Closer Europe-Islamic world relations urged
Closer Europe-Islamic world relations urged
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
called yesterday for closer cooperation and understanding between
Europe and the Moslem world to improve relations.
"This is a subject of great importance to Islam and the
Moslems, for the European perception of Islam and its followers
will always have repercussions in the Moslem world," he said at a
Malaysia-European Union joint seminar on Islam.
The 72-year-old leader said Europe's perception of the Islamic
world has not changed much since the religion first became known
to them.
"For a very long time, they actually refused to believe that
Islam was a monotheistic religion like Christianity. They called
them 'Muhammadans' and regard the Moslems as the worshipers of
Muhammad along with two other Greek gods," he said.
Moslems, on the other hand, have not made any headway in
Europe, he said, adding that if at all, their relations with the
Europeans were worse than before.
"After the end of the Cold War, confrontation between Europe
and the rest of the world seemed to be confined to Moslems and
Moslem countries."
Mahathir said if the Europeans could learn to accept the Jews
and Judaism, it was also possible for them to tolerate Islam and
Moslems.
"Do we need a holocaust to trigger this change? Isn't the
massacre of 200,000 Bosnian Moslems not enough?" he asked.
"But the Moslems have to look at themselves also, their
contribution to the European distrust and dislike of Islam and
Moslems. They are not blameless."
Mahathir said there was a need for both the Europeans and the
Moslems to improve their perceptions of each other in order to
improve their relations.
Michel Caillouet, Bangkok-based ambassador and head of the EU
delegation said the union was moving to close gaps with the
Moslem world.
"The feelings are changing. In the European Union, there are
15 countries with a 11 million Moslem population ... we have to
promote dialogues and mutual understanding," he told AFP.