Thirty-four scholars from 18 countries on five continents met in Cairo to debate for the first time the ideals of the Enlightenment and secularism while celebrating the 800th anniversary of the death of one of Islam's greatest philosophers. Muslim philosopher Ibn Rushd (1126-1198), known in the West as Averroes, may be viewed as a medieval precursor of the European Enlightenment and as a rallying point for dialogue between East and West. Averroes' attempt to harmonise philosophy and religion, reason and faith, led to a rethinking of the tenets of Christianity. His work spurred on some of the great rational syntheses of Christian thought, such as Thomas Aquinas's "Summa Theologica". This book offers a rare opportunity to learn about the contemporary Arab world and its efforts to dialogue with the West.
