Freelance writer/analyst

Religious Harmony; a Way for Human Civilization Survival   Laura Schuurmans, Jakarta During the initial conquest of Islam in the seventh century Muslim armies conquered Syria, Palestine, Egypt and North Africa, all until then part of Christendom. Muslims continued to conquer Spain and Portugal in the eight century, followed by Sicily a century later. This provoked the first attempts to organize an effective Christian counterattack. A subsequent series of campaigns to recover the Holy Land, known as the Christian Crusades, ended in failure and expulsion.[1] In the centuries thereafter, Christians and Muslims coexisted in a relatively peaceful fashion. During the great Muslim Empires, the Ottomans (1299-1922) conquered much of Southeastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. In the early days of the sixteenth century, the Safavid Dynasty (1502-1736) was the largest Shia Empire in the Muslim world which included today’s Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq and parts of Afghanistan. For more than three hundred years the Mughals (1526-1858) ruled most of the Indian subcontinent and parts of present day Afghanistan. During that period, Islam represented the world’s greatest military power, it was the world’s foremost economic power, and it had achieved the highest level so far in human history in the arts and sciences of civilization. [2]In the eighteenth century, however, science and technology rapidly developed in the West and new inventions were discovered. Europeans set out on a voyage to conquer and colonize other parts of the world. This modernization process joined by secular culture replaced spirituality with rationalism, and gradually spread throughout Europe. The great Muslim Empires scientifically lagged behind and did not adapt to more secular values, creating a vacuum between Europe and the Muslim world. While the great Muslim Empires were hit by hunger, revolts and political turmoil, Europeans started dominating the world, and the Ottoman Empire was the last to collapse in 1922. Unemployment prevailed in many parts of Europe after the devastation of WWII, and governments encouraged its citizens to migrate to Canada, Australia and New Zealand. In the late fifties and early sixties, however, there was a growing demand for unskilled workers in Europe and Muslim men from Turkey and North Africa were recruited to meet the labor shortages. Guest workers initially came without their families and governments anticipated that they wanted to make as much money possible in the shortest possible time and return to their home countries. The majority however, enjoyed their guest country and its living standards, invited their families to come over and remained in Europe. At present, it is estimated that between 15 and 20 million Muslim immigrants now call Europe home and make up four to five percent of its total population.[3] In the subsequent decades after the war Muslim immigrants and Christian nationals peacefully coexisted. Despite Europe’s tolerant society and efforts of governments to assimilate them, cultural, educational and especially social differences created obstacles for them to integrate into the Western society. These differences created a gap between Europeans and Muslim immigrants which has fast been growing since the rise of terrorist attacks in the West. In the fifteenth century the Roman Catholics in Spain re-conquered Christian territory and defeated the Islamic Moors who had long ruled over the southern part. During the Spanish inquisition the Catholics expelled the Jews, forced them to convert to Christianity or subjected them to persecution. An exodus started and many Jews fled to different parts of Europe while others fled to Turkey where the Ottoman Sultan welcomed the skilled craftsmen into his Muslim Empire. In the centuries to come, Jews contributed to the growing development of the Ottoman Empire and peacefully lived together with Muslims.Only since the creation of Israel in 1948 hatred was generated among the Muslims against Israel and the West. Following the six day war in 1967, Palestinians lost the majority of their land to Israel and many Palestinians lost their homes. Nowadays more than four million refugees are scattered throughout the region and millions other live in dire conditions in Gaza and West Bank.[4] In the Muslim world the majority believes that the West strongly favors the Jews whereas they take a moderate stance in the creation of a sovereign Palestinian State. Meanwhile, Western dominating economic powers spread globally, generating a fast growing gap between the developed and developing world. Audio-visual media like radio and television, which were later followed by the internet, made many masses of people particularly in Muslim countries aware of its poor economic conditions and lack of development. This developed a new ideology against the capitalist and secular West which expressed itself in the horrifying attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001.Following these attacks, in October 2001, the United States, backed by the United Nations Security Council invaded Afghanistan to fight the ‘war on terror’. They rapidly accomplished their mission and NATO forces were installed to stabilize and reconstruct Afghanistan. But more than six years since the invasion, NATO forces have not been able to win the war and the security situation is fast deteriorating especially since the Taliban’s spring offensive in 2006. 2007 has been the bloodiest year and going into the sixth year since the invasion, an additional 3200 US-Marines have been sent to Afghanistan to fight the insurgency.[5] Since NATO is failing to win this war, the Afghans often consider the international coalition forces the aggressor and an occupying force, rather than liberators.To disarm Iraq from alleged weapons of mass destruction (WMD), to topple Saddam Hussein, fight the war on terror and bring democracy to its people, in April 2003 the United States, backed by Britain, invaded Iraq. This war was opposed by major countries like Russia, France, Germany, China and Iran. Additionally, the United Nations Security Council did not endorse this invasion. Saddam Hussein was captured and executed, tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed but weapons of mass destruction were never found. Moreover, a relationship between Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden was never proven.[6] The war in Iraq has spawned anti Western sentiment in the Muslim world. They accuse the West for invading Iraq to exploit oil at the expense of innocent Iraqi civilians. Although the vast majority of Muslims throughout the world do not support terrorism and strongly condemn any violent attacks, many Muslims increasingly consider this ‘war on terror’ a war against Islam. The creation of Israel, which displaced millions of Palestinians, the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and in Iraq, which have killed tens of thousands innocent civilians while millions other continue to suffer are not religious motivated, but Muslims throughout the world believe it is a part of a religious war waged against Islam. The earlier war in the Balkans where widespread ethnic cleansing took place against Bosnian Muslims and Russia’s brutal and indiscriminate war against Chechen separatist have also contributed to this development.Especially the publication of the controversial and provocative Danish cartoon that depicted the Prophet Muhammad with a time bomb on his turban and the Dutch anti-Islam movie “Fitna” which took verses from the Quran out of context, have added to a growing fear in the Muslim world that deliberately a wrong and negative image of Islam is being created in the West. In Muslim countries, however, these aspects have turned into a political tool for some leaders who often easily receive support from religious leaders to win the hearts and minds of the grassroots which have received little but basic education. Wide-spread poverty and millions that have little access to education are important aspects being used to generate anti-Western sentiment and to blame the West for its growing problems. As a consequence, poor, disenchanted and often badly educated youth are easily persuaded to join militant groups where they are being brainwashed, trained and turned into terrorists. However, it is remarkable that the perpetrators of 9/11 were highly educated, middle class professionals and a fair amount of today’s terrorists are actually holding university degrees.In Islamic countries, Muslims became exposed to modernity during the colonial era and they often mechanically have associated modernization with colonization. In the past, colonizers usually only benefited the elite, exploited the grassroots and denied them access to proper healthcare, education and social justice, which made them feel inferior as the oppressors with the local elite enjoyed a lavish life. Decades after independence, however, the grassroots have not succeeded to make enough progress in the society and they remain deprived from education, social justice and development, still blaming the former colonial powers and its Western allies. After the fall of communism in 1991, this new phenomenon of terrorism first presented itself in 1993 when the New York’s World Trade Center was bombed for the first time. New movements have since been formed which are composed of different individuals with different nationalities, ethnicities and group affiliations.The roots of these terrorist organizations can be traced back to Afghanistan when Muslims from all over the world were recruited to fight the jihad, the ‘holy war’ against the Soviets in 1979. Osama Bin Laden was one of the mujahideen who established a network of training camps right across the Afghan border in Pakistan to train and arm the mujahideen. After the communists were defeated in 1989 these fighters returned to their home countries where they were declared heroes for defeating a world power. This laid the foundation for today’s worldwide terrorist network. While in the secular West, science has continued to develop and new innovations have been introduced, the Muslim world is still going through a process of modernization. In this world with polarized societies the gap has continued growing between the rich and poor, the West and the Muslim world, the secularists and religious. As a consequence, in this time of globalization where technology instantly connects people throughout the world, messages of hatred are rapidly being spread which are easily accessible to anyone. After 9/11, the terrorist attacks on the London subway and the Madrid train bombing, many people in the West have started to believe that Islam incites violence while in Muslim countries messages have been spread of the immoral, materialistic attitude of the so-called unbelievers in the West.It is remarkable that many Muslims throughout the world often consider the “West” the United States and Europe, but history, culture and also faith significantly divides the two continents. Moreover, the US and Europe have significant different policies especially regarding Palestine-Israel and the invasion of Iraq.However, despite its fundamental differences, the United States and Europe have enjoyed strong relations since the end of WWII. In 1947 the United States developed the Marshall plan based on humanitarian grounds to stop the spread of communism and to put the European economy back on its feet.[7]As a result, many European countries enjoyed unprecedented economic growth.  More than 60 years later after WWII, however, the world has changed and has become far more dangerous. As the Cold War came to an end in 1991, a new ideology has replaced communism and international terrorist organizations falsely use Islamic religious ideology as a justified weapon to kill. This development has rapidly been spread, gained strength, and has continued to polarize parts of the West and the Muslim world. While religious tolerance had lasted for centuries, this tendency has rapidly been changing. But without religious tolerance there will be no harmony between the West and the Muslim World. In order to have a harmonious society that stands for tolerance throughout the world, the far and foremost important objective for both the West and the Muslim world is to stop this fast widening gap from growing further and to reach a religious balance. The following are important factors which may contribute to obtain an international harmonious society: – Although it is in the best interest of the West to create both a secure and viable Israeli and Palestine State where both citizens live peacefully next to each other, since Israel was created in1948, no peaceful settlement has been reached and Palestinian’s dire humanitarian conditions have continued to deteriorate. A revised strategy for Israel, Palestine and its international mediators may have to be considered to come to an agreement.  – The ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan do not contribute to peace and stability in the world. Although the United States and its allies have toppled autocratic regimes of these countries, a revived strategy should be implemented to achieve peace and stability. A war cannot be won through military means only, and political dialogue, reconstruction and economic development are equally important factors that contribute to stability. – In developing countries, economic development, social justice and education are key factors to win the hearts and minds of the underprivileged in the society. The West together with local governments should continue to invest time and money in education, good governance and development. – Despite enormous efforts of international organizations, political leaders in the West and in Muslim countries should continue to sit together around the table and continue the dialogue that brings the two civilizations closer together. In Muslim countries, leaders should condemn any acts of terrorism and bring its perpetrators to justice. In the West, leaders should re-evaluate the limits of freedom of expression, which by no means should be offensive to any individual or religious society. – Throughout history women have played a significant role to carry the responsibility on their shoulders to raise their children, support their husband, and help the elders in the family. Regardless of their social, cultural and educational background it is the role and the responsibility of women to make all possible efforts to commit time to raise their children, to give them the best education possible and to bring them up with tolerance towards different religions and civilizations with different customs.