Contents

Some Contributary Factors in the Enforcing

of Mechanisms for Dialogue among Cultures,

as a Way to Move from Dialogue

to Interaction

Dr. Mahmoud Assayyed(*)

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;

Excellencies,

Honourable scholars and researchers,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Assalamu alaikum warahmatu Allah wabarakatuh,

First of all, I should like to thank the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization -ISESCO-, in the person of its highly qualified Director General, His Excellency Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, for its kind invitation to attend the workings of this international symposium.

Sincere thanks are also due to His Excellency the President, Government and people of the Tunisian Republic, as well as to Dr. Mohamed al Aziz Ben Achour, Minister of Culture and Heritage Preservation, for hosting this symposium, which bespeaks of the deeply-rooted tradition and civilization of Tunisia.

Allow me to express my happiness to be once again in Tunisia where I have spent 4 years. Memories of that period in my life take me to an experience I strongly yearn to live again.

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

If civilization represents an advanced state of constructive intellectual development in human history, the culture of a nation or a people can, therefore, be considered as a main affluent of human civilization.

Where the values of tolerance, compassion and serving humankind are vital ingredients for any culture, these are viewed as an effective agent in the process of human civilization. Bigotry, hatred, enmity and exclusion, these are contributory factors in the foundering of the edifice of human civilization.

And while our world is currently facing many challenges, owing mainly to the gloomy aspect of globalization, embodied by the prevalence of the logic of force instead of the force of logic, double standards, the reification of man, and the disdain of human emotions and peoples’ dignity, the forces of the good from all cultures have to combine their efforts and raise their voice to oppose haughtiness, arrogance, racism and egotism in order to uphold human values and enhance the role of the Man as Allah's regent on earth. The stronger this alliance between the forces of good on the international level is, the more interesting will be its impact and the results expected.

There are several factors that can serve to expedite dialogue and put it into effective operation. It is, indeed, high time to move from dialogue to devising plans and programmes, from theory to practice, from words to deeds, and from knowledge to effective implementation. Such factors include:

1. Defining terminology:

A king in ancient China once said to the philosopher Confucius, “I want to reform the state; and I need to know what to do first.” Confucius told him to start by reforming the language and defining terminology.

A well-defined terminology produces a common language expressive of a shared vision likely to facilitate the process of understanding and dialogue and dissipate misconceptions and ambiguity. For example, terrorism, which claims tolls of lives, is rejected worldwide in all its forms, and no sane person would warrant it. That is why the terrorist attacks that struck America, Britain and Spain were condemned all over the world.

Resisting invaders and defending one’s land and country do not fall within the scope of terrorism. It is a right acknowledged by divine rules and international laws. A clear distinction has to be made between the two concepts. Well-intentioned people in the world ought to stand in defence for peoples' right to self-determination and recovery of their colonized territories. No Peace, stability and development can be achieved under occupation and usurpation of national territories.

2. Focus on the manner of conducting dialogue and conversing with the other

Only through sound dialogue can crises and conflicts across the globe be settled. Allah says, "Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching." Dialogue should be based on respect for the opinion of the other as well as on logic and evidence. It should not be charged with emotions and the perversions of generalization, provocation, caprice, partiality and extremism. Dialogue should be balanced and based on equality between interlocutors. Caprice can only disservice one's opinion. There is a maxim in our Arab Islamic heritage which says: “My opinion is right but may be wrong; and my interlocuter's view is wrong but might be right.”

3. Admitting difference and pluralism

Admitting difference is a healthy, indispensable phenomenon in the nature of life. There should be no coercion in religion. Allah says, “Wilt thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe!” Difference entails a variety of perspectives and a multitude of approaches, and it does not imply restriction of the other’s right. A human being's life is like a sailing boat, any misconduct would affect the well-being of its passengers. By analogy, man succeeded in exploring, in the journey of life on earth, planets in the upper region of the sky and the depths of oceans. But the life human beings are leading has been devoid of the sentiments and dignity that make of a man a human being. Suffice it to look at poverty, famine, unemployment, illiteracy and the natural disasters that threaten humankind.

4. No to generalizations and stereotypes

Nothing can undermine dialogue more than stereotypes and generalizations. My country, Syria, has suffered the injustice of being accused of assassinating the late Lebanese Prime Minister, Mr. Rafiq El Hariry, before any investigation into the affair was even conducted. These misconceptions and untenable accusations of the other are a source of pervasive oppression. Allah says in a Hadith Qudsi (Sacred Hadith): "O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so you do not oppress one another." Indeed, it is so unjust to falsely accuse an innocent person and judge them without inquisition.

5. Loftiness and comprehensiveness

When Socrates was asked where he came from, he did not say, "from Athens," but "from the world." Great visionaries regard themselves as citizens of the universe. Sheikh Muhibbuddin expressed this idea in the following lines:

I cannot differentiate between the members of your family,

For they are my family and you are their homeland and mine;

I absolve myself from a sterile nationalism,

That sees the nation’s concept in the sole land of birth.

Besides, Saadi Shirazi considers human beings as members of the same large family.

Human brotherhood cannot be reached unless through the love of all people, and compassion cannot be reached without understanding and awareness :

Do not expect love from an ignorant,

None can love what he knows not.

6. Intensive visits and meetings are needed to forge close relations and take stock of reality

People have each a certain view on a particular issue. Usually, it becomes difficult to change it, while looking at the reality may change many stereotypes.

In this respect, the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization -ISESCO- organized, under the patronage of the President of the Syrian Arab Republic, a meeting on the theme: “Dialogue among Civilizations for Coexistence”.

The conference was attended by a host of researchers from several countries. At the close of its proceedings, William Findley, an American researcher, said, “I came to Syria with several stereotyped opinions, and now I am leaving Syria with my views completely changed. I lived to believe that Syria is a country of fanaticism and terrorism, as we were told. What I have discovered is that it is a cultural mosaic, so beautiful and so lofty: religions cohabit and races live together; Armenians, Kurds, Circassians, Turks and the Arabs, all live in a crucible of national unity based upon love, cooperation and brotherhood. I also found that Syrian people are kind, well-bred and respectful. I wish that every American citizen could visit Syria to discover that what we are told about Syria is not the truth.”

Tourists are usually fascinated by our deep-rooted Arab civilisation when visiting the historical sites of our country in Tadmur, Ebla, Ugarit, Mary and Umarit. These sultanates, which existed in the second millennium before Christ, used to be lands of civilisation and humanity where the East and the West could dialogue with one another. Today, these historical monuments still bear the traces of that dialogue.

7. Launching joint cultural programmes with foreign countries

Culture is a bridge that links nations and peoples. It is the common language that brings societies together. Sending teams of musicians, theatre and art staff to perform exhibitions and cultural activities allows people to get to know about one another. In the same manner, inviting foreign cultural teams to perform in our countries would certainly help each party to better know the other.

Indeed, in some American States, people were astonished at the performance of the Syrian Symphony Orchestra in the United States. In his will, Dr. Edward Said tells the teachers of the national conservatoire in Syria : “[to] cater for music and arts; send as much specialized artists as you can to perform in foreign countries, for musicians are real ambassadors of your nation in those countries.”

8. Objectivity in judging the other

Objectivity entails equity, justice and respect for the faiths of the various nations away from sarcasm on pretext of the freedom of expression, as was the case with a Danish newspaper.

Objectivity implies avoiding unreal, distorted images about the other. It necessitates practical steps to clean media as well as educational and cultural programmes from such stereotyped images, which can only reinforce dialogue and mutual understanding. In the West, there are tendentious people who charge our clement Islamic culture with terrorism. Even worse, there are extremists within our Islamic countries who, devoid of any sense of objectivity, have missed the essence of the message of Islam, which praises moderation, reverence and peace. This finds its true expression in the salutation of Islam “Assalamu alaikum” (Peace be upon you).

Unbiased people from both sides should come together to clear misconceptions as well as highlight the truth about false images and stereotypes. The purpose is to foster human, civilisational values.

(*) Former Minister of Culture, Syrian Arab Republic.

Publications of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

-ISESCO- 1428H/2007 A.D