The clash of fundamentalisms remains within a wider context of peaceful co-existence, write Jason Erb and Noha Bakr Following 9/11 Americans showed a renewed interest in Samuel Huntington's "Clash of Civilisations". In it Huntington argues that future wars will be fought not on ideological or even interest-based lines, but due to cultural and "civilisational" differences and affinities. To look at the rhetoric of militant extremist groups like Al- Qaeda is to wonder if Huntington and his supporters might be right. There are many examples of Muslim preachers who teach that there can be no reconciliation between the "world of Islam" and the "world of unbelief". Muslim extremists do indeed take verses of the Quran and sayings of Mohamed to justify atrocities against non-Muslims. There are also less well-known preachers of hate. For example, the United States has its own share of "holy men" who claim that Muslims are evil and that morality has no place in a war against an evil enemy. Christian preachers of hate claim they are in the midst of an apocalyptic and existential war between good and evil, and so violence against non-Christians is a Biblical imperative. Over the centuries Christians and Muslims have indeed fought each other on numerous fronts. They have also cooperated and co-existed on countless others. We are not facing a clash of civilisations, where religious and ethnic identities determine the fault lines. We are facing a minority clash of fundamentalisms, whose followers exploit anxieties and frustration caused by genuine political conflicts to further their own ideological agendas. Co-existence and cooperation among civilisations is not just possible, it is by far the historical norm. Historically, large Christian and Jewish communities prospered and were crucial actors in the economic and social life of places like Baghdad, Damascus and Istanbul; Muslims, Jews and Christians co- existed for centuries in Bosnia and Spain; Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and animists lived together peacefully in South East Asia, as they generally do now throughout the world; art forms, cuisine, language, music and institutions of one "civilisation" frequently bear the direct influence of another civilisation. The degree of modern international trade and commerce shows that, despite conflicts and differences, different people still build cooperative, mutually beneficial and peaceful relations. Efforts at promoting the benefits that derive from a dialogue of civilisations have long gone beyond the needs of basic survival and material concerns. Prior to 9/11, the United Nations declared the year 2001 to be the year of dialogue among civilisations, and in May 2002, 1,350 representatives of over 1,000 civil society organisations from more than 100 countries gathered to build upon a common vision of co-existence. Even with oft-publicised rants from preachers of hate, interfaith organisations and initiatives regularly bring different people together to discuss ways to help ease the suffering of the under-privileged, build peaceful societies and solve conflict. The World Conference of Religions for Peace, for example, regularly meets to pool resources and develop the capacity of religious leaders to address these common humanitarian concerns. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks American Christians formed protective cordons around American mosques and some even wore headscarves in solidarity with conservative American Muslim women; Iraqi Muslims condemned extremists who recently attacked Iraqi Christian churches and vow to protect this unique and vital part of their community; and Jewish and Palestinian activists still work together to protect the human rights of all residents of the Holy Land. Most Americans are aware of Christian and Jewish involvement in non-violent movements in America. Many, however, would be surprised to learn that Muslims have been active and crucial participants in pluralistic non-violent civil resistance movements with Buddhists in Thailand, Hindus in India, Blacks in South Africa and other religions in Indonesia and sub-Saharan Africa. There is indeed a growing divide in the world, but it is not a timeless, intractable or divinely inspired conflict. It is a conflict driven by xenophobes based on anxieties and existential fears generated in a rapidly changing world. Proponents of clash theories make sense of their basic alienation by making the "other" the focus of all that is wrong with the world. So while there are differences in values, perspective and opinion on many issues, these have not taken away from the existence of common human desires, needs and values of our shared humanity, nor does it mean that current political differences are beyond human capacity to solve. Dialogue and communication for understanding are among the first steps towards peace and such dialogue efforts establish crucial bridges between cultures. When conflict exists, it is easy to dismiss the Christian imperative to "turn the other cheek", the Muslim imperative to "repel evil with good", or the Jewish imperative to "love thy neighbour as thyself". Most people, however, continue to live by these rules and see the value of continuing the dialogue of civilisations. Dialogue and cooperation occurs despite the differences between peoples and the tug of fear-induced xenophobia or fundamentalism. In this time of growing insecurity, however, we must redouble our efforts to listen to what the other side is in fact saying, to really understand what the other side means. We need to continue building the global civic-fabric of our world to increase opportunities for relationships of trust and dialogue of respect. We need to push new audiences to get to know the Other from the Other, and learn about each other's differences and similarities on a firsthand basis. Through increased dialogue and understanding we will strengthen and develop ties that allow for open communication. Such dialogue and communication can lessen the chances that our fears will take over and prevent these perceived differences from resulting in violence or conflict. Jason Erb and Noha Bakr are international affairs representatives for Quaker Service-AFSC and are currently based in Amman, Jordan. Quaker Service-AFSC is an international peace-building and development organisation that seeks to promote reconciliation, sustainable development and non- violence. This article is part of a series of views on "Enlarging the window of opportunity" published in partnership with the Common Ground News Service (CGNews)
