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Dear List, This is a speech by Prince El Hassan of Jordan relating to tolerance - and Islamophobia. He does a lot of work on that. I hope no one takes umbrage because it's a bit off-topic. I like the way he tells this western audience that western culture, however admirable, is not the centre of the universe. Elga S. <Start Fwd> http://www.princehassan.gov.jo/main/actspeech/fact12.htm Eulogy by HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal at the Tolerance Award Ceremony for Former President Professor Dr. Roman Herzog at the Evangelische Akademie Tutzing, Germany, 14 May 2000 [...] Ladies and Gentlemen: It is comprehension that we should seek; for comprehension precedes understanding, which in itself prevents any clash of cultures. Comprehension can only develop out of interaction and dialogue so as to overcome stereotypes and eliminate misconceptions. Just as Orientalism is important we should also promote what has come to be known as Occidentalism. This idea is clearly outlined in your [President Herzog's] book "Preventing the Clash of Civilisations - A Peace Strategy for the 21st Century", where you places a strong emphasis on dialogue. As a Muslim, like many other Muslims, I recognise that dialogue is an effective tool capable of building bridges of cooperation between representatives of different faiths and cultures, giving exposure to different perspectives, serving to enlarge areas of agreement. Most importantly, dialogue encourages the holders of conflicting opinions to recognise that neither side has a monopoly on the truth; rather that the two share this truth between them and that each has a vision which is incomplete without the other. Distinguishing boundaries between civilisations is surely to ignore the ongoing debate over their definition. The global effort to eradicate anti-Semitism, apartheid, Islamophobia and xenophobia is certainly of prime importance, but it is also time now to work for another goal, to work for the development of a Parliament of Cultures, a proposal which I recently presented to the International Parliamentary Union (IPU) in their last meeting in Amman. For when we consider the question of minorities and the conditions of tolerance, we have to immediately realise that there is a difference between the recognition of the great contribution of Western culture to human civilisation and its impact on other cultures, on the one hand, and the claim that modern Western culture is alone capable of generating progress, democracy and modernity on the other. Through working towards a "single world" built upon ten thousand cultures, *** a world in which commonalities are the foundations and the peculiarities are the cornerstones, we can truly achieve a world characterised by cooperation, a world that works together "for" something, rather than "against" something. When Dr. Andrea Pacini wondered whether one could legitimately compare the term "Western" - a geographical term that includes a cultural meaning - with what is obviously a religious term "Islamic", I am reminded that Islam sprung from the same sources and convictions as Judaism and Christianity. Islamic and Western Civilisations are together grounded in a combination of Semitic monotheism and Greek philosophy. There is no irreconcilable dichotomy. Distinguished Guests: Any world-wide proposal, in order to have legitimacy for all concerned, must be related to the various religious, cultural, legal traditions. If this can be done, globalisation will not be perceived as a western or American imposition on the rest of humankind. Globalisation will be accepted as a way to modernize and enlarge each tradition while remaining faithful to its roots. By the same token, each tradition will discover that the challenges human beings faced for centuries were met in more or less similar ways. In doing so, different civil societies might be inclined to accept the other as a brother sharing the same human destiny and not as a potential enemy or barbarian. Quoting the well-known Asian phrase, Professor Peter Graf once said: "If the winds of change are blowing, some build up walls, whilst others set up windmills", I am glad to say that our windmill is an ethic of human solidarity based on the respect for life. It incorporates a responsibility towards future generations, a protection of the human habitat, as well as a sense of altruism nurtured by a sense of mutual interest and a recognition of human dignity and worth. To quote Cicero, one of the greatest Roman orators, "There is no duty more indispensable than that of returning a kindness. All men who distrust are forgetful of a benefit." ### Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen: I come from a country yearning for peace, but at the same time suffering from the fear of peace, the fear of the other. The time is long overdue for the construction of a culture of peace that employs pragmatic and effective methods to eliminate strife and give people tangible proof of the viability of peace. During your [President Herzog's] visit to Jordan, you gave strong impulses to mobilise all possible efforts to achieve this noble goal of peace. You are a person who believes strongly in equal rights and obligations and you dedicate your personal and professional life to tolerance in all fields of human life. If I may, I would like to quote a few words from: Goethe's Faust Part I (The following is the English translation of the quote.) [When in our narrow cell each night, The lone lamp sheds its friendly light, Then from the bosom doubt and fear, Pass off, like clouds, and leave it clear, Then reason reassumes her reign, And hope begins to bloom again, And in the hush of outward strife We seem to hear the streams of life.] I would also like to read you some words from Ibn Arabi, Spain, 1165-1240 'My heart is open to all the winds: It is a pasture for gazelles And a home for Christian monks, A temple for idols, The Black Stone of the Mecca pilgrim, The table of the Torah, And the book of the Koran. Mine is the religion of love. Wherever God's caravans turn, The religion of love Shall be my religion And my faith. Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you very much. Frieden, Salam. *HRH Prince El Hassan, November 1998 ** Disturbing the Peace, pgs.10-12. *** Professor Malitza: One World, Ten Thousand Cultures. <End> _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk