Exploring Ties Between Western and Islamic Cultures

 Muslim and Western cultures are more similar than most people realize, according to author and illustrator Bryn Barnard, who recently gave a lecture at 51 Park Place, the future home of the Park51 Community Center. In fact, many aspects of contemporary Western civilization stem from medieval Islamic culture, he said.

Barnard delivered a visual presentation of Islam’s cultural innovations dating back to A.D. 600, many of which, he asserted, are the building blocks of 21st century Western society.

“The books we read, the music we play, the words we speak, the numbers we count, the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the science we depend on — all were shaped, at least in part, by Islam,” according to Barnard. The lecture was part of Barnard’s international tour to promote his book, “The Genius of Islam: How Muslims Made the Modern World.”

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Tags: Aline Reynolds, Bryn Barnard, park51, Western and Islamic Cultures