Part 1 of 2: Germany within Europe's dialog with Islamic world

Part 1 of 2: Germany within Europe's dialog with Islamic world

Gunther Mulack, Jakarta

Germany and the Islamic world have traditionally good
relations, from which both have richly benefited. Germany had
scientific and economic interests and sent traders,
explorers,archeologists and scientists but not soldiers. We never
were a colonial power in the Muslim world. German Orientalists
have greatly contributed to the history of Islam, Arab language
research and philology, literature, science, archeology and many
other academic fields. This is history, but we are still very
active in most of these fields.

The task facing us now, in this globalized world of the 21st
century, is to explore how we can go forward together, how we can
harness our efforts so as to tackle effectively the challenges
that lie ahead. We must ask what can be done to expand our
relations and seek solutions to its problems. The answer is
obvious: We need to intensify not only our dialog but also
effective cooperation on all levels including civil society.

We must definitely do more to fight islamophobia and try to
spread correct knowledge about eachother and the faith and
culture of Islam.

The events of Sept. 11, 2001 and the continuing acts of
terrorism sent shock waves reverberating around the whole world.
The ongoing violence in Iraq with all its negative repercussions
will make the task not easier but even more important.

The many terroristic attacks, often in the name of Islam or
jihad against Westerners after Sept. 11 have deeply shocked
people in Europe and created a new threat perception. Islam is
once again being seen by many people as a threat to the West or
more precisely Western societies and their values. In the Islamic
World American policies are being seen as a revival of the
crusade and imperialism. The violence in Palestine and in Iraq
are being felt as an attack on the Muslim Ummah.

People everywhere, including the overwhelming majority of
Muslims, were revolted by the callous waste of so many lives.
Those tragic events were a grim reminder that terrorism and
extremist violence are a very real threat, to which we must
respond with all appropriate means and the utmost determination.
The fight against international terrorism -- as represented by
al-Qaeda and other movements -- is far from over and likely
indeed to continue for many years.

It was for us German that the terrorists responsible for the
Sept. 11 attacks had planned them while living in our country as
apparently normal students. Many people are now asking, as
Bernard Lewis has put it, what went wrong? We are still looking
for the answers, we are still trying to grasp the underlying
reasons for such developments. The search for the root causes
which led to such extremist violence is continuing -- among
specialists as well as in the general public.

In December 2004 in Berlin for the first time a German Muslim
Academy was inaugurated which should be an excellent platform for
serious debates and discussions. It is now almost three years
since the establishment in the German Foreign Office, of a Task
Force for the Dialogue with the Islamic World. The key priority
for all of us is to develop dialog and cooperation with the
Islamic world and to learn more about the root causes for
frustration, radicalism, violence and ultimately terrorism. The
gap of understanding is growing and mutual trust is diminishing.

We have to do more to bridge the growing gap between the West
and the Islamic world. We have to analyze the root causes of the
growing hatred, violence and animosity between civilizations
across the world. Why is it that radical fundamentalist or
Islamist groups are finding ever more adherents especially among
the frustrated youth of the Islamic world? Why is it that the
values of the Western world have become tarnished in the eyes of
many Muslims?

It goes without saying that fundamentalism is a phenomenon not
specific to the Islamic world. Historically it has it's roots in
American protestantism where it is still flourishing,and it is
not fundamentalism we are objecting but only its radical or
extremists political escalation.

And also we have to see that the radicalization of politics
has been caused by the monopolistic control of the political
process and the suppression of any opposition in most Muslim
countries, at least in the Arab world. Social injustice and weak
economic performance, high corruption also play a negative role.
But also the influence of a perceived injustice in international
relations against Muslims is a further negative factor.

There is no doubt that in the Islamic world especially people
are deeply troubled by the ongoing violence in the Palestinian
territories, in Iraq and in Afghanistan. The many civilian
casualties of the war in Afghanistan against the Taliban and al-
Qaeda as well as the ongoing daily killings in Iraq have caused a
further rift between the West and the Islamic world. Both sides
feel threatened and victimized. The impact of pictures send to
all homes around the world through satellite television is
tremendous.

In the media negative images abound. The point is not whether
the impressions created by the coverage of CNN or Arab satellite
TV channels are correct, but that these impressions shape the
outlook and perceptions of millions -- even hundreds of millions
-- of Muslims around the world. For many Muslims, perhaps for a
majority in fact, the conflict between Israel and the
Palestinians and U.S. occupation of Iraq are seen as proof that
there is indeed a "clash of civilizations" between Islam and the
West. That is something, however, which from the European point
of view must be avoided. Yes, we are facing a clash of politics.
But not yet of civilizations.

The impression that the West applies double standards has
deeply embittered and disappointed many Arabs as well as Muslims
around the world. They ask whether human rights, for example, are
something only people in the West are entitled to; they ask
whether the West invokes human rights merely as a means to put
pressure on other nations, not to better people's lives.

The events in Iraq, the horrible pictures from Abu Ghraib
prison have deeply undermined trust which is, however, essential
for successful dialog. Without trust there can be no sincere
dialog.

Our response and active reaction must be to create trust by
listening more carefully to our partners taking their points
serious and intensifying the contacts among civilizations at all
levels. And we have to call existing problems by their names. We
do not want to impose our view of the world and our philosophy on
our partners.

The writer is the Commissioner of the German Government for
the Dialogue with the Islamic World.