Executive Summary

Are the Muslim and Western worlds monoliths? How can we improve perceptions of one civilization by the other? These and other critical issues were addressed at “Who Speaks for Islam? Who Speaks for the West?”—a conference convened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, by New York University’s Dialogues: Islamic World–U.S.–The West and the Institute of Diplomacy and Foreign Relations Malaysia on February 10–11, 2006.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi of Malaysia opened the conference, which brought together 50 eminent persons—policy makers, religious leaders, scientists, economists, news media professionals, and other opinion makers— from 17 Western, Muslim–majority, and other countries. Those attending included former president of Iran Mohammad Khatami, Grand Mufti of Bosnia–Herzegovina Mustafa Ceric, Oxford University historian Timothy Garton Ash, president of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund Stephen Heintz, and director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Center for Global Security Research Ronald Lehman. Participants engaged in lively debates aimed at conveying the diversity within each tradition, dispelling misperceptions that can cloud members of each tradition’s understanding of the other, and developing strategies to promote a better relationship between the Muslim and Western worlds. Participants tackled such timely issues as the impact of globalization on the Muslim world and the challenges that science and technology pose for the Muslim–Western encounter. The conference concluded with a policy–oriented session devoted to laying the ground for new frameworks for a better relationship between Islam and the West.

The conference reached the following conclusions:

Freedom of speech is a universal value. It is the oxygen of liberty, and, as such, it should be encouraged rather than stifled. The “collision of opinion” is a healthy, if uncomfortable, process, resulting over time in improved intercommunal understanding. Yet free speech should be exercised in a manner that is balanced, fair, nuanced, and contextualized. Free speech cannot be unlimited. Every society sets certain legal limits defined by knowledge of and respect for local customs. The boundaries placed on free speech should be minimal, however, and should mostly serve to prevent libel, promote respect for individuals, and avert violence. In keeping with this approach, individuals’ and institutions’ responsible self–restraint in the exercise of free speech is of paramount importance. Ultimately, there are legitimate and illegitimate ways to address the relationship between free speech and mutual respect. The illegitimate option is through violence. Legitimate options include the precise application of judicious law, responsible journalism, and promotion of the visibility of minorities’ and others’ views.

The media play a key role in transmitting socioeconomic and political information, which impact both societies’ and individuals’ perceptions. That role, a form of power, can be used positively to encourage civilized debate. It can be used negatively when dissemination of such information is unbalanced or skewed to allow the few to speak for the many. Today the Western and Muslim worlds diverge in their expectations of the role of government regarding media accountability. Western media coverage of Muslim affairs has historically focused on sensational issues. In so doing, it has often failed to portray the full reality of “normal” life in the Muslim world. Conversely, the media in Muslim countries have often presented the policies of some Western countries as driven by animus toward Islam, oil interest, and the ideological designs of conservative and neo–conservative political groups. These skewed portrayals foster both Islamophobia and fear of the West, two genuine threats to open communication between the Western and Muslim worlds.

Globalization is a complex phenomenon. It encompasses the internationalization of capital and new information technologies, as well as the transformation of culture and, in particular, the massive “transfer of taste.” Globalization is shaped by the economic and political life of individuals and communities around the world, but it is also determined by the different social environments in which people live and operate. That variety creates tensions and opportunities. Globalization puts the same challenges to Muslim and non–Muslim countries, although capital, industrialization, and technology have tended for the past 200 years to aggregate in the West. Given this historical reality, the Muslim world, which in previous eras led the world in scientific learning, needs a new push toward science and technology to level the global playing field and reap the benefits that globalization can offer. It also needs to reconcile its rich tradition with the demands of the modern world. The impact of 21st–century globalization on the Muslim world has thus far varied by nation. Generally, however, gender equality, participatory governance, education, and peace are necessary requirements for successful globalization in the Muslim world. The importance of such reforms is acknowledged in most Muslim countries, but carrying them out has proven a difficult and often politically sensitive task.

The injustice characterizing the international economic and financial system remains problematic. Fundamentally, this challenge concerns the process of international governance. Globalization is not a one–way street. It is a process of sharing power, information, knowledge, and rewards. Without a genuine share of the rewards, excluded nations will give rise to greater trouble and violence. The coming years will see a pressing need to focus on energy efficiency and restructure the world’s energy usage in terms of renewable resources rather than fossil fuels. Only by easing competition over increasingly scarce fossil fuels can the world avoid major economic and political crises between nation–states and global blocs.

Technology has become a driving force behind the world economy. Moreover, science as a discipline offers possibilities for building bridges and improving lives around the globe. Applying scientific research to practical human problems produces challenges as well as opportunities, for which open societies are better equipped. There is no contradiction between Islam as a religion and the scientific pursuit of knowledge. The ethical issues that do arise, such as cloning, relate to specific technological applications of scientific knowledge, and are issues with which other faiths wrestle as well. Sadly, despite the importance of science and technology in today’s world, the Muslim world has few loci of scientific research or technology production, whether university, public, or private sector. This dearth hurts the Muslim world economically and creatively, by spurring the brain drain of scientists who find training and employment in the West. The proud tradition of the Islamic golden age of scientific enlightenment is not borne out today. Instead, the widening technology gap makes it imperative to place renewed emphasis on technology in the Muslim world.

Genuine intercivilizational dialogue is of paramount importance in a world that feels smaller by the day. The debates about culture and identity that take place within each world and tradition—Western and Muslim—need to be recognized as part of a global conversation; the visibility of these internal dialogues may matter as much as their content. True dialogue brings out uncomfortable truths, which cultures must be ready to address constructively. Specifically, Muslims should consider reopening the interpretation of religious texts; stressing critical thinking and openness to remedy the narrowing of public education that has impoverished so many nations’ schools; and fostering a healthy civil society able to challenge official authorities. The West, for its part, should address the double standards that have informed Western nations’ assumptions and policies; recognize the contribution of other civilizations to science and technology; and work cooperatively to define common, cross–cultural principles.

Critical societal introspection and self–criticism are the sine qua non of internal and collective progress. Muslims tend to approach this issue in two ways: through criticism and self–criticism. Criticism, although a natural first response, results in feelings of self–victimization and blaming outside forces for all that goes wrong in the Muslim world. Self–criticism, while a more difficult process, invites Muslims to cast a critical but forgiving eye on domestic problems, which may result in pragmatic reforms. At its most effective, self–criticism relies on freedom, equality, incisiveness, and tolerance. The West is also faced with two options: turning a deaf ear to honest grievances or listening with an open mind to the Muslim point of view. Both the Muslim and Western worlds should endeavor to unequivocally protect individuals and groups from acts of intolerance and discrimination; protect societies against the actions of extremists; and intensify dialogue to address misunderstandings on the basis of improved, shared knowledge.


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© 2006, The Center for Dialogues: Islamic World - U.S. - The West

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