Islam’s challenge helped forge western Europe’s collective identity as the West.

Evidence

Gradually, despite their many internal differences, the countries of western Europe began to conceive of themselves as part of a single family or civilization—“the West.” The challenge from Islam was an important factor in hammering western Europe and the idea of “the West” into shape. Roberts notes that “the word ‘Europeans’ seems to appear for the first time in an eighth-century reference to Charles Martel’s victory [over Islamic forces] at Tours. All collectivities become more self-aware in the presence of an external challenge, and self-awareness promotes cohesiveness” (1985, 122). — Stuart Hall, Essential Essays, Volume 2, 564

Categorization

• XREF: Directly connects to the Islamophobia field’s argument that ‘the West’ is constituted through its opposition to Islam — the civilizational identity is produced, not pre-existing. Echoes Said’s Orientalism.
• DEFINE: Defines the mechanism by which ‘the West’ as an imagined collective identity is forged, and ties the term ‘Europeans’ to an anti-Islamic military victory.
• ADDENDUM: Relates to how collective identity is forged through external threat — a dynamic parallel to sacrificial/group-cohesion themes.