Anglo–American Literary Sources on the Muslim Orient: The Roots and the Reuiterations

Abstract

This article analyzes the historical roots of Western literary representations of Islam and Muslims, tracing their origins to pre-medieval times. The paper explores how early Christian perceptions of Arab nomads as godless raiders evolved into a distorted image of Islam as a religion of violence and its followers as infidels. The author contends that this negative portrayal was perpetuated through literary sources rather than direct observations, with writers relying on biased or second-hand information. The study examines the shift in Western attitudes towards Islam during the early eighteenth century, when scholars began to acquire more accurate knowledge of the religion. The article demonstrates how the Muslim conquest of Spain led to a constructive cultural exchange, contrasting this with the hostile confrontations of the Crusades. This work investigates the enduring impact of these historical narratives on contemporary perceptions of Islam in Western literature.

(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)