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Continuum
of civilisations
Not clash but cooperation:
Mohsen Zahran* pleads for new horizons
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Recently,
the University of Chicago's sociology department has
published an important report pointing out that religious
fundamentalism, extremist movements and groups engaged
in anti- social or anti-cultural violence became especially
active during the latter years of the 20th century and
at the beginning of the third millennium, in Asia, Europe,
Africa, and the Americas. These radical religious movements
are reported to be Jewish, Christian, Islamic, or other.
This
study thus dismantles any allegation of the clash of
Western and Islamic civilisation. The factors in favour
of such a clash were based on confusion and illusion.
They are baseless and incorrect.
On
one hand, Islamic civilisation, which represents many
countries with no relation to colour, boundaries, or
languages, whether in Asia, Africa, or elsewhere across
the globe, shows almost the same socio-economic problems.
On the other, since the communist bloc was dissolved
and the iron curtain demolished, the entire world has
joined the one essential force of the domination of
the developed countries, represented by America. The
crimes committed, violence induced, terrorism inflicted,
blazing upon the fabric of many countries, have recognised
no borders of time, place or culture.
In
contrast to this report, many articles have been published
recently on the theme of Samuel Huntington's 1993 article
on the clash of civilisations, published in Foreign
Affairs. Huntington's and Francis Fukuyama's views,
together with similar articles in the international
media, are certainly baseless. Allegations of the clash
of civilisation have become lame and impotent.
After
the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US became the
sole world power influencing world affairs. Capitalising
on the statements and actions of radical fundamentalist
Islamic governments, especially in Iran and Afghanistan,
as well as the killing of innocent victims by Islamic
fundamentalist operations in various Middle Eastern,
African and Asian countries, Western strategists invented
a new enemy to fill the vacuum left by the disappearance
of the Soviet adversary. At one point, even some Western
circles referred to old scars, animosity and hatred
forgotten since the Crusades. Islamic civilisation,
culture and countries thus became the new enemy.
Forgetting
the lessons of history, the true nature of Islam, Islamic
culture, and Islamic values, which preach peace, love,
mercy, tolerance, equality, charity, high morality,
human rights and justice, the advocates of the clash
of civilisations forgot that Islam, like all other religions,
emphasises individuality, personal accountability, social
order and basic goodness. Thus, respect for other religions
has been a basic teaching of Islam, which recognises
variety and respect of differences and opposes subjection
or imposed conversion. Freedom of individual choice,
humanitarianism and accountability for one's deeds and
actions: these are emphasised and manifested even in
Islamic cities and architecture, the true mirror of
Islamic culture. The built environments of Islamic civilisations
differ distinctively in Andalusia, Spain and north Africa
from those of Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan,
Malaysia or Indonesia, thus expressing their local environments,
heritage, resources, cultures, arts, and capabilities.
The
influence of Islamic civilisation on Europe and the
West, has been both varied and vast. The transfer of
knowledge by the Arab scholars of Baghdad or Andalusia
to Europe during the Middle Ages is well established.
The Silk Road, which channelled East-West trade, was
also an avenue of cultural exchange. The knowledge and
contributions of scholars that radiated from the ancient
library of Alexandria were transferred by Muslim scholars
to the West, where it served as the basis of today's
knowledge.
Consequently,
there has never been a "clash" or conflict
of civilisation, but rather interaction; a continuum
of human civilisations throughout history. Each society,
culture and civilisation has its own distinctive nature,
impact, and contribution to human society, progress
and the universal continuity of humanity. It must be
clear to all that Islamic religion and culture have
nothing to do with terrorism, violence, intolerance,
poverty, underdevelopment, injustice or lack of democracy.
Even
those who professed the need for new dialogues or debates
among civilisations also forgot that debate has been
taking place through many international and regional
organisations, forums, institutions, in addition to
the media. Recently, Pope John initiated a meeting of
representatives of different religions to emphasise
the need for greater understanding, tolerance, peace
and collaboration among world faiths. Furthermore, George
Cary, head of the Anglican Church, and Grand Sheikh
Tantawi of Al-Azhar, signed a protocol for promoting
greater dialogue between their religious institutions.
Thus,
the issue here is not, as some claim, the lack of debate
between cultures, since many government and non- governmental
organisations and institutions concerned with this issue
have been involved in creating and establishing such
debates and maintaining open communication. The 6.5
billion people who make up the UN Charter countries
represent many channels for intensifying cooperation
and creating highways to bring all countries into the
new globalisation.
The
challenge is not to start debates or dialogues, but
to make existing institutions more effective, more productive
and engaging, by creating new avenues of cooperation
and communication. We do not need more debates; rather,
we must promote the goals, substance and results in
order to reduce grievances, alleviate suffering, eradicate
injustice, salvage human diversity and eliminate despair.
Recent
history contains many examples of partnership, regardless
of the partners' diversity and differences. Of these,
two major channels or avenues can be explored: the Intangible
Avenue (essentially cultural, social, scientific and
intellectual); and the Tangible Avenue, basically technical
and operational.
The
first aims at creating and reinforcing systems and frameworks
for dialogue and partnership among civilisations that
share cultural or environmental roots. An obvious example
of a region of common heritage and potentials is the
Mediterranean basin. By capitalising on the Barcelona
Forum and the European Union experiment, many programmes
aiming at new horizons of collaboration can be conceived.
Similar examples abound in the African and Arab worlds.
Frameworks and foundations capable of ensuring greater
cooperation and partnership are necessary, as are attainable,
pragmatic goals, to maximise complementarities and synchronised
integration according to a short-, medium- and long-range
plans of action.
The
second avenue, concerned with institutional, material
and implementation aspects, is directly dependent on
the pursuit of the first. The new Alexandria Library
will initiate, promote and support momentum along this
avenue and the fulfilment of this goal. It will become
a window onto the world for Egypt and onto Egypt for
the world, thus linking North and South, West and East,
as Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, chairperson of the Library's
board of trustees, has emphasised. Here is a great potential
and magnificent framework for the manifestation of the
continuum of civilisation, as demonstrated in the ancient
library.
Circles
of cooperation can extend to link other neighbouring
regions in the Middle East, the Arab world, Africa,
and beyond. These regional alliances and partnerships
can create a multi- polar galaxy, with prominent nodes
of radiance and great influence, in the service of all
toward a better future of mankind everywhere.
Nearly
50 per cent of world civilisations are made up of young
people. We owe them the promise of a brighter future,
given the great technological revolution, spreading
globalisation, and breakthroughs in information and
communication technology and outer space discoveries
in the third millennium.
What
is essential is greater understanding, conviction and
a common will to act effectively and quickly, conquer
backwardness, eliminate socio- economic injustices and
promote avenues of trust, and collaboration. Thus can
we generate hope, and map out new frontiers for the
realisation of the grand goal of the continuum of civilisation.
The
challenges are surmountable, the difficulties are numerous
but not insuperable, the resources are available, and
the horizons of hope and progress are both vast and
promising.
*
The writer is emeritus professor of urban studies at
Alexandria University.
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