It surely is safe to say that the true cultural genius and tradition of Islam has been insufficiently appreciated in this time of global tension. Too many other issues have stood in the way. But to mitigate the so-called ‘clash of civilizations’ — or at least to put it into some longitudinal perspective — would it not help for us to at least try to understand other civilizations? Certainly the acknowledged achievements of Islam deserve at least that much. Fortunately, many notable institutions in the U.S. are trying to make a contribution. Not least among them is the rightly world-famous Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It has been offering a stunning permanent collection of Islamic art through the centuries that is pure revelation — of the deeply imbedded genius of that culture and religion. We have picked out three samples to illustrate the point. Please click on the slider pictures above for more details. Or go directly to http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/orna/hd_orna.htm