IEP21 Forum

INTER-CIVILIZATION YOUTH ENGAGEMENT

The Interreligious Engagement Project (IEP21) is pleased to endorse and to participate in this exciting project: an international youth camp, to be held June 17-24 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The purpose of the gathering is to promote civilizational coexistence.

For more information about the youth camp, contact Abdullah Ahsan , project organizer.

For information about arranging the participation of youth (between 20 and 25 years of age) from North America or Europe, contact Jim Kenney , IEP21 Executive Director.

Introduction

Bewildering, frightening, hopeless–these are some of the expressions used by sensitive and caring people across the globe describing the world today. Youths in particular are caught up in an atmosphere of despair, when hope, aspiration and enthusiasm should be their driving force. More than any other age group, the future and the responsibilities ahead, belong to youths. It is their privilege to envision their life and roles with the promise of a better future, one rooted in justice and motivated by compassion, and to live with a spirit of togetherness and cherished co-existence with one and all, with the human family as well as the non-human family.

To prepare themselves for such a noble co-existence, they need to reach out and learn from one another. It will be significant and effective if they experience a real life situation of meaningful global exchange with various religious and cultural communities. The Inter-Civilization Youth Engagement program gives youths this opportunity. The program opens avenues for youths to know each other directly, to engage with one another on a person-to person basis, and help youths envision and map out concerted and concrete start-off points, and to continue and sustain the engagement through various global network apparatus. This allows the envisioned peaceful and meaningful future of co-existence, a chance to materialize.

Sometime ago two Chicago, USA, NGOs — Interreligious Engagement Project: A Network for the 21st Century (EP21) and World Council of Muslims for Interfaith Relations (WCMIR), approached JUST to explore the possibility of holding a conference to discuss civilizational relations. When we met to discuss, it occurred to us that instead of having academic discussions on the issue, it would be more useful to involve youth with workshops so input can be gathered from participants. We also believe that close interaction between experienced professors and the youth may lead to innovative ways to address these issues. Meanwhile Malaysia based ABIM expressed interest in joining the project. It is in this context that we are proposing to hold an international youth camp in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in June 2007.

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“Islamophobia” - intensified by the War in Iraq has left millions of Muslims in the US and in other Western countries fearful of harassment, discrimination and questionable prosecutions, and confused about their place in society. What is rapdidly emerging is “A Clash of Cultures”, Islam vs The West!

Bawa Jain
Secretary General
World Council of Religious Leaders

Background

In July 2005 The United Nations Secretary General H.E. Kofi Annan launched The Alliance of Civilizations under the Sponsorship of Spain and Turkey and convened a High Level Group (HLG) that was “intended to respond to the need for a committed effort by the international community — both at the institutional and civil society levels — to bridge divides and overcome prejudice, misconceptions and polarization”.

At the opening of the second meeting, hosted by Their Highness’s Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa and Sheikh Ahmad ibn Ali al-Thani, The Emirs of the State of Qatar and welcomed by His Highness Abdallah al-Thani, Prime Minister of Qatar, the Secretary General of the United Nations stated, “The passions aroused by the recent publication of insulting cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, and the reaction to it, show only too clearly that such threats are real, and that the need for a committed effort by the international community is acute”.

Co-Chaired by Mr. Federico Mayor and Prof. Mehmet Aydin, the Alliance of Civilizations, in its mandate seeks:

* “To foster awareness in all societies that security is indivisible and is a vital need for all, and that global cooperation is an indispensable prerequisite for security, stability and development.”

* “To cultivate cooperation among current initiatives aimed at enabling those in the mainstream majority — who are overwhelmingly moderate and reject the views of extremists — to set the agenda.”

* “To establish partnerships that will help diverse societies to better understand their differences while emphasizing and acting on their commonalities.”

At the conclusion of the second meeting in Qatar, The Alliance of Civilizations sought, among others, to cooperate with and support similar initiatives aimed at addressing some of the greatest threats to Peace, Security, and Stability.

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Those who are committed to a broad global dialogue of civilizations understand the vital importance local and regional initiatives.

The Hosts of this Forum wish all our participants to familiarize themselves with the vital and hopeful work of the Interfaith Dialogue Association.

Their Vision:
The Interfaith Encounter Association is dedicated to promoting peace in the Middle East through interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural study. We believe that, rather than being a cause of the problem, religion can and should be a source of the solution for conflicts that exist in the region and beyond.

To visit IEA’s web site: Click here.

Posted from the Tikkun Community Newsletter

From: Tikkun Email: magazine@tikkun.org
Friday, December 15

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, Most Merciful

True Muslims Must Never Deny the European Holocaust

By Ibrahim Ramey

History will recall the tragedy of the genocide that slaughtered some six million European Jews between the rise of Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party in 1933 and the culmination of the Second World War in Europe in May, 1945.

The evidence of this crime, and the horrible magnitude of this killing, is irrefutable. From sources as varied as Nazi war records, film documentation, and most importantly, the testimony of survivors and witnesses, we know that the mass murder of European Jews was, indeed, the single greatest crime of genocide in the twentieth century.

Yet the world now witnesses yet another wave of historical revisionism and Holocaust denial, this time emerging not from European Anti-Semites, but from none other than the President of Iran. Indeed, this head of state has taken the unprecedented act of hosting an international conference of anti-Semites, Holocaust deniers, and even white racists like former Klan leader David Duke, to gather in Tehran to deny the magnitude, if not the very existence, of this barbaric act.

As a Muslim of African decent in the United States, whose ancestors were victimized by the enormous crime of slavery, I object. And I believe that all Muslims, like other human beings who value compassion and truth, must vigorously object to this gathering as well.

Like many in the global Muslim community, I regard the occupation of Palestinian land and the policies of the State of Israel as issues of extreme importance. I am certainly among those who believe that the occupation of Palestinian territory and the denial of full human rights to Palestinians, and even to Arab people regarded as Israeli citizens, is deplorable.

But I find it to be morally unconscionable to attempt to build political arguments and political movements on a platform of racial hatred and the denial of the suffering of the human beings who were victimized by the viciousness of Hitler’s genocidal rampage through Europe.

President Ahmedinejad should recognize that the issue of the Palestinian people must not, and cannot, be transmogrified into the ugly and spiritually bankrupt context of racial hatred. The cause of freedom must never drink from the well of hatred and racism.

And indeed, as the Holy Qur’an compels Muslims to demand justice for the oppressed, we are also called to witness against ourselves when we are in error.

And in this case, the President of Iran most certainly is.

********************************
Ibrahim Raney is the Director of the Human and Civil Rights Division of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation.

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To visit the Tikkun web site (www.tikkun.org): Click here

Email: community@tikkun.org

To me, a great issue that divides the world is the illusion that the only victory is the conquest of the other party. The egotism that infects each new generation of young men: that they should go for death and glory. Freud is not popular today, but his vision of the eternal struggle of EROS and THANATOS seems “right on” as I look at the “death embrace” of Israel and Palestine.

Sam Harris in The End of Faith has a point when he says that faith in individual life after death often breeds war and destruction in this life. Most Muslims and Christian Fundamentalists preach the certainty of individual life hereafter. Even looking forward to a Divine Return in which they will be saved and others be damned. Thus many justify looting this planet because we are not going to be here very long.

Many Christians don’t consider it hatred, as they tell Moslems and atheists, “You are going to hell because you don’t believe as I do.” A BAD beginning
for loving religious dialogue.

“It’s about oil, It’s about greed.” That’s the chant on the war in Iraq I heard chanted in California. It reminded me of a lesson I was taught in college. If you cannot understand what is going on, look for the economic motive. … There are those who love war because they make a profit. Around the world,
in Western, Muslim, African, Hindu, Buddhist, we find greed and the lust for power breeding a culture of death. Ads in the USA say,
WE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS IN IRAQ …
PAID FOR BY THE MEN AND WOMEN OF LOCKHEED.
Look at the ad knowing, Lockheed is one of the 3 biggest defence contractors.

Yes, we need defence: but war should be a last resort! Yes, I support 20-year-olds who are following orders. But I cannot support a President who will not take recent committee advice that says, “GET OUT.”

Is there hope for the future? Yes, there is hope when leaders admit they were wrong. Yes, there is hope when Bill Gates and Warren Buffet give billions to the healing of the world. There is hope in democratic victory.

“I have a dream …” that we can stop talking of Moslem and Western Culture and start talking of ONE PLANET: That we can start living on this earth as one people: That we can celebrate the diversity of cultures as we celebrate the diversity of flowers. That Universal Compassion be taught by Imams, Preachers, Priests, Swamis, and Buddhist Masters. That all teachers be daily aware in prayer that the HOLY is greater than any one religion: that all religions are manifestations of a UNIVERSAL POWER that is not fully captured in any CREED or BOOK.

In awareness of the greater HOLY, the greater HOPE, may we build trust with one another. May trust, hope and compassion flow through our lives to transform our WORLD.

Richard Boeke
World Congress of Faiths

1) The West perceives Arab governments as being indifferent to the attacks by Muslim radicals on Western societies. Indeed in some Arab countries, like Pakistan, Madrassas play a major role in the education of the young, and they teach hostility to Western societies. Meanwhile, Arabs perceive the world powers of the West to have attacked two Arab countries with the most destructive of military weaponry, asserting democratic objectives. Arabs could not understand that America would invade another country, Iraq; they believed that this was contrary to American democratic values.

The Arab culture of patriarchy is antithetical to Western values, and in fact to the values of many Arab women. Wife-beating is common and is even material for daytime television serials. Honor killings are illegal and punishable under the law, but the culture still allows them. Meanwhile, the sexual exploitation of women for commercial purposes in the West is offensive to Muslims.

Education in Jordan provides an example of the dominance by men over curricula and teaching methods. While teaching is considered an appropriate occupation for women, courses and classes are not pitched to the needs of girls and women.

2) Muslims are generous, friendly and out-going. They show hospitality to visitors from the West.

Both cultures respect religion, and the West is encouraged to remember the protection afforded Jews and Christians as “people of the book” in the centuries of Muslim dominance of the Mediterranean world.

There could be cross-cultural convergence in the simple recognition that war helps no one and all parties can find agreement in the desire to bring stability and peace to the people of the Middle East.

Betsy Warren, Northbrook, Illinois, USA.
Participant in Common Ground (adult interfaith and intercultural study center)

Note from the Host:
The following letter was submitted by Professor Abdullah Ahsan of the International Movement for a Just World, one of the co-sponsors of the Dialogue of Civilizations project. We welcome responses. Email: iep21@seachanges.net

The November 7, 2006 mid-term election verdict in the United States is a welcome development. Foreign policy issues, particularly the war in Iraq, have dominated the mind of the electorate and the international response has already demonstrated that this will help improve America’s global image.

The election results are more of disapproval of Bush Administration’s so-called war on terror and pre-emptive actions in Iraq and Afghanistan than approval of the Democratic Party’s position on those issues. In this connection what comes to mind is the contribution of civil society groups such as GoldStarFamiliesforPeace.org, Antiwar.com, BringThemHomeNow.org and particularly individuals such as activist Cindy Sheehan and academicians such as Howard Zinn and Noam Chomsky and many others.

To be realistic, however, one must note that this election will not bring any fundamental change in US foreign policy. The “Love-for-Israel” foreign policy of the US administration is going to continue at least for a while. But again, one good sign is that increasingly more and more apprehensive Americans are now voicing their concerns about the influence of Israeli lobby groups in Washington. Public response to the recent Mearsheimer-Walt paper on the subject is evidence of this concern. One also becomes optimistic when one observes the response to Ehud Olmert’s post-election public praise for the war in Iraq. Commenting on Olmert’s meeting with President Bush, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz (November 14) said, “Politicians from the Democratic Party said that they wanted to speak to Olmert about his comments on Iraq before responding publicly, but expressed disapproval over the remarks.” We are not sure what the Democrats conveyed to Olmert but a public statement of their disapproval of Israeli interference in American politics is a positive sign.

The main disturbing aspect in Israeli-US relationship is the increasing role of Evangelicals. David Kirkpatrick has rightly pointed in his article in The New York Times of November 14 that, “For Evangelicals, Supporting Israel is ‘God’s Foreign Policy’.” He adds, “Many conservative Christians say they believe that the president’s support for Israel fulfills a biblical injunction to protect the Jewish state.” Here one should highlight the fact that when President Truman signed the document to recognize the “state of Israel” in 1948 he scratched the term “the Jewish state” and wrote by hand “the state of Israel”. Also, one should recall that the founding fathers of the United States of America categorically rejected the role of religion in politics because of similar use of religious myths in politics in medieval times. Rational minds of the 21st century must be able to distinguish between noble religious teachings on human dignity and the use of religious myths for political purposes. The faster the people of the United States differentiate “religion” from the “exploitation of religion”, the better it will be not only for the people of the US, but also for the rest of the world.

Professor Abdullah Al-Ahsan
Committee Member
International Movement for a Just World
Malaysia

Note from the Hosts: We received this essay from Dr. Chandra Muzaffar, President of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST), one of the co-sponsoring organizations for the Global Dialogue of Civilizations. We welcome your replies. (Email: iep21@seachanges.net)

23 November 2006 was the bloodiest day in Iraq since the invasion and occupation of that land in March 2003. 202 people were killed in a Shiite stronghold, allegedly by Sunni suicide bombers. The Shiites who are the majority retaliated almost immediately by massacring at least 18 Sunnis.

This tit for tat Sunni- Shiite violence has been going on for some time now. It took a turn for the worse with the bombing of a sacred Shiite shrine in Samarra on 22 February 2006. Sectarian violence has become so bad that many fear that Iraq may well be on the verge of an all-out civil war.

What is the primary cause of this violence? Is it rooted in Sunni-Shiite doctrinal differences that go back to the early decades of Islam? Or, is it the consequence of more recent political developments in Iraq?

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Note from the Hosts: We received this essay by Ram Punyani, General Secretary of the All-India Secular Forum. We welcome responses. (Email to iep21@seachanges.net.)

During the last two decades World has seen the rise of politics based on religious identity. Particularly after the 9/11 2001 WTC disaster there is a widespread feeling that Samuel Huntington?s thesis, that after the end of cold war the current time is the one of Clash of Civilizations, is true. One has witnessed many a controversies where religion has been dragged into the murky world of politics. Osama bin Laden talked of Jihad and George Bush responded to the WTC attack by uttering that it is going to be Crusade for him. He and his associate Blair both gave divine reasons for attack on Iraq. Multitude of controversies veered around Danish cartoons, Pope?s statement about Islam, the banning of burqa in some Western countries, the rise of acts of terror in the name of Islam with the epithet coming that all terrorists are Muslims, has become popular in the social thinking at broad layers. Superficially it is projected as if it is the clash between the Islamic culture and the Western civilization. Here in India also attempts were made and are underway to project Islam as a religion of violence and Muslims being fanatics out to stick to the medieval social norms. The overall impact of the events and acceptance of this Clash thesis by Huntington has worsened the problem and is widening the intercommunity rifts.

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