æz sˈʌtʃ hiː wʌz vjˈuːd æz ɐ sˌɪmpəθˈɛɾɪk əbzˈɜːvɚɹ ʌv mˈʊzlɪm səsˈaɪəɾi, ˈɑːɹɡjuːɪŋ ðætðə ɹˈoʊl ʌv ɪslˈɑːm wʌz kˈiː tʊ ˌɛni wˈɜːk ɔnðə mˈɪdəl ˈiːst ænd nˈɔːɹθ ˈæfɹɪkə.
As such he was viewed as a sympathetic observer of Muslim society, arguing that the role of Islam was key to any work on the Middle East and North Africa.