A historic opportunity for rapprochement with the West is afforded to all Muslims, writes Mustafa El-Feki*, if the tenets of Islam are refined and recalled There could hardly be a better opportunity than the present for certain Islamist currents to rectify their course. In the face of the glare of censure and recrimination that has, albeit unjustly, focussed upon them, it is time to give serious contemplation to an Islamic initiative, emanating from the centres of the greater Islamist movement, for historical reconciliation with the West. Such an initiative would be launched within the framework of a comprehensive programme for religious, social and cultural reform; one that would stand as a powerful rival to the American project for this region. In addition to promoting the interests and welfare of Islam, the initiative would deliver a blow to the forces of extremism on both sides and nip in the bud a confrontation that has only just begun. I should stress, here, that I am not promoting imported ideas or writing on behalf of others. On the contrary, I believe I am expressing a purely Muslim conscience in my advocacy of the need to counter those campaigns of doubt, suspicion and fear that have targeted our religion. These campaigns are, in fact, a political, rather than a religious, issue of the first order. We are facing not so much a clash of cultures or civilisations as a clash of interests and political outlooks. In addition, political Islam has always stood opposed to Westernisation and viewed Orientalist tendencies with suspicion. Once we recognise these facts we can overcome many of our sensitivities and work on the basis that our current challenges are essentially secular rather than spiritua Although Egypt is not the country in which the Prophet Mohamed received his divine revelation, it nevertheless resides in the heart of the Islamic world and as such bears historic responsibility. Suffice it to say that in modern times Egypt was the birthplace of the first serious movement of political Islam. As the seat of Al- Azhar, Egypt is revered throughout the Muslim world for the central part it has played in safeguarding Islamic heritage and Arab culture. It is respected for its moderation and evenhandedness. At the same time, it is also the land of the Muslim Brotherhood, even if this highly influential movement has yet to acquire official recognition. Egypt is thus apt to lead a corrective movement aimed at defusing tensions with the West and fighting attempts to distort the nature of Islam via the actions of a minority that have no bearing on the true spirit and law of our religion. There is no doubt that Islam is the object of an increasingly vicious campaign. Rather than rising to that bait, we should draw on our own authentic sources of inspiration. The Prophet and the first Muslims negotiated and coexisted with others. It makes little sense that we should do otherwise as we stand at the threshold of the 15th century on the Islamic calendar, all the more so given how exposed we are and how limited our influence is. When the question is "to be or not to be", moderation is the only feasible life raft. I therefore appeal to political Islamist movements around the world to embrace the true spirit of our religion and to issue a clear and unequivocal public condemnation of all forms of extremism and fanaticism. The world is seething and chaotic and it is our duty to step back from the abyss towards which we have been drawn by a group which emerged from within our fold, bringing us untold harm and disrepute. What is required of us is by no means "surrender", or a form of submission to the plans of others. Rather, we must take collective stock of our situation and contribute the best we have to offer in order to rectify the erroneous impressions others have of us and to prevent further defamation of our values and traditions. The importance of such a process cannot be overstated at a time when Islam is attracting new generations of believers, especially in view of the curiosity aroused among millions in the wake of the events of 11 September 2001 and the attendant unprecedented rise in sales and translations of the Quran. This said, I cannot but confess an element of surprise at the recent Muslim Brotherhood initiative for reform in Egypt. Apart from the fact that it appears to be capitalising on a current climate that is raining initiatives from all directions, as the secretary-general of the Arab League put it, I also sensed in it a touch of an attempt to court the US. In addition, given that the Muslim Brotherhood is international by definition, why should its initiative be focussed on Egypt alone? One would have thought that a Brotherhood initiative would address the entire Muslim body, regardless of people's national affiliation, since the crucial problem at present resides in the lack of mutual trust between the West and the Muslim nation as a whole. A few days ago, a Brotherhood leader stated that his group's initiative emanated not from the state but from civil society whose time has come. The West is forever keen to receive signals from grassroots Islamist movements, if they are moderate in orientation. Indeed, there have been frequent rumours of contacts between various US embassies and Islamist movements. I believe that our historical juncture offers a unique opportunity to assume the patriotic and moral onus of initiating a broad based appeal for dialogue. However, for such an appeal to be truly effective, it must meet certain conditions. First, the appeal to dialogue must be international in inspiration and drive. Islam transcends national boundaries and affiliations. Neither does it speak for governments, nor do governments have the power to speak on its behalf. Nor should the appeal emanate from a specific Muslim group to the exclusion of others, regardless of the history and influence of that group. Second, the value or acceptability of any initiative should reside in the strength of the legacy it draws on, its clarity of vision and its philanthropical expansiveness. Moreover, the appeal should not be solely directed to the US but to all countries of the world, as well as to Muslim communities throughout the world. Third, humanitarian ideas, however noble and worthy, require appropriate forums; not only for their effective dissemination but also for the interchange that gives them the necessary substance and structure. Ambiguous propositions and vague slogans are not enough. We must come up with solid, specific ideas. I pray that readers trust the sincerity of this appeal. I have no ulterior motive or hidden agenda, unlike many from this region who carry carefully wrapped packages of wary criticism or troubled scepticism to Western airports in hope for a visa or foreign acceptance, even if this means intensifying animosities that neither side needs. Some might argue that life is a struggle; that it is impossible to silence the human instinct for conquest. If that is the case, Muslim and Arab peoples have all the more reason to put forward an unconventional, humanitarian, inspired vision, guided by the tenets and true essence of our religion, aimed at opening channels of communication with the West. In so doing, and in projecting a new Islamic discourse, free of all taints of fanaticism and extremism, we will present to our peoples, our religion and our culture and civilisation the best gift possible in these extremely complex and fraught times. * The writer is chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the People's Assembly.
