الإسلام والغرب: نحو عالم أفضل

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Globalization and the Contribution of the European Muslims

10. The question is simple: how does the life of Muslims function? Islamic life needs its natural "primal cell". Our mosque complexes made – and still make - important contributions to development in Europe. The actual core of Islamic civilisation, the extended mosque complex known as the Imaret, can be studied for example very precisely in places like Prizren and Sarajevo. These mosque complexes are more extensive and wide ranging in their effect and impact than Christian churches. This unity-based architecture is in accord with the historical fact that the Prophet not only built a mosque in Madina, but a market as well. Mosque, market and income-generating foundations and trusts – the interplay between these elements constitutes that dimension which differentiates Islam from political ideology in its logic and effect. 11. Does Islam have an innovative contribution to make? It may be surprising to learn that while Europe has completed its “Enlightenment” in the political arena, a suprisingly rational contribution to the economic situation may yet be made by us Muslims. The actual dilemma of globalisation is the fragile currencies. In a top international meeting of company managers the former statesman Mahathir expressed the view that only the fear of a global currency crash could help in securing the dollar’s value. But the dollar lacks any real backing and it is in fact becoming weaker and weaker on account of the massive US foreign and national debts. "The catastrophe will come one day when even the most powerful country of the world will not be able to repay any of its loans - amounting to 5.3 billion Euro. Uncertain is only the time it will occur not that the collapse will occur", according to Mahathir. Conclusion: Initially our contribution as Muslims in Europe is of an intellectual nature: for us legal possibilities restricting the unbounded nature of capitalism are evident in Islam. This makes Islam relevant. A further

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