussion of religious liberty for minorities who are under Muslim rule.