الإسلام والغرب: نحو عالم أفضل

B EYOND D IALOGUE P OSSIBLE A REAS OF C OOPERATION

Gunter Mulack It is a great privilege for me to share with you some ideas how we could develop cooperation between the Muslim world and Europe beyond dialogue. Despite all concerted efforts for a systematic dialogue in the aftermath of September 11 on all sides, the relationship and the trust have reached the lowest point yet. I still remember all the different dialogue conferences, especially the one between the OIC and the EU Foreign Ministers in Istanbul in the beginning of 2002, other conferences in many Arab and European countries, in which the experts of dialogue met and exchanged views on how to improve the relationship and mutual understanding. Despite all these efforts, the necessary trust which is the basis for dialogue and cultural interaction has diminished. In the current climate of fear, anger and frustration, we are witnessing a situation in which the gulf between these civilizations is growing wider almost every day. The situation in Iraq and Afghanistan is deteriorating. Electronic media report the growing violence daily and raise the fear of more clashes. More has to be done to improve the relationship. Let us be frank: Dialogue between a secular post-modern and post- religious world and a traditional religiously determinated world is not easy. If we want to have results which go beyond the mutual confirmation of peace, love and understanding, we have to change our concept of dialogue and cultural interaction and cooperation. There is another aspect which we have to take into consideration: Islam is not a foreign religion in some remote areas outside Europe, but it has become a European religion which is being lived in many European countries daily. In the European Union these are between 15 – 20 million Muslims. In Germany we have almost 3.5

-115-

Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter