Contents

Speech of

Prof. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu

Secretary General of the Organization

of the Islamic Conference

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Distinguished participants,

Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakatuh,

I am singularly gratified to have this opportunity to participate in this important symposium, which His Excellency Mr. Zine A1-Abidine Ben Ali, President of the Republic of Tunisia, has honored with his patronage and graced with his kind keynote address to enlighten our way forward. I also have great pleasure to convey my deep appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Tunisia for generously hosting this important symposium organized by ISESCO, which is thus making yet one more contribution in the series of invaluable inputs it has already brought to the subject of Dialogue among Civilizations.

Just recently, there was the important symposium, which the Organization of the Islamic Conférence (OIC) cooperated with UNESCO, ISESCO, ALECSO, and other centers to convene in Rabat in June. That symposium addressed Intercultural and Intercivilizational Dialogue through concrete and sustainable initiatives; and came to fill a gap in the subject of Dialogue among Civilizations with its deliberations focusing on concrete initiatives to move this subject from rhetorical statements to tangible initiatives that are conducive to positive results. Thus, the symposium was able to determine ways of achieving these desired objectives through initiatives and recommendations to be taken in the domains of upbringing, education, general culture, communication, information technology, and capacity building.

Certainly, we have deployed many efforts in this connection, while a number of governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and other academic institutions have been making analogous efforts.

The OIC, as is well-known, has been the first pioneer in this field. It had an influential impact on raising this issue at the global level and convincing the United Nations of adopting the idea of dialogue and declaring the Year 2001 as the Year of Dialogue among Civilizations, as an alternative to the ominous, inevitable clash of civilizations predicted by certain Western theorists.

A few years have elapsed since the start of these constructive efforts, as a result of which a plethora of studies and books have been published and countless symposia organized. Nevertheless, we are well aware that no concrete, visible results have been achieved and that our efforts have not gone beyond mere wishes and desires.

Such a reality prompts us to take a contemplative pause in order to investigate where we are and where we should be, what we have and have not achieved.

Therefore, I wonder whether the objective of our efforts is just to hold a series of meetings and seminars where the participants take the floor to say what they wish to say or what the other wishes to hear only to leave after drafting a statement about the meeting or after agreeing, in rare cases, to publish a new book to be added to previous literature?

Is the new dictum of a coalition of civilizations just a repetition of old patterns and methods of dealing with such an issue?

This is a question that I wish to raise, in view of the paucity of the results I see emerging from our previous proceedings. Yet I have no doubt that repeating the terms of dialogue, alliance, harmony, coalition, and so on, reflect a sincere desire for co-existence between peoples belonging to different civilizations and cultures, because the alternative could be nothing else but slipping into clashes arising from différences and conflicts regarding these values.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

We all know that dialogue is not an end in itself, but rather a tool and a first stage leading to understanding and creating a propitious atmosphere for acceptance of the other opinion, or agreement on middle grounds, otherwise there is no useful understanding.

Although the general aim is to establish dialogue among all civilizations as a universal tool for understanding, peace, stability and quietude around the globe, our immediate aim - in this symposium at least - is the Islamic-Western dialogue with a view to bridging the gap that has marked relations between Islam and the West for many centuries, and opening a new chapter of concord and coexistence between them. I am fully confident that each of the parties is certainly willing to attain this aspired objective. But this common desire has not yet materialized due to numerous obstacles and complications.

Many of these obstacles are related to the historical memory of relations between the two parties most often dominated by positive exchange and acculturation, and characterized at times by apprehensiveness and even hostility due to the prevailing political circumstances of the time, which are now a thing of the past.

The existing problem now is some circles' desire to insist on focusing on, and reviving, the negative aspect of this cultural heritage - although it is no longer justified -, thus firmly establishing the state of hostility and hatred in the subconscience of both parties.

Since any sincere dialogue must of necessity go through elimination of the causes for fear, hatred and apprehensiveness of both parties, it is absolutely necessary to address the attempt to confirm this psychological state in order to annihilate it and to purify hearts and wills through abidance by the rule of reconciliation that is preceded by openness.

It may be easy to agree on forgetting the past events, by limiting and freezing them in their distant historical time frame and considering them as the result of the political, economic and interest-guided considerations of our ancestors with no connection whatsoever with today's world due to all-encompassing change of these considerations and circumstances that have inspired or necessitated them.

By launching the initiative of dialogue among civilizations, the Muslim world has displayed an unfailing readiness to turn the page of the past with the West, and to start a new era of human history marked by understanding, purity, concord and recognition of the other, drawing inspiration from the foundations of the Islamic civilizations.

It has therefore become necessary, as we seek to establish dialogue through such meetings and symposia, etc, to agree from now on the minimum requirements for dialogue to be fruitful and useful, as well as on the circumstances that make dialogue convincing and acceptable, encouraging political commitment to it and creating the political will to implement its recommendations. But if we are attempting to elevate dialogue to the state of complete agreement and alliance, our efforts have to be more effective and more sincere.

To reach this objective, as we head toward making of Islamic Western dialogue a success and raising it to the state of alliance, we should counter together the phenomenon of Islamophobia that is taking new ugly shapes every day according to observers and many European opinion poll institutions. These repulsive manifestations have recently increased due to two main factors:

Firstly, a section of the Western press is knee deep in its attacks against Islam and Muslims as well as in hostility towards their culture and their causes thus creating an atmosphere of resentment against Islam in western circles. All of these negate what this symposium and others have been calling for on the importance of knowing the other and of cultural pluralism. The closest graphic example of this phenomenon is the idea of the Danish newspaper JYLLANDS-POSTEN to invite artist to make imaginative drawings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). That paper went ahead to publish these drawings all of which expressed ridicule and immorality against the Messenger (Peace be upon him), thereby fuelling islamophobia and opening the door to violence, clash and hatred.

The second factor is the recent enactment of new discriminatory legislations and administrative procedures by some Western nations. These legislations tighten the noose around Muslims and are selectively imposed through special conditions that can be best described as collective punishment - which is internationally rejected - whereby the generality of the people are punished for the crimes of a few.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

We do not deny the West's official attention to Dialogue among Civilisations and the efforts being made in this direction. However these efforts oscillate between the positive and the negative probably because the current uncomfortable position in the balance of this dialogue, in the thinking of the West, does not affect it the way it harms the Muslim side, hence the lacklustre in seeing the dialogue to its conclusion.

Last year I had intense discussions in this regard with many European leaders whom I met, including the leaders of the European Union and the European Commission, chiefly, Mr. Javier Solana, High Representative of the European Union for External Affairs, Policy and Security. I also met with the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the leaders of the European Council in Strasbourg and members of the expanded office of the ministers, deputies and the parliamentary assembly of the European Council. In addition, I met the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights in Geneva and the Director General of UNESCO. I appealed to all these senior officials and others to create conducive environment for understanding and clarity between Islam and the West because of the huge advantage there is to benefit by the two sides. I also requested them to take some practical measures that will help create that environment, such as the need to recognize Islam as an international religion whose adherents are one-fifth of the world's population, not forgetting the rights and duties entailed for the West and its Muslim communities. I also called for the elaboration of legislations to protect the Muslim minorities as was done for other minorities in such social areas as housing, services, the practice of religious rites, work, among others. I emphasized the need to revise school books that contain inaccuracies as well as the introduction of cultural interaction in school programmes. I hinted at the importance of engaging with the mass media inciting hatred and racial discrimination against others. In the same vein, I called for the need to solve some of the issues related to the Muslim world such as the Palestinian question in a just and equitable manner that will lessen tension in the relations between Islam and the West.

On the other hand it is impossible to expect any positive change in the area of dialogue among civilizations for as long as the matter is restricted to official, intellectual and academic circles. The dialogue should become one of the major preoccupations of forces that complement official work such as the representatives of the civil society, popular circles and civil institutions, such as political parties, big multinational companies, youth, students and sport clubs and societies, especially those that attract large numbers of people.

The shared global values of humanity have today become an objective that is acceptable to people of all religions and civilizations. Every human being has a stake in consolidating these values and ensuring that they are respected because they are the only result of common human heritage, which has the capacity to lay the foundations of justice, freedom and enthrone peace, security and stability to the advantage and happiness of the generality of mankind.

This cannot be achieved without enthroning the culture of dialogue, recognition of the other and international justice which will end the causes of differences and conflict and open the way for human ingenuity to break new frontiers of happiness and well being, in an atmosphere of fellowship, solidarity and integration. We are very hopeful that this symposium will contribute to realize the hope that many people in all societies have nurtured and continue to nurture.

Since the results we are seeking are far reaching, noble and of glorious objectives, it is more appropriate to put in our best in this endeavour so that our actions and efforts in noble values and ideals can match man's efforts of in the area of stunning scientific and technological breakthroughs.

May Allah grant you success in this endeavour.

Wasalam alaykum warahmotullah wa barakatuh.

Publications of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

-ISESCO- 1428H/2007 A.D