Contrary to commonly used political slogans, the integration of back­ward regions to the developed world does not automatically lead to a catching up to those. A comparative analysis of successful and unsuccessful experiments shows that the West has only assisted some countries to a higher level of development for its own interests and not for charity; and that neither national nor regional isolation have led to a successful alternative to the exposure to the capitalist core. Consequently, there can be no ready recipes for Eastern Eu­rope either, and the experimentation with new solutions remains an inevitable factor of the transformation.

The West has discovered Islam as a new enemy. According to this, religious fundamentalism threatens democracy in all circumstances. This view hides the dictatoric features of some West-oriented re­gimes, does not take into account the plurality of Islamic move­ments, some of which has been able to integrate the values of both pluralism and modernity.

The article attacks all those stereotypes which, from a Eurocentric view, completely misinterpret the contemporary Islam. It discusses the historical evolution of Islamic movements, and highlights the dif­ferences between various tendencies within Isla.