The hysteria concerning religiosity and Islam in particular has a simple solution, clearer and more unified dialogue, writes Ibrahim Nafie In the ensuing uproar over Pope Benedict XVI's remarks, a Catholic nun was killed in Somalia. Although the church apologised for the remarks, some people kept fomenting the crisis. A similar few made sure that President Bush's remarks about "Islamic fascism" were not forgotten. Soon afterwards, we were hit by an insulting film in Denmark, a controversy over an opera in Germany, and a heated debate over the niqab (face cover) in London. Then came the teacher who was fired from her job in the UK for wearing the niqab, and the reference by an Australian mufti to "uncovered meat". In this charged atmosphere, certain western institutions and writers began sensationalising the matter to the point where Islam was made as if it were on a collision course with Christianity. I have been following up Israeli media, and it seems that some of the remarks made by Jewish clergymen against Islam and Christianity are worse than all the above. To give you one example, one Yitzhak Ben Zeif wrote on 25 August saying that the Arabs were a "nation akin to donkeys, a lowly nation of barbarians who feel great pleasure when they kill a person, and they're worse than the Nazis". The author assured the readers that "idiocy in this world is nine parts Ismailite (a reference to Muslims) and one part for the rest of nations." He added that "Jewish men of religion describe the Christians as pigs and the Arabs as backward barbarians." And I am not going to repeat his long list of insults to Prophet Mohamed. The web site of Arabs Against Discrimination (www.aad-online.org) has dozens of articles that describe all Gentiles (non-Jews) as subhuman. Insults to creeds are on the rise, and not confined to any particular quarters. The ferocity of the insults is such that unless something is done, we may end up with a full- fledged religious confrontation in our hands. It goes without saying that the manner in which Arabs and Muslims are reacting to the current flurry of insults leaves much to be desired. Instead of reacting in a reasonable and articulated manner, the Arabs and Muslims keep getting emotional and taking to the streets. Furthermore, some of the good arguments we made were in Arabic, which is of little help under the circumstances. So here is my suggestion. We have to have an Arab agency for dialogue, one that maintains a stance of respect to all creeds and airs its views in foreign languages. Such agency should work in cooperation with suitable groups around the world to find common ground and articulate a position that is in keeping with universal human rights and norms. There is no shortage of the right people in Egypt or the Arab world. We have people who can address the root cause of the problem and find the right answers. With adequate funding and expertise, Arabs and Muslims can launch an international bid to address all insults to creeds and sanctities. There is a common human denominator out there. It should not be hard to find it, so long as we act in a spirit of fraternity. What do you think?
