IEP21 Forum

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

Assuming that philosophy of ethics has not changed, and therefore definitions of virtue and vice have remained the same, it is possible to imagine the following:

In regards to the first question, it will be always that a vice action will divide the two. It just happened that the current issues which divide the two are of politico-economical nature. The battle of accumulating the dearest natural resources, such as oil, gas, gold, iron and so on, by force, or transactions based on interest!

Secondly, it is the virtuous actions that will always bring the two closer or even together. All actions of worship, such as: praying, working towards equality of race, justice, safety and so on.

Finally, it is very unfortunate that the people of both cultures, especially the Westerners, are going through the process of changing their cultural values. For instance, in the last few years the wearing fashion in the West has dramatically changed, and therefore became unsuitable for Islamic culture and its values.

Assuming that philosophy of ethics has not changed, and therefore definitions of virtue and vice have remained the same, it is possible to imagine the following:

In regards to the first question, it will be always that a vice action will divide the two. It just happened that the current issues that divide the two are of politico-economical nature. The battle of accumulating the dearest natural resources, such as oil, gas, gold, iron and so on, by force, or transactions based on interest!

Secondly, it is the virtuous actions that will always bring the two closer or even together. All actions of worship, such as: praying, working towards equality of race, justice, safety and so on.

Finally, it is very unfortunate that the people of both cultures, especially the Westerners, are going through the process of changing their cultural values. For instance, in the last few years the wearing fashion in the West has dramatically changed, and therefore became unsuitable for Islamic culture and its values.

One may conclude that if this process continues from either side it will be a question of whether there will be any cultures, for much longer?

Sejad Mekic, BA, Islamic Studies, Ph.D., Theology and Religious Studies
Imam and Khatib (Orator), Cambridge Muslim Welfare Society,
Cambridge, U. K.

The Interreligious Engagement Project (IEP21) was founded in 2002. The mission of the organization is straightforward:

to assist global religious and spiritual communities to address critical issues relating to social and economic justice, ecological sustainability, and the promotion of cultures of peace.

IEP21 works closely with local, regional, and global religious communities and organizations to discover new modes of cooperative engagement with other religions and with secular organizations and institutions. This interreligious, intercultural and inter-institutional cooperation focuses on practical approaches to the most critical problems now facing the planetary community.

Since we created IEP21 we have never sought donations from individuals, although many have given spontaneously. We’re very grateful for that, but the time has come to appeal directly to potential donors. We’re turning to you and to others who are likely to understand that IEP21’s creative and energetic interreligious work is making a difference in a troubled world. We hope you’ll think it’s worthy of support.

Our emphasis is on building networks that can nurture understanding and commit to action. Over the past two years we’ve been deeply involved in global Muslim-Western dialogue, in engaging religions and religious leaders to stop coercive intimate violence against women and children, in promoting a new model for peace and understanding among the three Abrahamic faiths in the Middle East, and in assisting local peace and justice programs in many parts of the world (e.g., in Thailand, Mexico, Africa, Israel / Palestine, and India). At the same time we publish (with Common Ground and the World Congress of Faiths) the acclaimed quarterly, Interreligious Insight: a Journal of Dialogue and Engagement.

Our Director and Staff have, since IEP21’s inception, provided their services on an unpaid volunteer basis. We would of course, like to remedy that, at least in a nominal way. In any event, in order to sustain and advance our current efforts, we need to increase our resources. Every project requires financial assistance.

For example, the publication of Interreligious Insight is not yet fully supported by subscriptions. While this is not uncommon in a four-year-old specialized journal, it is a matter of concern. We do need continuing donor support for this wonderful publication.

The goal of the current campaign is fairly modest. We’d like to raise $50,000 over the course of the next year and sustain that level over the next few years. With your help, we can do just that. We ask that you consider a generous donation. We’re grateful for any time you’re willing to spend reviewing our request.

If you have recently given to IEP21, please accept our thanks and keep us in mind for the future.

Peace,

Jim Kenney
Executive Director and Trustee (for the Board of IEP21)

Trustees
Dr. Irfan Ahmad Khan, Chair
Dr. Ronald H. Miller, Vice-Chair
Georgene Wilson, OSF, Secretary
Theodore Rojahn, Treasurer
Rev. Alan Race, Trustee (UK)
Rabbi Herbert Bronstein, Trustee
Dr. Ahmad Sadri, Trustee
Cetta Kenney, Trustee, Office Director

Nothing divides Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Some circumstances can incite cultural division between some people of these faiths. These include economic inequality, isolation and insulation, visible differences in physical characteristics and dress. Extremists can also encourage attitudes that intentionally divide cultures. Governments have laws, such as immigration barriers and trade issues that may also promote retaliation and divisions. Dependence of the West on OPEC and awareness of much of Islamic world on the economic and military dominance of the U.S. may also promote cultural division. Extremist rhetoric from government and religious leaders feed the fire.

What brings them together is their humanity. Among their common goals are love of family, possibility for a spiritual or religious content in their lives, basic economic well being, and awareness that the other culture has these goals and achieving them benefits all.

Bert Winograd
Lincolnshire, IL USA

My response on the issues that divide Muslim cultures and Western cultures, thus: the deep-seated epistemological cum psychological attitude that each culture has adopted. On the hand, the West’s hegemonic attitude towards Mulims, perceiving Muslims as their inferiors not as their equals with whom they ought to share this planet. Factors that prompted or triggered to this kind of perception are many, among others: Muslims are considered as non-cooperative or anti western democfacy, transgressor of human rights, fundamentalists, extremists, and many other streotypes that you could name them. On the other hand, the Muslim’s perception of the West contribute the widening of the chasms; among others : the West’s secular- materialist, hedonistic super power, under the guise of globalization, or “global ethic” trying to impose the west’s values on the Muslim ummah. The West’s double standard attitude and actions , through their economic and military aid in supporting Israel, at the same tme undermining the rights of the Palestinians are among others. Muslims feel that their rights to practise their own religion in a comprehensive mannaer (the implementation of Sharia) are continuosly threatened by the West.

As to the issues that can unite both cultures are also attitudinal in nature. Attitude can only be corrected through knowledge. The West must be made to understand to respect and appreciate the Msulim’s faith, their needs, their aspirations as well as their anger and apprehensions. Thus, a serious and committed West-Muslim Culture Centre need to be set up to promote and realize this idea. The details need be worked out. As to having series of seminars, conventions and dialogues involving the proponents of the two cultures could still be relevant, but it must selective and well planned in terms of venues, time and participants. So also in the realms of spirituality cum economic and social projects involving the two cultures could also be of help at the communal level. But the bigger challenge remains- coming from the hands of their political leaders and business leaders of the West. A serious effort should be afforded to change their attitude and perception as mentioned in the above.

Dr. Ghazali Basri
Academy for Civilisational Studies
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

1. Divisive current issues affecting Muslims and the West
(i) Perception of denial of justice to Muslim peoples by governments in the West, led by the United State of America, epitomized by the long suffering of the Muslim Palestinians is the most divisive issue causing conflict between them.

(ii) The other divisive issue is the Western attitude towards Islam in general and Mohammad, the Prophet, in particular–exemplified by the Western liberal defence of Rushdie’s Satanic Verses, the publication of commissioned cartoons of the Prophet, and now Pope Benedict XVI approvingly quoting hate-speech against Islam of the period of the old Crusade characterizing it as “evil and inhuman”.

(iii) Muslim lack of modernization and their bigotry and fanaticism–expressed in their attitude to women and lack of tolerance of dissent, is also a source of divergence of the two cultural mainstreams.

2. Shared Values holding the possibility of uniting Muslims and the peoples in the West
(i) Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms faith in equality of all human beings in dignity and rights. Being endowed with reason and conscience, humans are required to develop fraternal feelings towards one another. Common struggle to promote the values of freedom, equality and fraternity, and concern for all-embracing value of justice hold the potential to unite Muslims and the peoples in the West.

(ii) Muslims and peoples in the West affirm faith in an Almighty — All Merciful and Caring and Loving God/ Allah, to whom all humans are individually accountable, which constitutes core of the common Abrahamic Tradition. Accommodating seemingly divergent traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam–within the Great Tradition of “One God, One Mankind” can be a great source of unity between the Muslims and the West.

Dr. Iqbal A. Ansari,
Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs
Aligarh, India

In a complex world of the 21st century, it is a difficult task to deal with only two cohesive values and two divisive values (vices) which unite and which divide the Muslim cultures and the Western cultures.

Cohesive Values:
On the question of common values, the dialogue between Muslim cultures and Western cultures should begin with the common human heritage. The father of the human race is Adam and this TRUTH should submerge all divisive issues (religious, social, cultural, economic and political) among people of diverse cultures and lead to the Unity of Mankind, i.e. the Unity of the Creator.

Divisive Values (Vices):
Religious Intolerance in the West and the War on Islam: War on terrorism is a war on Islam. Islam has been officially declared to be the religion of the terrorists from the highest political office to the ordinary level in the West. The media, both print and electronic, launches deliberate hate campaigns against Islam. Islam has been equated to fascism, the Holy Prophet has been ridiculed in the most obscene languages, and by means of caricature and cartoons, which is an act of sacrilege in Islam, the Holy Qur’an has been desecrated, masajid (Muslim houses of worship) have been destroyed, vandalized, clerics have been imprisoned for their religious sermons on grounds of inciting Islamic fascism, Islamic schools (madrasahs) have been either closed or restricted in their religious teachings, Muslim charity funds have been confiscated on allegations of money being transferred to terrorists, freedom to perform Hajj in Saudi Arabia restricted by various visa stipulations and the abuse of privacy of every pilgrim (Haji), whose photograph along with other identifications appear on the Hajj web page without the permission or knowledge of the pilgrim. Above all, in this war on Islam, the freedom of thought and freedom of movement of Muslims worldwide have been curtailed. Religious bigotry and hate campaigns against Islam initiated by Western heads of states and government and even by the head of the catholic Church have led to some unfortunate destruction of churches in some Muslim countries.

Professor Sultana Afroz
Department of History, University of the West Indies,
Kingston, Jamaica

Read the rest of this entry »

Divisive:
Unresolved issues arising out of historic and contemporary Western Government intervention in the Middle East are arguably the most divisive current issue affecting Muslim cultures and Western cultures. Particularly so when Western Governments use violence as an approach to peace and conflict, and where Western Government negotiation positions are perceived in Muslim communities as being biased or unduly one-sided, and reflecting double standards.

More specifically, within Western cultures the above issues also apply, as well as more local factors associated with integration into the local cultural situation.

Cohesive:
Muslim cultures and Western cultures have the potential to come together around themes and values such as respecting non-violent approaches to peace and conflict, in valuing service, family life, and greater community integration and cohesion.

The imperative of working with non-violent approaches to peace and conflict is a key critical issue on which Muslim cultures and Western cultures can achieve significant cross-cultural convergence. This convergence is likely at a grassroots level, though it seems likely that Western Governments will continue to use violent approaches to peace and conflict.

Neill Walker,
Edinburgh, Scotland.
Edinburgh International Centre for World Spiritualities, EICWS.

1. MOST DIVISIVE ISSUE
I believe that the issue or reality that most affects Muslim and Western cultures in a negative way is much more economic/political than it is cultural or religious. This has to do with the tremendous disparity in political power and economic opportunities between the “West” and so many Muslim nations.

2. MOST UNITIVE ISSUE
In a sense, the negative political-economic realities provide the occasion for unitive cooperation. Both Islamic cultures, with their commitment to Q’uranic values, and Western cultures, with their religious roots in Judaism and Christianity, affirm and are claimed by a God of justice — a God who calls all peoples and all religions to work together for the economic well-being and political freedom of all God’s children.

Paul Knitter
Paul Tillich Chair of Theology, World Religions, and Culture
Union Theological Seminary
New York

(1) What do you identify as the most divisive current issues affecting Muslim cultures and Western cultures?

In my eyes there are no real issues that divide the Muslim cultures and Western cultures. On nearly any given issue we can people from both groups that would agree and we can find people in each group that would strongly disagree. The REAL differences are not dramatic and do not go beyond what our quest for diversity can contain.

The main problems and dramatic issues are all related to the lack of genuine dialogue, and the following lack of deep mutual knowledge, between the two groups. These lead to constructing prejudices and bad stereotypes (for example: portraying Musims as terrorists or Westerners and infidels) followed by fear and even hatred.

(2) What are the issues on which Muslim and Western cultures tend to come together?

When people from Muslim and Western cultures come together for real, deep and sincere dialogue they find out that they have many many shared values. To just list a few: quest for the Divine, respect for humans, preference of peace and turning to war only as a last resort, soical values (care for the poor and needy, respect for elders, family values etc), ethics (honesty, respect for other people’s lives and property etc) etc.

Dr. Yehuda Stolov
Jerusalem, Israel
Interfaith Encounter Association
www.interfaith-encounter.org