From Cartoon Crisis to Dialogue Criticism
The reasoning of some people is exactly backwards. For instance, because of the recent cartoon crisis, you encounter a reaction like, "See, you keep talking about inter-religious and inter-civilization dialogue. What's its use now!?" Frankly speaking, I really have difficulty understanding that kind of logic.
If people are at daggers drawn because of a few drawings by some rude cartoonists and irresponsible editors who have caused trouble around the world, does it mean dialogue is needed or does it mean the dialogue efforts are harmful?
A reverse question: Let's say that the dialogue efforts are shelved completely, will inter-religious tensions end? Who will benefit from the clash of civilizations? Muslims? There is a bitter reality that must be faced here: Islam is not known around the globe. Unfortunately, it is not. The Western society does not know how magnificent the Prophet Mohammed is, and what a monumental book the Qu'ran is!
Some may be willing to continue their lives in their webbed caves with offensive presumptions, delirium of illusions, and may be willing to continue their lives with tales they themselves made up. According to these ancient storytellers, Muslims cannot interact with others except one of their own, and they shouldn't. Their only option is to wage war, the storytellers claim. Whereas, peace is fundamental according to Islam and war is the result of absolute necessity.
Some Muslims are scared to death to come face to face with the "other." But, today you cannot seclude yourself even if you shut the door to the outside world. You have to come forward and express yourself with courage. Moreover, if someone has created a negative image about you and has tied you to this image like a straitjacket, you must do something about it and must express yourself very directly!
There are people who hallucinate so badly that "in order to succeed in great projects one must bow before the big powers, or at least be under their protection." What a pity! What a shame indeed! Such thoughts totally devoid of self-confidence can neither rely in the willpower of Muslims nor in the benevolence of Allah. Even if the foe's stature changes in time, the delusion does not: Muslims hardly do anything on their own. If they do, there must be something fishy going on; at least something can only be done with the permission of the super powers What a low state of spirituality!
The price of independence is very high! Most of the time, it bewilders the friend, most of the time it makes the foe angry. Those who do not rely on any of the mortal powers become targets of counter-accusations all the time. Bankrupt skepticism foments rage, jealousy and haughtiness. Whereas, there are "pearls of wisdom" such as intelligence, willpower, and conscience; and most importantly, the belief in God that is inspired in the human soul.
The controversy over the cartoons or the murder of the Italian priest in the northern Turkish city of Trabzon do show the meaninglessness of the dialogue efforts, quite the contrary, the urgency of the need for such activities. To reduce the issue to a "mere congregational activity" is a big mistake. Of course, there are certain duties to be performed by the Religious Affairs Directorate or politicians. But, most importantly, this is the problem of every Muslim who stands against the negative image of Islam inconsequential to the present very grave situation. An interview with a cartoonist was published in Zaman's Turkuaz Sunday supplement last Sunday. The young Turkish artist, Kutlukhan Peker, whose cartoons have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The New Yorker, said that his colleagues do not know anything about Islam, and that foreigners who heard that we give our children the names Isa (Jesus) and Meryem (Mary) couldn't believe their ears. It is correct! The Westerner has never seen Christ through our eyes. No one has ever explained the Prophet of all prophets and His teachings to him. Is it possible to think that a Muslim is running away from coming face to face with the "other" because of all the prejudices against Islam? Today, more than ever, Muslims must express themselves; of course, they must be confident in their own belief and must be committed to their own belief
In the upcoming days, there will be a period when everyone (including Westerners) will "come face to face" with the "other," because there is but one life and you (we) have to share to it with the "other" somehow. What could be more natural than expressing ourselves and our belief, coming face to face with the other and preserving our own values at the same? Is there any other way to world peace?
ZAMAN
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