الإسلام والغرب: نحو عالم أفضل

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Globalization and the Contribution of the European Muslims

Goethe was however not naïve when it came to the explosive force of religious questions. In the East-Western Diwan he writes: “The actual and most profound theme of world and human history, indeed the only theme - under which all others are subsumed, remains the conflict between non- belief and belief.” 5. The European Muslims are part of the Umma There may well be many differences between the Muslims of the world, but they also have many fundamental things in common. The principles of Islam: We all affirm the connection between our existence and creation. The consequences are obvious. We pray, fast, pay zakat etc. Of course, for European Muslims, as for other Muslims, the fard ‘ibada – the obligatory practices of Islam – escape political categorisation. The shahada, the prayer, fasting the zakat, the pilgrimage – I cannot perform them in a ‘fundamentalist’, ‘liberal’ or ‘European’ fashion, I can only perform them correctly. Praying only once a week does not make me ‘European’, and regularly attending Jumu’a does not make me a fundamentalist. The correct performance of these practices is the subject of Islamic law. On the basis of this insight we can confidently define the content of a positive vision for Islam in Europe. We European Muslims, who practise Islam correctly are capable of formulating a critique of modern extremism - but it is not a criticism which leads out of Islam but rather into it. 6. Terrorism or Extremism is not the Real Enemy of Globalisation One characteristic which perhaps especially distinguishes Islam in Europe and the European Muslims is that we have a very thorough knowledge of the thinkers and thinking methods, systems and ideologies that have originated in the West. In Germany we have experienced painful ideologies und systems like National Socialism or Communism. There is no

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