Ernst’s overarching argument, according to me, is that “The West is hypocritically ignorant to the cultural diversity around them even though aspects of their very life have stemmed from said cultures.”
Ernst claims that there really is no concept of “The West” anymore considering there are so many Asian-Americans and Asian-Europeans.
He also says that European prejudice against Islam and their “deep repugnance” for Islam might be an explanation or a justification for why they were colonisers.
He also talks about how Christian writers portray Islam in a much more extreme and negative way, so much so as including lies in what they write. He gives an example about Muhammad, the God for muslims, and how his death was portrayed in a horrifying way. It is taboo for muslims to eat pork and drink alcohol, so many christians write about how he died while being drunk or that he died due to a pig attack. He then mentions how in other tales by muslims, Muhammad is portrayed as a God of forgiveness, and the most compassionate one.
I think this claim matters for the larger argument because it perfectly shows how The West are ignorant towards religion and culture, and yet write and read about them in a way that portrays said cultures in a negative or derogatory light. Christianity itself is said to stem from Judaism, so it has an “asiatic” origin. This makes the christian writers very hypocritical of the wrong things they choose to do with what they write, and I believe this is what Ernst is trying to tell us.
