Contents

The Bonds of Kinship and the Inevitable

Common Destiny of Nations and Peoples

from an Anthropological Point of View

Dr. Zaïm Khanshalawi(*)

In this paper, I will briefly attempt to tackle the issue of dialogue among civilizations and the kinship between the cultures of nations and peoples, in addition to the need to consider the common destiny of humanity at large. The overriding goal of these important and strategic meetings is dictated by the need to urgently take protective measures against the challenges facing human destiny and to present scientific, philosophical, and practical suggestions likely to provide us with guidelines that would protect us from sliding into a labyrinth leading to dire consequences.

Dialogue among civilizations is not a nascent, optional phenomenon. Rather, it is an instinctive necessity that takes a dimension of solidarity and requires us to assume our responsibility in finding new avenues both to know ourselves and to know others. Anthropology, or the study of humanity (its culture and history), would provide us with the necessary tools and scientific facts about the biological unity of human beings, regardless of their different cultural expressions. This innate feature of progress and communication makes human beings in constant evolution and interaction within their own environment. All these aspects do substantially contribute to crystallizing and laying the bases for a comprehensive theory of civilizational and cultural alliance among all human beings.

According to anthropology, culture is the result of moral productions of an organized society of human beings that includes their language, customs, traditions, backgrounds, and behavioral specificities as in every independent culture, when it shares with other cultures the same human constants that favor good wills and beauty, and loath malevolence and wickedness. But why do people differ from each other? Contrary to animals’ limited predisposition, driven by instinctive impetuses, human beings -though they relatively lack this feature - have a great capacity to learn, which enables the child to acquire a large number of experiences and mental skills that enrich his psychological and physiological preparedness and form his personal culture. As we cannot find two nations that are completely equal in terms of culture, even if they have the same language or religion or live in the same continent, as it is the case of the Arab and Islamic world which has a varied mosaic, or Europe which witnessed rich experiences. Likewise, there are no two persons in the world that are completely equal, especially that each one of us constitutes a world by his/her as pointed out by Muslim philosophers when they compared the person to a microcosm and the universe to a macrocosm, as the psychological and physiological preparedness of the individual are not identically recurrent in nature. The same applies to the historical and civilizational experience of nations or peoples. It is impossible for any nation to subdue another by force. In other words, each person in this room is alien to the other even if some persons share the same language or religion or other national or civilizational affiliation. Actually, we are bound only by our humanity materialized by the expressions of laughter, tears, joy, pain, life, death, and all other features bounding all of us without exception. I can even go farther than this and point out the fact that Allah in His Oneness Has different attributes and Names ranging between negative and positive traits.

Throughout history, Man acquired many sociable qualities combining nature and culture in spite of their obvious disparity. In other words, being a cultural specie means that we belong to nature before we become social individuals belonging to one biological family, which is humanity, regardless of the diversity of our civilizations. So, what is the link between nature and culture? We can say that all what is comprehensive in human beings is spontaneous and stems from nature; however, every thing that abides by some principles and acquired practices belongs to culture and therefore is characterized by relativity and specificity.

On the one hand, the biological fact constitutes the main branch of the human tree. On the other hand, civilizations, yet different, constitute the horizontal extension of this tree. Any disequilibrium of this vital balance could subject all of us to the threat of collapse. Actually, there is no disparity between nature and culture. Each entity completes another through the environmental and civilizational equilibrium of mankind, without neglecting the animals that are living with us on Earth and constitute a link of the chain of this marvelous universe.

However, could we promote and consolidate the cultural and civilizational diversity in the world without exposing humanity to conflicts of identities? Our meeting is of major importance as it aims at finding the appropriate equation that could be presented to the world so that we can live together in peace, love, and welfare. I acknowledge in advance the seriousness of this challenge. This outstanding symposium deemed it appropriate to invite us to participate in the formulation of its guidelines so that we can move from the stage of the need for dialogue to that of the responsibility of solidarity.

The theory of “mixed thought”, put forward by anthropologists, aims at highlighting the controversy of exchange which has characterized our societies for long (economic, scientific, religious, military, brought by permanent migrants or seasonal ones, or conveyed through apparent or secret networks). The roads of silk, spices, and perfumes contributed indirectly to bringing together nations from the East and the West. Likewise, the humanist belief of Buddhist philosophy and the moral rules of Confucius reached the Himalaya Mountains and found echoes in Europe. The salvation precepts brought by Jesus and the tolerant message of the Prophet of Islam peacefully reached not only Palestine and Arabian deserts, but was also welcomed and embraced by many followers and willing partisans in the jungles of Africa, Middle Asia, and even beyond the China Great Wall and the borders of Siberia.

Therefore, the idea of cultural isolation could not be totally applied even to geographically isolated nations. These ethnic groups that we tend to view with suspicion and eccentricity, as they have different civilizational values, are, according to anthropologists, a vivid memory of a remote past to which we have contributed, each in his/her manner and according to his/her spiritual and biological needs. It is not just a museum of human beings for exhibition, in isolation of the rest of the world.

The trends that claimed the supremacy of some cultures and races, and once caused Nazism and Fascism to emerge and to commit many enormities, are imaginative myths that bred the seeds of their own demise. Anthropologists and geneticists have proven today that these theories are groundless.

Since the creation of Man and the occurrence of coercive exchange between the inhabitants of Earth, some superpowers imposed their cultural patterns on subjugated nations which fiercely resisted the process of colonialism and acculturation and the attempts to undermine their cultures. As a result, the conquering force has influenced the defeated one and vise-versa. There are many cases in history where the conqueror is influenced by the civilization of the defeated nation which brought about brilliant civilizations by integrating the politically conquered nations in one melting pot. The Mongolian civilization in India and Middle Asia provide a good example of this merger after they mingled with the defeated Islamic civilization that disciplined the manslayer, prince Timor who left many magnificent Islamic architectural edifices in Samarqand, the diamond of the East. It also prompted the lover emperor Shah Jihan to build the Taj Mahal to perpetuate the commemoration of his lover Mumtaz Mahal to express his consternation. This marvelous architectural landmark is depicted by the Indian poet Taghour as a single teardrop shed on the face of history. Likewise, the spirituality and humanity of Islam prompted the Sufi emperor to dream about setting up an international religion based on the principle of unifying all religious beliefs. Accordingly, he was among the firsts to call for the spiritual globalization that was evoked before by Alexander the Great whose remarkable humanity is stated in the Holy Koran under the name of '' Du 'Alkarnein '' who explored the East and the West of the globe and he ended by embracing a comprehensive vision for his kingdom, within the framework of an international brotherhood for which he militated with confidence and bravery. He was therefore among the first initiators and believers in the inevitability of the common destiny of humankind and the respect of cultural diversity. If the Greeks, his predecessors, considered barbarous any person who is not Grecian, Alexander the Great was among the firsts to call for the establishment of one human society based on the principle of racial and civilizational diversity.

We have another highly expressive romantic example: the messenger of Allah Solomon, the son of David, whose inclination to the queen of Saba' united the destiny of two kingdoms, two nations, and two different cultures; one in the land of Kanaan and the other in Yemen; the leaders of Habasha declare they are their descendants. We have another lesson of eternal passion, as stated in the Holy Koran and other sacred books about Solomon, whose name is derived from peace, who said: ''Share mutual love instead of war''.

Throughout history no civilization succeeded in imposing itself as the central crux of other civilizations in the world whatever were its technical capabilities and its influential media. Likewise, no culture, whatever its political and financial weight, can dictate its ideals on other cultures, as such conduct is against the rule of relativity on which nature is based.

Other examples illustrating the cultural and the civilizational symbiosis of nations throughout history, as we are convened today in the glorious land of Tunisia, one of our prominent civilizations of the Great Maghreb, refer to the virtuous attitudes of our Tunisian, Algerian, and Moroccan ancestors who contributed with bravery and humanity in saving the life of millions of Jewish refugees who fled the courts of inspection established by the European Catholic churches, especially at the end of Middle Ages coinciding with the demise of the Islamic civilization in Spain, disseminating death and displacement of ten thousands of peoples, except those who sought refuge and protection in the kingdoms of the Maghreb. Known by their tolerance, the inhabitants of our region gave the Jewish people protection, peace, and good neighborhood. They also allowed them to settle and prosper in northern cities of Africa, such as Tangier, Fes, Telemsan, Algiers, Bjaya, Constantine, Tunisia, Kerrawang, and other Maghreban cities. They demonstrated high moral standards and shown a good conduct toward foreigners, in addition to their matchless humanitarian solidarity throughout history.

The Algerian Prince Abdelkader astonished the world when he guaranteed security to every Maronite Christian seeking refuge from the old region of Bilad-ush-sham and supported, in spite of the opposition of his Muslim followers, Edduruz, during the events of 1860 in Damascus. He used to open his house to every person in danger, regardless of his faith or religion. He declared to the enemies of his refugees that they need to go on his dead body before reaching any Christian placed under his protection. When the Cardinal LA VIGERIE wanted to thank him, the Prince simply said: “I don’t deserve to be thanked for a duty”. His interlocutor was astonished and impressed by this answer saying: “I shall never forget this discussion. I was listening to the statement of that honest Muslim with passion and enthusiasm as I was listening to the statement of Christ”. He added that: “he was inspired by this historical meeting before he took his way back to Damascus, as Paul, the messenger, did before him, considering that day as a consecration of his aspirations as a missionary”.

Prince Abdelkader showed great respect to the principles of justice and equity in which he used to believe to the point of supporting foreigners despite the resentment of his fellow countrymen. This conduct made of him an international and perpetual symbol, not only for dialogue among civilizations, but also for religions. Moreover, he is an example of unconditional human solidarity between nations and peoples despite the variety of their cultures and faiths. This Sufi freedom fighter impressed the Pope and the leaders of the world, kings, godfathers, and emperors, who did not hesitate to honor him with Medals of Merit in gratitude of his deeds and his noble-mindedness. On his part, "La Loge du Grand Orient" of France sent him a letter describing him as the preacher of social equity and dialogue between religions; the enemy of barbaric conducts and fanaticism; the messenger of peace and intellectual freedom; and the ideal speaker of brotherhood and humanity. The Prince said in reply to a letter of thanks written by Monseigneur Parvy, the bishop of Algeria, dated in July 1862: “we were applying the precepts of Islam and the rules of nature when we gave protection to Christians”.

Saint François d’Assise met the Sultan AL Ayoubi in Doumiat on the banks of the Nile’s delta in 1212, when the crusades wars were at their climax, in an attempt to convert the Sultan of Islam and Muslims to Christianity. But the two men left each other and their hearts full of mutual respect and love, without succeeding in convincing each other about their religions. The abbey was not converted to Islam and neither the Sultan did, as if the Divine compassion embraced them despite their divergence. That is because the absolute truth is beyond the mind’s perception and because Allah is revealed to all His creatures, without exception, as Mohammed, the Prophet of Islam, conveyed to all nations, fourteen centuries ago: “the creatures are the servants of Allah. The most beloved ones to Allah are the best servers of His creatures”. What a wonderful meeting between the representatives of the two greatest Heavenly Revelations from which humanity would better grasp the meaning, at the beginning of the twenty first century. In deed, this meeting takes a global dimension inviting all Christians to keep in mind and follow the example of Jesus Christ in his humbleness and love to others, whether they were acquaintances or foreigners. Because when they respect their brothers, the Moslems, the Christians will sanctify the Gospel. Likewise, when the Moslems share their aims with Christians, the Moslems will apply the message of their prophet who urges them to respect Allah in all His creatures, human beings, animals, and vegetations. Actually, this magnificent historical meeting initiated by Saint François d’Assise is a paradigm that enables us to overcome our fears and imaginations, as well as our stupid fanaticism. This unique adventure heralds the coming of a new era.

Therefore, I think it is unwise and unrealistic to believe that we are the firsts to bring about the issue of dialogue among civilizations and we entered or about to enter a new era based on the principle of cultural globalization. Each civilization is a mixture of various and many civilizations and based on ideas brought by many peoples and groups in constant movement and migration. Humanity has undeniably entered, with the advent of the Internet, a multicultural stage of civilization. The question is simply to find out the best solution to coexist in peace and solidarity.

Our concentration and social mobilization incite us to believe that every thing which is normal according to our culture is necessarily normal and takes an international dimension. Thus, the culture of one nation changes into a fortified island aiming at isolating itself from other cultures, at best. In the worst cases, it empowers itself to hybrid and acculturate other nations and peoples as the lasts, according to its narrow point of view, are barbarous and has to be civilized even by the use of force.

In this way, the foreigner, according to our narrow and stereotyped view, becomes a primitive human being as long as he does not share our standards that should be taken as the ideal and the unique example that every body should follow. However, when these views change from divergence into separation and from separation into exoticism, we will be facing the problem of coexistence. When “forced acculturation” is resisted, the resisting nation becomes an enemy that should be eliminated, either under the name of “development and promotion” or fighting it and getting rid of it. In the best cases, it will be boycotted and marginalized. This idealistic and rare foolishness, that we are experiencing today, is in fact an intellectual terrorism that should be revealed and fought by wisdom and reason.

Though all these historical examples show that human societies have never been, and would never become, a set of islands in the ocean of indifference toward others, as this conduct is dangerous and would never come true, because we, without choice, share the same nature and destiny. All epidemics, diseases, earthquakes, and hurricanes that are threatening our glob do not recognize political borders and cultural barriers. Yesterday we were surprised by Tsunami and today by birth flu, as a message warning us about the necessity of solidarity and reinforcing the bonds between the inhabitants of the Earth, our sole home in which we all live despite the difference of our colours, languages, and faiths.

In fact, culture evolves in a permanent exchange and a continuous openness that never recognizes seclusion which is actually synonymous to death. In the second paragraph of the International Committee of culture and development’s report, issued by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in November 1995, held under the presidency of Mr Khavier Perez Decuallar, before the general conference of UNESO and the United Nations’ General Assembly, on the topic of “Our creative diversity”, is stated what follows:

“Diversity and plurality of cultures are similar to nature’s diversity and plurality. Besides that, divergence is useful in the sense that it takes into consideration all valuable experiences, knowledge, and arts build up by humankind. There is no culture that did not take advantage from other cultures that allowed the benefiting culture to explore their own specificities. There is no culture that is totally enclosed. All cultures are influenced by other cultures and they also extend the same influence. There is no constant, unchangeable or uncompromising culture. They are all subject to constant changes pertaining to internal and external factors. The notion of plurality means tolerance, mutual respect, and benefiting from cultural diversity that is highly important in terms of relations between countries. The same applies within the borders of one country, allowing the determination of bounds governing factions and races, which become so complex as a result of evolution. Plurality is a confirmed property and is present in about 190 countries constituting the international community. Nevertheless, the identities based on ethnicity, religion, nationalism, and others could generate wars if they were mobilized and used for this purpose. Therefore, the attempts aiming at “unifying the nation” through homogenizing all factions and nationalistic groups or favouring one on another are neither recommended nor even possible. For this reason, the nation that is believing in constructive plurality has to seek the appropriate awareness allowing to see itself as a civil society based on common values casting a way fanaticism. Each political project on which society relies has to be imbued with this conviction”

Article one of the Islamic Declaration on Cultural Diversity adopted by the 4th Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers held in Algiers in December 2004 stipulates that:

“In fact, constructive cooperation and actual dialogue among civilizations and cultures should not be conceived of without the principle of cultural diversity being firmly established. Moreover, the clash of civilizations is not a fated fact, because violence and the ignorance of realities as well as the fear of the other are not a predestined fatality. They rather spring up and develop through education and culture which pattern the behaviour and reactions of individuals.Therefore, there is no alternative but dialogue for the preservation of cultural diversity and cultural plurality, and human-beings all have to determine on living together with a free will, regardless of their different beliefs. Therefore, we ought to clinch to and stand up for our cultural and civilizational identity, while interacting with the other civilizations and cultures. We are, likewise, called upon to review our perception of the other and cast away the stereotype views of a people, their culture and civilization. In fact, equal dialogue among nations and peoples entails that we honestly judge ourselves without in any way cutting loose from our religious and cultural identity, because without sticking to our values it will not be easy for us to understand fully the values of the other and fathom his culture. In fact, inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue cannot abide unless it draws on tolerance and mutual respect and if it is not receptive to the plural cultural convictions and beliefs.”

The International Declaration on Human Genome and Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in November 1997, confirms the equality of human beings and refute any idea based on racial and ethnic inequality. Article 1 also states that “the human genome shows the original unity of all human family members, their dignity, and diversity. In terms of codes, the human genome is a common heritage for all humanity”. When human genome’s code has been deciphered, no body could deny the humanity of all mankind, despite their differences. It is in deed amazing that our physical differences that divide us into nations, ethnic groups, and peoples is coded by less than 0.1% in our DNA and the remaining 99.99% of our genome is commonly shared by all species and human beings. This fact proves that racist and nationalistic theories are scientifically ungrounded. Scientifically speaking, even the notion of ethnicity becomes meaningless.

According to the new scientific researches that all confirm the unity of humanity in its evolution throughout history, we want to point out, from this symposium, the inevitability of common destiny of humankind that should massively combat the dangers threatening our globe whose future becomes suspicious. Actually, the mechanisms of rapprochement and acquaintance, alliance, and solidarity, that are supposed to be brought by globalization, they, instead, seem carrying a comprehensive humanitarian crisis. In spite of our biological and physical connection of our societies, the last seems, more than any time in the past, disbanded and their interests divergent. In other words, the world is predisposed, more than any time in the past, to clash and come into conflict.

We conclude from deep anthropologic researches conducted on mankind and his differences that no culture in the world is higher than other and there is no central civilization around which the world evolves. Furthermore, despite the biological unity of mankind, the last has evolved throughout ages in different and various cultural forms. We have to overcome our cultural barriers and ignorance before issuing prejudices. We should imbue ourselves with the rule of relativity when expressing our views about ourselves or others. This is likely to prompt our vulnerable societies to become aware of the bonds of relationship and the inevitable common destiny of nations and peoples. This also would enable us to move rapidly and spontaneously from suspicion and seclusion to acquaintance; and from controversial dialogue to fruitful alliance. Let’s tread in the steps of the messengers of brotherhood, such as the Algerian Prince Abdelkader and Saint François d’Assise. Let’s overcome our superficial differences and take every day new step to get close to each other till we reach the harbor of peace and security.

(*) Head of the Department of Research in the Ministry of Culture, Algeria.

Publications of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

-ISESCO- 1428H/2007 A.D