Frequently portrayed as intolerant, medieval and barbaric, Islam has replaced Communism as the main perceived threat to Western civilization and values. For Aziz al-Azmeh, this Orientalist and racist view of Islam is nothing but a mirror image of the myth propagated by Islamic fundamentalists, with both resting on an ahistorical conception of an unchanging religion. In this expanded new edition, al-Azmeh rethinks the relationship between Muslim and Western societies through to the post-9/11 period, uncovering a rich history of interaction and exchange.