By Salama A Salama For the Europeans, music is not just a matter of sensual enjoyment. It is a way to enrich the soul, a path for emancipation -- an expression of joy or despair. This is why music is an integral part of church services in Europe. I was therefore surprised when the Egyptian Opera House requested, with the approval of the minister of culture, the postponement or cancellation of the music recital the Dresden Opera was supposed to perform in tribute to Marwa El-Sherbini, the Egyptian woman who was killed in that city. The request, I am told, was out of concern for the feelings of El-Sherbini's family, which I have trouble believing. If anything, the incident serves to illustrate the considerable gap between the two cultures. El-Sherbini's murder was a shock to the Arab and Islamic worlds, and certainly the Muslim community in Germany. I have noticed that the media has given sensationalist coverage to the incident, perhaps for fear of the culprit escaping justice. El-Sherbini was attacked by a Russian-German immigrant, a fanatic who shares the same prejudices with millions who once lived in the eastern bloc. Having escaped the grip of communist regimes, they found themselves treated as second-class citizens in a unified Europe. El-Sherbini was three months pregnant when her life tragically ended. Her murderer started out by assaulting her verbally. After being sentenced by court to a fine of 750 euros, he became more menacing. Some German and Egyptian papers dealt with the crime on the assumption that El-Sherbini's hijab had something to do with it. But those who travel frequently to Germany would know that, unlike in France, the hijab is a non- issue. With 4.3 million Muslims living in Germany, no one cares to discuss the hijab anymore. The main question in Germany and some European countries is finding a way to integrate immigrants in the local culture and society. Immigrants in Germany number 15 million, almost 19 per cent of the entire population. And they need language skills, acknowledgement of their religious rights, and jobs. For the past two decades, intellectuals and clerics have engaged in numerous debates about Islam and the West. Germany has sponsored a conference for German Muslims and underscored the role of Muslim leaders in resolving the problems of their community. But the fact that Muslims in the West are often spied upon detracts from the goodwill of governments. Experts have spent too much time and effort on West-Islam conferences to no avail. And I have the nagging feeling that a main reason for that is that Muslims are incredibly divided. The defence lawyer of El-Sherbini's murderer told the court that the defendant was influenced by negative coverage of Islam. To be fair, one cannot listen to the news without hearing of bombings, suicide attacks, and wars involving Muslims and their nations. Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen and Sudan have become bywords for bloodshed. Palestine and Lebanon too. It is true that Muslims have enemies. But it is also true that Muslims are busy seeking enemies in their midst. So much time is wasted on doctrinal debates. So much time is wasted on discussions about the hijab and the niqab. Instead of finding a common voice, Muslims are giving their enemies every excuse to demonise them. El-Sherbini's murderer will be punished. Most likely, he will get a life sentence (in Germany, that's 15 years). But the problem facing the Islamic and Arab world will not go away. Muslims and Arabs are giving up on progress when they subscribe to ideas that can only lead to further infighting and grief.
