Islam: The Religion and the People

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is based on an interview with Bernard Lewis, author of (Wharton School Publishing). For many Christians, Islam is as mysterious and unsettling as the invisible voice calling Muslims to daily prayer. Despite its nearly 1,400 years of existence, the religion that worships Allah and follows the teachings of Muhammad remains something of a partial picture in the West. The result is misunderstanding, fear of the unknown and even distrust. More than one Christian has peered upon the star and crescent moon atop the minarets of a mosque and remarked how much it reminds them of the hammer and sickle and red star that has come to symbolize communism. The Two Universal, Exclusive Religions Then there is this: Christianity and Islam are the two major religions which each hold that their truths are not only... [read full story]