On Ibn Rushd and Rationalism

In her book, Political Thought in Islam, Nelly Lahoud makes the point that Ibn Rushd is often perceived through a popularized version influenced by the simplistic movie, Al-Masir, by Yusuf Shahin.  Ibn Rushd was not what people think of him. This is as simple as the Orientalist equation of Mu`tazilah with Rationalists as opposed to the Irrationalist theologians.  I thought about that as I read this passage in this article: " In theology, too, Muslim thinkers like Ibn Rushd, also known as Averroës, developed sophisticated arguments that would inspire Christian thinkers like Thomas Aquinas — thanks to the Muslim engagement with Greek philosophy.". So if Thomas Aquinas was influenced by Ibn Rushd it makes the latter acceptable?