29 Nov. - 5 Dec. 2001
Issue No.562
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 29 Nov. - 5 Dec. 2001 Issue No.562 |
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The civilising process
In his speech to the inaugural ceremony of the Arab League-sponsored conference on the dialogue of civilisations, Secretary-General Amr Moussa called on Arabs and Muslims to foster cultural understanding. An excerpt follows
A nation's culture is the living expression of its intellectual and creative capacity, the reaffirmation of its identity and its most important characteristic. A national culture, however deeply rooted in history, is also a regenerative project, one that is in constant motion; nor should it be allowed to stagnate.
Arab intellectuals have been prolific creators of art, literature and scholarship. This cultural creativity nourished and was fed by the rise of an intense translation movement from and into Arabic and by the mutual benefits that accrued from such exchanges. Arab culture, in other words, is an essential part of global human culture. Arab scientists and writers have received the most prestigious international scientific and literary awards, and Arabic is one of the six official languages of the UN.
Religious values are associated with many forms of cultural expression. In this regard, the global dialogue that has begun between religions, and in which Arab religious figures of considerable erudition are taking part, has kept the attempt to establish and safeguard an interdenominational culture alive and vibrant. In the interest of promoting human understanding, the Arabs have also spoken out in various international forums to call for and support the call for a dialogue among all civilisations, which in their totality and diversity represent human civilisation.
Nevertheless, we are not blind to the fact that hatred of the Arabs and Islam have existed in various epochs, and that these sentiments proliferate and ebb in accordance with certain circumstances.
Two specific phenomena that have surfaced today are damaging relations among cultures and civilisations; this damage is particularly evident in views of Islamic civilisation and Arab culture. Several years ago, we began to hear about clashes and hierarchies of civilisations. Although such terms emerged within the context of questionable academic theories, they have succeeded, if only partially or temporarily, in bringing the international community face to face with attempts to intensify antagonism toward Islam, Muslims and all Arabs.
More recently, the events of 11 September unleashed statements and practices directed against Islamic and Arab civilisation and culture, but also against those who bear these identities, causing many considerable hardship in a number of countries. Arabs and Muslims were held guilty until proven innocent, rather than the reverse. Indeed, the condemnation extended to those whose Arab identity was only a distant origin, and who had long been assimilated into new societies. Even they became victims, or potential victims, of discrimination.
Is it truly that these theories and their proponents are simply searching for an enemy? That possibility has implications far graver than we imagine at present: for instance, the existence of universalistic strategies that define the enemy according to religious or cultural criteria.
Those who hold that a clash of civilisations is taking place, and that it will culminate in victory for one side and defeat for the other -- a defeat similar to that of communism -- should think carefully. Theories based on conflict can only generate confusion and exacerbate tension in the world order.
Those who argue that one civilisation is superior to all others should turn to the history books, which tell a very different story. History reveals that a variety of civilisations shaped human culture in every era, cross-fertilisation between the civilisations of East and West took place over several centuries, and this process of interaction was one of humanity's greatest achievements. The influence of Islamic and Arab civilisation upon Western culture and the course of global history is well documented.
Are we entering a phase of racial and/or religious discrimination against Arabs and Muslims? We must try to answer this question; our scholars and research institutes must study and monitor the situation closely. Although there is no definitive answer yet, it is a question we must take seriously.
I would like to raise another question, which we must also seek to address. Have we, too, made mistakes? Have we done all we could for our culture and its development, and for what we believe in? Have we engaged fully with a process of investigation and elucidation that can reaffirm our cultural integrity and its constants, while meeting the demands of the modern era?
I am confident that the Arab world will begin working for the preservation of our diverse cultures, civilisations and identities on the basis of practical initiatives aimed both inward, toward Arab societies, and outward, to embrace all other human societies.
We cannot afford to waste time. We need resources, of course -- not only government allocations but also donations from individuals, banks and other private and public organisations. A fund has already been founded for this purpose, and the first to contribute was Sheikh Zayed, ruler of the UAE, who has donated a million dollars. I appeal to all those who are eager to defend their identity against defamation to contribute whatever they can. The issue concerns us all, as individuals who share affiliations to an Arab society and an Islamic creed or culture.
It might seem strange that we should be talking first among ourselves, as Arabs, at a time when we should be engaged in a dialogue with others. My answer to this is that we have never discussed this issue among ourselves, and therefore have yet to determine what our rights and obligations are. But, once we do -- in utter honesty -- we will naturally speak with Muslims in the rest of the Islamic world, and to all societies and cultures.
We hope to coordinate a considered challenge to the campaign of distortion, and to initiate a constructive, objective dialogue, a true dialogue of civilisations, built upon solid foundations, that will make understanding possible and put paid to theories of incompatibility and conflict. The task before us is formidable, but those engaged in science, culture and politics in the Arab world are equipped to meet the challenge.
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