Europe and Islam

In his study Europe and Islam" (with subtitle "The Story of a Misunderstanding"), Franco Cardini follows the contacts between Islam and the Old Continent, which have lasted for fifteen hundred years. The author examines how these contacts are - or have not - evolved over the years, and most of all: how they have emerged. There is a special place of prejudice, misconceptions, or just the misunderstandings that have arisen in the course of this relationship over the centuries. It is no coincidence that the focus is on the Mediterranean countries where Islam is professed: Europeans quickly establish and maintain contact with them. Another essential emphasis of Cardinus: Islam, as well as Christianity, is far from homogenous; both religions have a wide varieties, depending on historical specifics. Parallel to the emergence and development of Islam, the author also follows the history of Europe.