The subjects of this volume are views and perceptions of the a oeothera (i.e. strangers, enemies or curiosities) within the Islamic world, as well as in the interplay between the Islamic and non-Islamic worlds. More than 20 contributions describe conceptions and contingencies of the other from very different perspectives, so arriving - with reference to Islam - at insights into the complex problems of the a oeother.a The studies are dedicated to Professor Gernot Rotter.