Pope John Paul II. encourages Europe to find “a proper relationship with Islam” taking into account “the notable gap between European culture, with its profound Christian roots, and Muslim thought”. The discussion sheds light on three areas that have a background effect on the relationship between Christians and Islam in Europe. (1) A »place of remembran-ce« such as the meeting of Francis with Sultan al-Malik or the Seljuk victory at Manzikert beautifully illustrates the importance of collective memory for relationships with others. Considering Christian and Islamic places of memory, it is also important to consider the facts of historiography. (2) Identification and status of interlocutors are also important for the relationship, which is not always easy for Muslims. (3) The state of mind in Europe is also important for the relationship with Islam. Despite its essential connection with Christianity, the European atmosphere is very Christianophobic and at the same time Islamophilic (with its uncritical glorification of Islam). For this reason, much of the left-wing community accuses every criticism of Islam, even when it comes from critical Muslims themselves, of being isla-mophobic. Last but not least, it must be borne in mind that conflict is also one of the dimen-sions of a relationship and that effort must be made for it not to prevail in its violent form.
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