ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book deals with the problem of the relationship between universality, cosmopolitanism and cultural identity. In the process of creating an identity, cultural and political demarcation lines became increasingly more narrowly drawn. In a world dominated by concepts such as globalism, post-modernism and the high-tech revolution, a concept such as cosmopolitanism seems old-fashioned and out-dated. Ever since the balance of power tipped to the advantage of Europe, cosmopolitanism has been held ransom to the improvement of the highly ambiguous relations between East and West. Sami Zubaida gives an overview of the concept of cosmopolitanism, its history and future in the Middle East. Munira al-Fadhel, a young Bahraini scholar, has described her cosmopolitan trajectory in a post-modern language. In short, the Islamic movement made the same mistake as the nationalist movement by seeking the solution in the conquest of political power.
