The Islamic World in Contemporary and Historical Perspective

What is and where is the Islamic World in 2019? If we understand the Islamic World as all Muslim-majority countries, according to the Pew Research Center (2015) we would find 50 such countries with a total population of over 1.8 billion. The highest percentage (91%) of the total population in a region considering themselves Muslim, can be found in the Middle East-North Africa (MENA). The starting point of Muslim history would be the prophet Muhammad’s revelation in the 7th century, followed by the Islamic Golden Age (8th–14th centuries), when Muslims were ahead of the rest of the world in the arts, science, philosophy, and technology. This period is still remembered and cherished with pride by both Sunni and Shia Muslims, the two biggest denominations within Islam, which – despite common misconceptions in the West – is not a monolith but splits into different religious schools and branches. The modern era has been marked by the more or less direct colonial domination of European powers which left its legacy in many states belonging now to the Islamic world. Much of today’s turmoil in the MENA region has its roots in the colonial times and the fault lines drawn by the European politicians. However, the blame cannot be wholly assigned to external powers: the list of factors contributing to the Middle East’s present complex and often difficult situation is long and includes many internal issues.