Çemen Polat
Samuel Huntington’s theory of a “clash of civilizations,” a term initially proposed by Bernard Lewis, has been refuted by a large number of scholars on the international level -- particularly after the events of Sept. 11, which distorted the image of Islam.
Huntington’s theory concludes that Islam shares mutual detestation with other civilizations, particularly with the Western world, identifying the “bloody borders” between Muslims and non-Muslims. In response to this theory, scholarly works, seminars, conferences and educational awareness programs at all levels have been organized to attempt to eliminate or minimize inimical stereotypes, prejudices and iniquitous phobias proposed by some lobby groups, parties and individuals around the globe.
Consequently, the necessity of interfaith dialogue between civilizations has been the central aspect of the Gülen movement for more than 30 years. Fethullah Gülen, a great Muslim scholar and a pioneer of interfaith and intercultural dialogue, has inspired millions of people inside and outside of Turkey, including Muslims and non-Muslims, into service for humankind. Dialogue, tolerance, compassion, mutual understanding and common values are the main thoughts of Gülen’s writings and discourse, which oppose the clash. His ideas have inspired many followers to initiate organizations to promote dialogue, social harmony and peaceful coexistence throughout the world, Australia being one of them.
The Australian Intercultural Society (AIS) is the first initiative of the year 2000 to engage in dialogue among various nations, religions and cultures. The number of similar organizations has increased over time and at present they are found in almost every capital city of Australia’s states. The aim of the AIS is to promote interreligious and cross-cultural relations, harmony and social inclusion in the diverse multi-faith, multicultural communities in the country, acting as a catalyst for social and policy change. The AIS organizes community awareness programs, conferences, interfaith family dinners, education projects and works in cooperation with government organizations, academics and the media to achieve its aspirations.
A decade of service
On June 1 the AIS celebrated the 10th year of its establishment with a program organized at one of Melbourne’s historic venues, the Hotel Windsor. The keynote speech was delivered by the governor of Victoria, Professor David de Kretser, who was accompanied by his wife, Mrs. Jan de Kretser. The program included short speeches from prominent Melbournians, international scholars and an award ceremony.
In his eloquent keynote speech, the governor addressed the importance of interfaith dialogue and the contribution of the AIS to the Australian community. He said: “I believe that interfaith dialogue is crucial today because the conflicts that can arise from tensions between those of differing faiths and ethnicities may threaten the survival of mankind as a whole because of the power of the weapons that are available. … Our capacity to live in cohesion is dependent in part on a mutual respect for each others’ faiths, recognizing and appreciating that each and every faith is founded on a belief that by nature cannot be logically proven. Many of us belong to faiths or religions that profess a belief in a god, although the pathways to reach that god vary. Interfaith dialogue creates the space for us to recognize that commonality and mutual respect for the beliefs of each other. It allows us to remove prejudice and intolerance, and enables us to work together to support models of good governance that will ensure the citizens of this world are respected and treated equally regardless of their religious beliefs or ethnicity.”
Professor De Kretser continued by emphasizing that dialogue knows no geographic, cultural or religious boundaries and that in our day and age, promoting and engaging in interfaith dialogue has never been so timely, so necessary and so important. The governor added: “We live in a newly emerging global context that requires us to look beyond traditional realist notions of world order. … We are now experiencing an era of conflict that some wish to define by religious difference. The most serious catalyst for this change is of course the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. That event unquestionably changed the international landscape and brought with it an incredible cocktail of fear, anger and violence. Since then, the relationship between Islam and the West -- if such labels can ever be accurately applied -- has become a major issue in contemporary international relations and we now live in a new world order where religion is increasingly a focal point of conflict.
“On that point, I hasten to observe that a major obstacle to meaningful dialogue results from the aggregation of diverse groups of people under unhelpful labels. This is especially because some conflicts occur between different branches of the same religion, be it Islam or Christianity. These times demonstrate the sheer complexity of the broader and intertwined relationships between politics, cultures and religion.
“Yet we should not take this complexity to mean that such relationships are impossible to negotiate or are inherently problematic. With all of this in mind, we cannot escape the fact that we need to find ways to coexist, and do so peacefully with each other -- we have no other choice. This is why interfaith dialogue is critically important and so timely a topic.”
The governor praised the contribution of the AIS, proving itself to be not only a timely but a successful organization for promoting dialogue and social harmony between diverse cultural and religious groups in Australia since its inception in 2000. He said: “The AIS acts as a catalyst for change aiming to break down barriers and overcome discrimination, myths and misconceptions, particularly across faiths. The AIS rightly emphasizes the importance of cooperation and supports leaders from different faiths. The AIS is to be commended for its innovative and engaging approach to interfaith dialogue -- it has made interfaith dialogue more than just about words but about listening and reflecting, and about interacting and engaging -- making the process of dialogue a personal experience.”
‘AIS: at forefront of dialogue’
The next speech was delivered by George Lekakis, an officer of the Order of Australia (AO) and the chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, who agreed with the governor and believes that interfaith dialogue is paramount to ensuring our diverse and complex society remains a safe, harmonious and respectful place. He expressed that the Victorian community is fortunate to have an organization like the AIS, which carries out its interfaith work in a spirit of engagement and inclusiveness. Mr. Lekakis said: “Over the past 10 years I’ve attended and supported activities and events held by the AIS and each and every one has been a pleasure and a rewarding experience. The AIS has and is at the forefront of interfaith and intercultural dialogue and in promoting community harmony in Victoria and around Australia. … They have been the true pioneers!” On behalf of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, Mr. Lekakis acknowledged the tireless work of the volunteers associated with the AIS that has been instrumental in bringing about a better understanding of the Muslim faith but in particular in bringing people closer to working with one another to promote dialogue and friendship.
The AIS was commended on its important work to build a strong human rights culture in Victoria. Dr. Helen Szoke, commissioner from the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, commented on the contribution of the AIS beautifully, saying: “Intolerance, prejudice and racism are borne of fear and ignorance. The more familiar we become with each other, the more we can build mutual understanding, trust and respect. Sadly, discrimination on the basis of race is the second largest area of complaint received at the commission and our research and education functions indicate that we have a lot to do as a community to continue to build mutual respect and harmony...”
Published on Today's Zaman, 22 July 2010, Thursday
Related Article:
Dialogue instead of clash of civilizations: the contributions of the Australian Intercultural Society (2)
