The world is in dire need of forums which facilitate genuine dialogue in a shrinking world -- a dialogue that stems from the recognition of identities and specificities; a dialogue that remains respectful and does not seek to inflame hostilities or dominate the other; a dialogue that is itself based upon a respect for religious plurality and cultural diversity; a dialogue that does not turn into a one-sided conversation.
Dialogue from my perspective is thus not about trying to defeat others, but about understanding and learning about them. As the Qur'an states, God has created us into nations and tribes so that we may learn about each other Al-Hujurat: It has long been my view that engaging in such a constructive dialogue should be one of our highest priorities, which is a powerful tool in conflict prevention, management, and resolution.
A truly constructive dialogue maintains boundaries of respect and tolerance. The necessity of dialogue is based upon a vision of intercultural relations which stresses tolerance, understanding and conscientious action.
Though there will always be attempts to disturb the peaceful relations between Islam and the West, the appropriate response lies not in attack or defence -- two distasteful actions -- but in calling towards points of commonality. This course of action has its basis on the famous Qur'anic dictum that Muslims must call other believers to "a common word between us and you" Al-Imran: Once this dialogue is underway and meeting with success amongst the participating parties, it is important to remember that it cannot simply remain within a narrow elite of specialists in academic and intellectual circles.
This would be futile and counterproductive, as the final goal must always be to construct bridges of understanding between the peoples of the different civilizations. Dialogue must be activated and practiced and should not remain enclosed within the walls of conference rooms. Rather, dialogue must demystify religious differences to everyday people and help explain the divine wisdom behind religious diversity. A crucial factor in achieving success in a dialogue is the cultivation of a genuine appreciation for the position, commitment, and background of the other party.
This means, of course, that a commitment to true dialogue as a viable intellectual approach may take on a myriad of forms, each tailored to the particular circumstances of the dialoguing parties, their relationship to each other in global affairs, and the relative proximity of their religious or intellectual traditions.
In Egypt, for example, I have always tried to focus on the historic, geographic, and religious commonalities between Muslim and Coptic compatriots, in order to pinpoint areas of fruitful contact in the past, as well as the potential for this contact to grow, thereby deepening the harmonious relations between Muslims and Christians.
In the wider Islamic World, sectarianism has unfortunately made something of a comeback, and so I have signed, along with many distinguished scholars from both the East and the West, an important document titled The Amman Message drawing on Islamic principles and fatwas and opinions from previous Muslim luminaries to urge Sunnis, Shias and all other denominations and orientations to set their differences aside and work for the common good, recognizing that the differences between them are but secondary matters and do not impinge on the fundamentals of a common faith.
I have also participated in a number of organized initiatives at the global level. These included interfaith dialogues with the Catholic Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury, as well as other leaders of the Abrahamic religions under the auspices of the Coexist Foundation. In addition, I co-chair with the Bishop of London C-1 World Dialogue, an institution devoted to better relations between the Islamic and Western worlds.
The hope is that the proliferation of such organizations may contribute to the spread of a culture of dialogue which will ease the conflictual nature of the times. One of the most important contributions made by the Western world to the global culture is the concept of modernity itself.
As has often been noted, modernity is not simply a particular epoch in the history of the world, but also a set of very large and important structural and material changes affecting people globally.
It is a condition in which we all now live, and which we must confront with the intellectual resources of not only the modern world, but also our traditions and heritage turath. It has too often been the case that to think about modernity has been to limit oneself to the European experience -- the changing economic configurations, the wars of religion, and emerging political arrangements -- as a model for how modernity should be understood the world over.
However, as the world becomes increasingly interconnected through technological advances, we are now beginning to appreciate the differing experiences of the world's many cultures in their encounters with the complex of institutions and ideas that we identify as modernity.
In particular, we have the new concept of "alternative modernities", a term which goes a long way in representing the diversity of the world in encountering new realities. So, whereas it was previously thought that to be modern meant to distance oneself from religion and tradition, it is becoming evident that, throughout the centuries, community leaders have found innovative and creative ways to relate religion and tradition to new advances in technology, politics, and economics so as to provide pragmatic guidance in an ever-changing world.
That is to say, it was, and is, possible to remain authentic to one's religious traditions while still being a modern person. From the Muslim viewpoint, these commitments must be recognized by all involved, if we are to engage in a truly fruitful dialogue.
This viewpoint stands in stark contrast to the eccentric and rebellious attitudes that have been repeatedly associated with Islam in recent years. In fact, these radical attitudes stand as an offence to the humane tradition of learning that characterizes Islamic history.
Instead of seeking to create havoc and chaos in the world, Islam facilitates the application of the wisdom and moral strength of religion in changing and uncertain times. It is through adopting this approach that an authentic, contemporary, moderate, and tolerant Islam can provide solutions to the problems confronting the Muslim world today. One of the problems faced by religious communities today is the issue of authority. In both Islam and other religions, we are witnessing a phenomenon in which lay people without a sound foundation in religious learning have attempted to set themselves up as religious authorities, even though they lack the scholarly qualifications for making valid interpretations of religious law and morality.
It is this eccentric and rebellious attitude towards religion that opens the way for extremist interpretations of Islam that have no basis in reality. Furthermore, and this must be stressed, none of these extremists have been educated in Islam in genuine centres of Islamic learning. They are, rather, products of troubled environments and have subscribed to distorted and misguided interpretations of Islam that have no basis in traditional Islamic doctrine.
Their aim is purely political and has no religious foundation. It is to create havoc and chaos in the world. It behooves me to comment, however, that the project to rebuild a world of harmony and cooperation is a two-way street which requires the participation of all parties. This is why the rise in Islamophobia and the growing stature of Islamophobes in positions of greater authority is so troubling. Demagogic attitudes towards Muslims and Islam, and an unwillingness to understand them, do more than impede efforts at genuine dialogue.
They fail to allow for the possibility of their getting started in the first place. In other words, there is no authoritative account of how or when exactly this movement originated. Finally, it is also open to debate as to which Islamic groups, schools of thought and practices may be considered Salafist.
This is because groups and individuals who are labeled Salafist do not always view themselves this way. And they disagree amongst each other over what defines authentic Salafist practice. The vast majority of people who loosely affiliate with Salafism, however, are either simply nonpolitical or actively reject politics as morally corrupt. From , I spent a total of two years as an ethnographic researcher in the cities of Lyon, in southeastern France, and in Hyderabad, in south India.
I clearly observed this among these two communities. Every week I participated in mosque lessons and Islamic study circles among dozens of Salafist women.
These communities maintain strict separation between men and women, but I was able to interact with and interview a few men as well. Based on conversations and observation, I learned that they actually avoided politics. They did not attend protests or do advocacy, and in Lyon many did not vote in elections.
It is the case that there are Muslim women, including many converts, who actively embrace Salafism. They take up strict forms of veiling and work hard to practice their religion every day. I met her during my time as an ethnographic researcher on Muslim minorities in France. Amal identifies with the Salafist tradition in Islam. Steadfast in her religiosity, she also studied the Quran regularly and attended local mosques in the area.
She worked hard to live her life in accordance with the ethical teachings of Islam. This included spending part of her week tutoring Muslim girls in the neighborhood who homeschooled.
Amal worried a great deal about their futures in France, since anti-veiling legislation had constrained their opportunities. She also quietly worried about the future of Islam, believing it is under siege both by governments and by the ungodly and destructive work of the Islamic State.
As anthropologists of religion have shown, Salafi women are not passive adherents. Nor are they forced into strict practices by their husbands. Among the French Salafist women I knew, most were the daughters and granddaughters of immigrants from the former French North African colonies. Almost a third were converts to Islam that chose specifically the Salafist tradition as opposed to mainstream currents of Islam. They were drawn to the clear expectations, rigorous routines and teachings about trusting God.
While some of the women were raised in religious families, many broke away from their Muslim families or earned the wrath of their parents for turning to Salafism.
Because the parents practiced a cultural form of Islam, or did not practice at all, they did not want their daughters to wear the jilbab. Despite this disapproval, the women focused a great deal on what it meant to have faith in God, and they emphasized that they had to continually struggle to strengthen that faith. Some even doubted their faith , which they considered normal and acceptable.
In my research, non-Muslims as well as other Muslims claimed Salafists were judgmental of those who did not believe or practice like them. However, like any movement or tradition, Salafism is profoundly diverse and encompasses a number of debates and struggles for legitimacy. So, there are those self-identified Salafists around the world who join political organizations or participate in political debates.
These include, for example, several political parties in Egypt and the Ahl-i-Hadees in India. A small minority, estimated to be , in number by security experts , rejects nation-states and embraces political violence. They span continents but are centered in Iraq and Syria.
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