The depth of our ignorance became clear to me in the 1970s, when I made the astonishing discovery that there was another Abrahamic faith. Islam, this other great, global, monotheistic faith, had roots in the Middle East and in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Muslims recognized many of the major patriarchs and prophets of Judaism and Christianity (including Abraham, Moses, and Jesus) and their sacred scripture, the Qur'an, recognized God's revealed books to Jews (the Torah) and to Christians (the Gospels of Jesus). So why did I not know this after years of liberal arts and theological training? Why had I not learned that Jews, Christians, and Muslims were all considered the "Children of Abraham", that we could just as well talk about a Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition? Why was I not taught about the rich Islamic civilization that flourished from the ninth to the twelfth centuries; the great urban cultural centers; libraries; and scholars (Muslims, Christians, and Jews) in Cairo, Baghdad, Cordova, Palermo, and Nishapur? The creativity of generations of educated Muslim thinkers and scientists and their contributions to philosophy, medicine, chemistry, astronomy, art, and architecture are an integral part of Western civilization. They form a contribution whose magnitude we are only now beginning to fathom.

In Islamic studies, I discovered a fuller and more complete history of both the Muslim world and the West - a history marked by encounter, coexistence, and conflict, from the rise of Islam and its early expansion to the Crusades, European colonialism, and the Cold War. But this knowledge was still not part of the worldview or popular culture of America, Europe, and many other parts of the world.

For most Americans, Iran's Islamic Revolution of 1978-1979 and the fall of the Shah represented their first major encounter with Islam. When a popular news announcer prefaced his report by informing Americans that Islam was the second largest of the world's religions, its scripture was the Qur'an, and its prophet was named Muhammad, I was struck that one of the most (many Americans would have said "the most") powerful and educated nations in the world lacked this basic information.

From this point forward, interest in Islam and the Muslim world took off like a rocket. But into a world of ignorance and Arab stereotypes, Islam came to be seen through a lens focused on American hostages in Iran, the threat that an Islamic revolution in Iran could spread, and the assassination of Anwar Sadat by militants. During the past two and a half decades we have witnessed an explosion of coverage of Islam and the Islamic world: reference works, books and articles, media coverage, national and international conferences. Oxford University Press has been the leader in this process, publishing works on Islam, Islamic civilization, and Islamic history and politics by scholars from a wide variety of disciplines.

The dawn of the 21st century held promises of a new millennium of globalization and opportunity. Some dreamed of peace in Palestine/Israel, increased democratization and greater freedom in Muslim countries, and the growth and empowerment of Muslims in America and Europe, where Islam has emerged as a major religious presence. However, the lives and expectations of many were shattered by the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. We now live in a world dominated by the threat of global terrorism and new images of Islam and Muslims - as a religion and a people to be feared and fought. If some speak of a clash of civilizations, others ask, "What went wrong?" or "Why do they hate us?" Given the West's propensity to view Islam and Muslims through the distorted lens of extremism, it is not surprising that in a 2005 Gallup Poll, a majority (fifty-seven percent) of Americans who were asked what they most admire about Muslim societies either said "Nothing", the most frequent response, or "I don't know."

Clearly, the need for widespread and accurate information on Islam and the Islamic world is more critical than ever before. The images and realities of Islam and Muslims are multiple and diverse: religiously, culturally, economically, and politically. The majority of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims live in Asia and Africa; the largest Muslim communities are in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Nigeria (not Saudi Arabia, Egypt, or Iran). Only about one in five of the world's Muslims are Arabs. Millions of Muslims live in Europe and North America, where they represent the second and third largest religion, respectively.

Where can people confidently access information rather than disinformation? How can they gain a broader and deeper understanding of the religion, history, politics, and cultures of the vast Islamic world? How can they learn more about the increasingly important presence of Muslims in Europe and America?

Oxford University Press has stepped in and created a place where people can go for this critical information, by launching Oxford Islamic Studies Online - a site solely dedicated to the study of the Islamic world, the dissemination of current scholarship on Islam, and the promotion of global understanding of the facts of Islamic history and the tenets of Islam. I am delighted to partner with Oxford University Press in this exciting project that will promote a new awareness and understanding of the Islamic world.

John L. Esposito
Editor in Chief
Oxford Islamic Studies Online
October 2007