Introduction : THE POSSIBILITY OF A CONTEMPORARY DIALOGUE

It has become well-known amongst people nowadays, and has been a matter of quasi conviction for them, that dialogue has turned out to be a necessity from which no one can escape; If this dialogue means talking to the other - irrespective of what he is - it does not mean looking for an alternative to thrusting oneself between his outstretched arms. By this I mean an alternative to the self, since this latter is deeply rooted in an individual. It does not mean either to recoil within one’s individual entity in a fanatical closure to the outside world, as this recoiling yields in both cases nothing but dispute and conflict with oneself and then with  the other.

Given this, it becomes incumbent upon anyone who seeks dialogue to rid it, from the beginning, of all the elements of inner or outward challenge, with the aim to clear up the atmosphere and bring out opportunities for meeting with the others. If these latter exist in such an abundance that the meeting parties can each get therefrom a provision susceptible to fructification and to the opening up of future perspectives, the clearing up of the atmosphere requires the banning of all the distorting actions and hostile stands inherited through history. It also requires the banning of direct and indirect accusations which, oftentimes, are made in an indiscriminate and projective way, without forgetting - in-so-doing - the necessity to rid oneself of the desire to intervene and orient. It is through intervention and orientation that the strongest side seeks to show the extent of its superiority and controlling capability, hence seeks to impose its hegemony in the way that it deems appropriate. Yet, this is wrong, since it (i.e. the strongest side) wants the other side (i.e the weak one) to resign itself to shedding its own identity and the specificities of this latter. In this approach, we find that there is a disregard for one of the most important premises and bases for dialogue : the acceptance of each of the parties engaged in it as it is, with the aim to find meeting points within the reality of difference.

This conception of dialogue does not conflict with the spirit of the epoch, its requirements, evolution and the preference that these latter have produced toward what is called globalization. This will hold true only if this globalization is nothing but a contemporary cultural and civilizational phenomenon the advent of which must not coincide with the abandonment of what is dissimilar to it. Rather, this phenomenon (i.e. globalization) must, if it seeks globalism, open up on other phonemena and disclose the way for being cognizant of it, relate to it and enrich one’s knowledge with it. This will enable it to acquire the human hallmark, which is the linking connection between all the civilizations and cultures that man has known throughout the long stretch of history, in a spontaneity appearing to resemble that of preordained universal norms. One of the first characteristics of these norms has to do with the fact that these civilizations and cultures must be susceptible to accepting coexistence, cohabitation and be qualified to engage in dialogue and communication, no matter how strong and superior or oppressed and helpless they may be, and irrespective of the religious faiths that they may stem from or adjust to.

From the foregoing, becomes clear the importance of dialogue governed by the Islamic point of view, as it can be considered a model in the light of which it would be possible to convince people that a sound contemporary dialogue can take place. This is what the present study seeks to bring out and make crystal clear through its division into two parts :

Part one : It discusses the importance of dialogue and the basic facts for its success, starting from the presence of historical conditions and givens lying behind its advent and ending with showing the extent to which there is need for dialogue and how this latter must be.

Part two : It treats the concept of dialogue as it is mentioned in the Holy Quran, through a discussion of the terms and vocabulary items which refer to it as well as the methodology associated with it and some models of dialogue.

After these two parts comes the conclusion. It sums up the Islamic point of view concerning the subject matter, since Islam is, certainly, the religion of dialogue.

Our success depends upon Allah.

Abbas AL-JIRARI