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

Gunther Mulack, Jakarta

There is a big difference between American and European perceptions. Europe is no longer interested in power games; the world we want to see is a world of lasting peace based on justice and the rule of law. While Americans tend to see the world as divided between good and evil, friends and enemies, we in Europe see a more complex picture. We are convinced of the value of multilateral negotiations and cooperation as well as the importance of resolving conflicts by peaceful means and in accordance with the law.

Conducting a serious dialog of civilizations is important. Such a dialog can serve to rectify negative stereotyped images we may have of each other and to build the mutual trust that will help us find peaceful solutions to the many conflicts we see around the world.

Of course we must fight terrorism with the utmost vigor, but it is crucial, too, that we intensify our dialog. How we respond to this challenge will decide whether we will live in future in a world of escalating cultural and ethnic conflict or in a world in which different civilizations coexist and cooperate peacefully.

True tolerance requires that we learn to know and understand better those who are different from ourselves. We have to accept the fact that people have different traditions,religions and values In the Muslim world the religion is the most important basis for the identity. Pluralism is again an important principle for tolerance. We need to seek a common understanding of those values that will guide us through the 21st century. There are shared values and legal principles.

Nobody wants to be tortured, be he or she a Muslim or a Christian or a Buddhist or even a non-believer. To agree on a set of shared values is a very ambitious goal indeed. To achieve it, we have to start work at home, within our own societies. We have to learn and practice tolerance vis-a-vis other communities living in our midst. Real dialog is only possible if there is a solid consensus on those values and norms we share.

There must be mutual respect for the religion, culture and civilization of all participants in dialog and interaction. We do not insist that our own values and philosophy are the only way to live in peace with one another. We believe, however, there must be a readiness to listen and to discuss all points -- whether we agree with them or not -- that may be raised. Otherwise only monologues will be possible.

The dialog we seek will help us explore whether we really share the same understanding of the importance of individual liberty, freedom and other fundamental rights, including the rights of women. We must also accept in the West the search for an Islamic way into a better future.

There are shared values but also diverging ones. We cannot export democracy in the way we export Coca Cola or jeans. It is up to the different societies to develop their own ways of governance, freedom and pluralism on the basis of internationally recognized legal standards and norms.

In Europe, there are certainly Muslims who suffer from isolation and social exclusion, yet they are free to practice their faith. In some Islamic countries, however, the freedom of Christians to practice their religion is still severely limited. Tolerance should never be a one-way street, however, it must be a principle that is valid for everyone.

With whom do we exercise our dialog? Certainly with the cultural and political elites, and with civil society. These elites tend to be of a certain age (mostly 50 or 60 and above )

What is of great importance, however, is the inclusion of young people and future leaders into the dialog. 60 percent of the population of the Muslim world are under the age of 25! Who speaks for them?

We will have to focus more on, how to reach the younger generation. Cooperation with universities is definitely very important.

There is another important factor that has become clear over the past few years: This dialog can only succeed with partners who are also committed to dialog within their own societies. So clearly we for our part must do whatever we can to encourage efforts to nurture dialog and pluralism within Muslim societies.

The golden Age of Islam, of which many people dream of, was also an age of pluralism and tolerance. That was the basis for success in science, technology, economy and the world of learning. Today we witness too much emphasis on narrow interpretations of Islam and too many infightings in the world of Islam (sunni versus shi'a).

My impression from many years of living and working in the Muslim world is that young people in these countries basically have the same dreams as young people in the West. They would like to lead a life of freedom, dignity and prosperity, a life free of repression and violence.

So it is clearly in the interest of the great majority of people all over the world that we seek a dialog and better understanding with all sections of society. If we want to help overcome some of the frustrations existing especially among the young -- and which in many ways contribute to violence -- then we have to assist countries everywhere in their efforts to combat poverty, raise education and social standards and encourage their citizens to participate fully in the life of society.

It is important, too, that we in Europe should try to better understand the outlook and perceptions of people in the Islamic world. There is a strong longing for justice and a widespread feeling of having been wronged and unfairly treated by the West. How should we react to this? The way forward, is to be honest and straightforward in our dealings with the Islamic world, to give nobody any cause to accuse us of double standards.

Only if we seek dialog with our partners on equal footing and respect our cultural differences will it be possible to gradually dispel the very negative sentiments which have received an enormous boost over the past 12 months and create a new momentum of mutual trust.

Of course there are also many question-marks that remain. Is the Islamic world prepared to contribute to this joint effort? Is there a readiness to seriously discuss the tensions and contradictions that arise from a strict interpretation of the Sharia on the one hand and universal human rights as we understand them on the other?

Are our dialog partners willing to recognize that there are manifold reasons for the frustration running high across the Muslim world, which cannot be attributed either to the Middle East conflict or to Western imperialism or the historical burden of colonialism?

To sum up: The lessons to be drawn from the tragic events of Sept. 11 are manifold. The globalized world of the 21st century is facing a host of challenges and problems which can only be mastered if we reject violence and work together with a sense of common purpose. We are keen to intensify dialog and cooperation on the basis of mutual respect and tolerance and of better listening to the views of our Muslim partners and friends.

This requires also that all sides are frank, open and self- critical, that we put our relations onto a more honest footing and clearly define our respective interests. Of course there may be different ways to achieve our common goal: To live in peace with people throughout the world as well as with all communities within our own countries.

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