Egypt, Elsewedy review progress on Ain Sokhna phosphate complex    US employment cost index 3.6% up in year to June 2025    Egypt welcomes Canada, Malta's decision to recognise Palestinian state    Pakistan says successfully concluded 'landmark trade deal' with US    Sterling set for sharpest monthly drop since 2022    Egypt, Brazil sign deal to boost pharmaceutical cooperation    Modon Holding posts AED 2.1bn net profit in H1 2025    Egypt's Electricity Ministry says new power cable for Giza area operational    Egypt's Al-Sisi, Italian defence minister discuss Gaza, security cooperation    Egypt's FM discusses Gaza, Nile dam with US senators    Aid airdrops intensify as famine deepens in Gaza amid mounting international criticism    Egypt exports first high-tech potato seeds to Uzbekistan after opening market    Health minister showcases AI's impact on healthcare at Huawei Cloud Summit    On anti-trafficking day, Egypt's PM calls fight a 'moral and humanitarian duty'    Egypt strengthens healthcare partnerships to enhance maternity, multiple sclerosis, and stroke care    Egypt keeps Gaza aid flowing, total tops 533,000 tons: minister    Indian Embassy to launch cultural festival in Assiut, film fest in Cairo    Egyptian aid convoy heads toward Gaza as humanitarian crisis deepens    Culture minister launches national plan to revive film industry, modernise cinematic assets    I won't trade my identity to please market: Douzi    Sisi sends letter to Nigerian president affirming strategic ties    Two militants killed in foiled plot to revive 'Hasm' operations: Interior ministry    Egypt, Somalia discuss closer environmental cooperation    Egypt's EHA, Huawei discuss enhanced digital health    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Islam and/in the West
Published in Daily News Egypt on 10 - 04 - 2011

JEDDAH: The revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt provide examples of largely peaceful transitions of power after decades of unflinching authoritarian rule. Yet change in these and other Arab countries caught the world by surprise.
Talk of an “Arab Spring” has dominated Western media and political debate for months now. Many Muslims living in the West are also watching events in the region closely, hoping that their co-religionists will soon enjoy greater rights, freedoms, and protections under the rule of law, much as they have done for many decades.
But there is no guarantee that such transitions will have peaceful outcomes. Indeed, the current situation in Libya, Bahrain, and Yemen is extremely worrying, and finding workable political solutions in these countries will challenge not only the Muslim world, but also the West and the entire international community.
It would also be wrong, however, to define the relationship between the Islamic world and the West solely in light of today's Arab mass movements. There is another aspect to the relationship: Islam in the West — that is, issues concerning Muslims living within Western societies, particularly Europe.
A report published in May 2010 by the Council of Europe, entitled Islam, Islamism, and Islamophobia in Europe, recognized that Europe has been home to Muslims for many centuries, and acknowledged the contribution of Islamic civilization to European culture. Yet, as the report also noted, Muslims in Europe today feel socially excluded, stigmatized, and discriminated against. Indeed, they have become victims of stereotypes because of their religious and cultural traditions.
A rising tide of Islamophobic rhetoric can be seen in Europe's mainstream media and among its political parties — for example, the Danish People's Party, the Dutch Freedom Party, the French National Front, the Swiss Peoples' Party, the English Defense League, the Italian Northern League, and the Austrian Freedom Party. Similar parties exist or are emerging elsewhere in Europe.
This situation only serves to remind us of the inadequate knowledge among many Europeans of the common roots and historical connections linking the Islamic world and the West. It is also indicative of the need for new relationships based on understanding, tolerance, and respect for cultural diversity.
According to the Pew Foundation Forum's September 2010 report on Religion in Public Life, Western Europe's Muslim population totals more than 17 million. In countries like Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland, Muslims comprise 5 percent or more of the population. They must be supported and encouraged to play their full role in both community and public life.
As the world's second largest intergovernmental organization, the Organization of the Islamic Conference is committed to cooperating with the international community to promote and consolidate global peace, stability, harmony, security, and development. As I have stressed on many occasions, the OIC is guided by the principles of moderation and modernization. The OIC's basic documents, such as its Ten Year Program of Action and its new Charter, provide a visionary road map to meet the challenges facing Islam in the twenty-first century.
Diverse cultures should complement and enhance one another. Tolerance, stability, and prosperity are nurtured only when communities and cultures communicate and respect one another. To speak out against Islamophobia is not to negate the existence of hatred against other religions, and we Muslims must extend our hand in cooperation to counter anti-Semitism, Christianophobia, and misperceptions about Western culture.
We must not be hostages to our extremists. As the entire international community is fighting radicalization and terrorism, we firmly believe that this effort must be part of an overall endeavor aimed at building a better world, based on cultural diversity, in which human dignity, human rights, and fundamental freedom are properly respected.
When Barack Obama became President of the United States, he promised a new chapter in relations between the Islamic world and the West. In his first overseas visit as President, speaking in the Turkish Parliament, he said:
“The United States is not, and will never be, at war with Islam … America's relationship with
the Muslim community, the Muslim world, cannot, and will not, just be based upon opposition to terrorism. We seek broader engagement based on mutual interest and mutual respect. We will listen carefully, we will bridge misunderstandings, and we will seek common ground. We will be respectful, even when we do not agree. We will convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over the centuries to shape the world – including in my own country.”
Although there have been many obstacles on the road to good relations, this year could provide a unique opportunity to forge a new discourse of tolerance and understanding between the peoples of the Islamic world and the West. We may have to look to the Muslim communities within Western societies to provide leadership and direction for the future. More opportunities for broad and deep encounters between Muslims and non-Muslims must be developed and sustained, at both the individual and institutional levels. In light of the potential for a new climate of political openness in Muslim-majority countries, these encounters may be more possible than ever before.
Most importantly, committed organizations and individuals must unite and mobilize to isolate the extremists — and remain united in working to develop the culture of tolerance and respect needed to ensure the full enjoyment of our rights. That is the only way forward for the Islamic world and the West — and for Islam in the West.
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu is Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. This commentary is published by Daily News Egypt in collaboration with Project Syndicate, www.project-syndicate.org.


Clic here to read the story from its source.