Misperceptions Between the West and Muslim World Still to be Bridged

Dr Maleeha Lodhi, High Commissioner for Pakistan to the UK, was the featured speaker at the University’s Special Lecture Series programme in December 2004. In her eloquent discourse titled ‘Islam and the West: New Perspectives’, Dr Lodhi described the world as “amazingly interconnected yet, paradoxically, deeply divided.” She said “misperceptions between the West and the Muslim world are still to be meaningfully addressed and bridged,” expressing concern that this gap is in fact growing.

“We live in dangerous times because several world civilisations simultaneously feel that they are under siege. Muslims feel they are under siege and the West too feels it is under siege,” warned Dr Lodhi. “The great challenge lies in learning how to bridge this gulf, how to build trust and confidence, how to remove mutual misperceptions, how to promote inter-civilisational harmony and be at peace with each other.”