Clashing with Islam and what it teaches is apparently this season’s fashion in Europe. No one seems surprised by this and sadly, few consider the consequences. Every two or three weeks, the media carries a new addition to the saga of clash of civilizations. We Muslims thought at one time that the clashes were limited to the US and were a form of reaction to the 9/11 attacks. We soon noticed, however, that the clashes had crossed the Atlantic and were becoming common in Europe. Especially was this so following the bombings in Madrid and London. Those two tragic events unfortunately strengthened the idea of a clash.
There have been several recent events in Europe that have served to keep the public aware of a clash of civilizations. The French banned the wearing of distinctive religious symbols in certain public places, notably schools. The uproar caused by the Danish cartoons, the furor resulting from the pope’s speech in Germany and the comment by the former British foreign secretary about the wearing of veils all illustrated, if not a clash, at the very least a serious misunderstanding between cultures and traditions.
These events changed the way we Muslims look at Europe and the way that Europeans look at us. People in the Middle East believed until recently that Europe was different from the US because it is geographically closer to the Arab world and therefore was more understanding and sympathetic. In addition, the Zionist community and its related organizations have greater influence on the media in the US than in Europe. There are also 20 million Muslims living in Europe whereas in the US, there are only 7.5 million. All these made it easier for Muslims to communicate with Europe and yet, as time went on, many problems and their symptoms moved from the US to Europe.
There have been attempts to circulate all kinds of baseless anti-Muslim stories that had no purpose other than to inflame passions and incite misunderstanding and hatred. Possible hazards of large Muslim communities living in the West were emphasized and this widened the gap between Islam and the West — not only in the West but also in the Muslim world. It also stifled a great deal of communication between the two. The West, of course, is not the entire world and there is much of the world that is neither Western nor Western-sympathetic. There are also elements within the West that are sympathetic to Muslims and Islam. What is difficult for us is to keep our relationship with the West strong and balanced. I emphasize the word “balanced” which means that we must not always blame the West for everything that goes wrong. We must realize that there are differences between Western countries and Western communities. We have to understand the political and cultural maps of each society and learn whom we can count on and whom we cannot.
What can we do to counter this campaign? Every time I’m asked this question, I remember that the Jewish relationship with Europe has been full of bitterness, prejudice and hatred. The persecution that Europe inflicted upon the Jews is among the darkest in the history of both Europe and the Jews. The well-known Israeli writer and peace activist Uri Avnery referred to this history in a recent article. He pointed out that Jews were oppressed and crushed by European Christians. In many cases, the Jews fled to Muslim countries where they were tolerated and allowed to live in greater peace and security than they had known in Europe. Despite this background, the Jews have succeeded in convincing the West that Israel is their ally and that Israel is an outpost of Western values and civilization surrounded by Arab enemies.
The Arab world can definitely benefit from strengthening ties with the West but we have to be cautious and careful. We must study and seek answers to questions that have been asked but never answered satisfactorily. What led the West to initiate a campaign to humiliate Muslims and their beliefs? How can we diminish the gap between us and maintain bridges of communication? What parties in the West can we establish a certain level of understanding with in order to gain fairness and justice?
We must also understand hat in order to be respected and appreciated we have to set a good example, worthy of trust. We have to examine ourselves closely and not only discover but admit our flaws and shortcomings.
We have to overcome our imperfections before we ask others to see the good in us. I don’t have a ready solution for the problem, but I call everyone to think deeply and analytically, keeping in mind the disadvantages of our present behavior and tendency to react to situations emotionally instead of logically and intellectually. It does no good for us or our cause for the Islamic world to explode into open rage and street violence when an individual or group in the West slanders or misrepresents Islam and Muslims.
