King Abdulaziz Library – A book highlights the role of the Arab and Islamic world in the renaissance of the West 

Ashraf AboArafe 

 The King Abdulaziz Public Library has recently released a book entitled “The Role of the Arab and Islamic World in the Renaissance of the West…Potential Effects on Contemporary Intercultural Relations”, reviewed and edited by Professor Nayef bin Rizk Al-Roudhan, a prominent member of St. Antony’s College at Oxford University in the United Kingdom, and translated by Dr. Munira bint Abdullah Al-Madhi.

 The book – which is on (314) pages – includes nine chapters, comprising a set of articles that highlight the contribution of the Arab and Islamic world to Western civilization, as well as the potential effects on contemporary cultural relations, written by a number of thinkers and writers from several Arab and European countries.

 The book also included many articles that confirm the Arab and Islamic role in the renaissance of the Western world and its civilized development.

 The first chapter – written by Dr. Nayef Al-Roudan, editor of the book, entitled “Introduction .. A Thousand Years of Oblivion” – highlights the Arab and Islamic role in the European Renaissance, and the image of the Arab-Islamic empire that was flourishing in the Middle Ages, while Europe was living in the dark ages, at a time when The Arabic language was the language of common communication in Europe during the Middle Ages, as scholars documented the influence of the Arab-Islamic world on the development of Europe.

 The editor reviewed a group of Western thinkers’ opinions on the renaissance of Europe and its relationship with the Arab and Islamic world.

 The editor of the book also quotes John Hobson’s statement, which emphasizes the role of the Arab-Islamic East in the renaissance of Europe, where he says: “The historical accounts of the renaissance of the West based on European centralism omitted three things: the first is that the East invented its own renaissance after the year 500AD, and the second is that the East established its economy The third is that the East contributed to the renaissance of the West by developing and transferring a set of knowledge sources to Europe.

 The book aims to restore the lost dimension of history, contribute to a better understanding of the West, the Arab and Islamic world, and their common exchange and heritage, and contribute to strengthening positive relations between them in the present and the future.

 The publication also comes in the context of the cultural vision of the King Abdulaziz Public Library, which seeks to provide diverse knowledge to readers, and to promote culture in Saudi and Arab society through qualitative publications provided by the library’s publishing department.