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Moderate
Islam's Voice Must Be Heard
By GEORGE SIORIS
Special to The Japan Times
CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- The fact that every day a new "armchair"
terrorism expert appears can be viewed as a welcome sign,
for it shows that there is growing alertness to the new
challenge of our times. Terrorism experts continue to argue
over the best ways to confront unimaginable threats, but
frequently fail to separate the short- and long-term dimensions.
Talking too much about cutting off the hydra's heads pertains
to the former, while addressing the problem in a more comprehensive
way pertains to the latter. In Southeast Asia -- a theater
for terrorist activities -- many have spoken of the need
to destroy the terrorist leadership to prevent further attacks.
Yet this argument can be made two ways: positively, if the
aim is to extinguish the fires of the terrorist mindset;
or negatively, if there is a failure to recognize that each
falling head may be replaced by a new and potentially more
destructive one.
The best course would be to move away from this endless
discourse and ponder a long-term solution that focuses on
denying new recruits to extremist causes. Proposals on how
this can be accomplished come even from the Islamic world,
although they are sometimes drowned out by the vociferous
chorus of jihadis. A few weeks ago a significant gathering
was organized in Kuala Lumpur by the authoritative Institute
of Strategic and International Studies. Addressing this
venue, Malaysia's new prime minister, Abdullah Badawi --
the personification of diplomatic ability, moderation and
Islamic scholarship -- drew a line between true Quranic
teachings and modern distortions, going as far as to say
that "terrorism is the mortal enemy of Islam, not its
consort."
ISIS Chairman Noordin Sopiee added: "Al-Qaeda is using
terrorism to achieve political objectives. They are trying
to legitimize what they are doing in the name of Islam and
thereby damaging the image of Islam." But it is when
we move to the world of Islamic intelligentsia that we find
even more astonishing thoughts of wisdom and moderation.
The late Palestinian Dr. Ismail al Faruqi, an authority
on Islam and comparativereligion, succinctly summarized
man's relation to God: "Islam held as a matter of principle
that no man or being is one iota nearer to God than any
other. . . . Pax Islamica never meant conversion to Islam,
but entry into a peaceful relationship wherein ideas are
free to move and men are free to convince and to be convinced."
Glimpses into the work of another Muslim thinker, Tunisian
philosopher and historian Mohamed Talbi, are inspiring.
His motto is to be faithful to one's roots and cultural
heritage while maintaining a deep respect for the ways of
thinking of others as "all religions meet each other
in Mysticism." He wrote: "I am proud to be a Tunisian,
but I am not the enemy of my fellow human being, and I do
not consider myself more worthy than him. . . . We have
to accept each other with our ways of thinking. We may fight
but with humility, modesty and friendship, so that our confrontation
helps the cause of truth. . . . Pluralism belongs to our
future."
Talbi moved from theoretical heights to concrete problems
of our times: "In any European library one can find
a plethora of our [Arab and Islamic] manuscripts. There
is no such case in any library of a Muslim country. As long
as there is absence of interest for the other, there will
be no free thought."
This last reference is of the outmost importance in the
context of present tensions. As long as there is no intellectual
cross-fertilization, there will be bitterness and a lack
of mutual understanding. It is in such troubled waters of
ignorance that fanatics of all shades keep trying to recruit
new followers. It is here that we face the long-term dimension
of the calamity of terror: No matter how many heads are
eliminated, as long as there are vast reservoirs of new
recruits the problem will be with us. There are many similarly
eloquent ideas and admonitions from scores of other Muslim
thinkers, a refreshing reminder that Islam has a moderate
face. The question is: Are these voices heard or silenced
by the fury of the fanatics? As for the West: Is it trying
hard enough to build and strengthen bridges with these elements?
How can the Islamic-Christian dialogue be invigorated, especially
as we bear in mind, along with Talbi, that this process
goes back centuries to the era of revelation?
The outlines of this article may be easily dismissed as
too simplistic, but I am afraid that we are now confronted
with so much violence and suffering precisely because we
forget the very simplicity of our common humanity. M (GS/JT/IM)
George Sioris, a former ambassador of Greece to Japan, is
president emeritus of the Asiatic Society of Japan and a
contributing adviser to The Japan Times. The Japan Times
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