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Vienna conference ends with appeals for
understanding, tolerance
18.11.2005
By Roland Eggleston
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A major international
conference on Islam concluded in Vienna with strong
appeals from prominent Muslim leaders to recognize
international terrorism as simply "terrorism."
Political figures from Islamic countries, including
the presidents of Iraq and Afghanistan, argued that
it should never be labeled "Islamic" or "Muslim"
terrorism because Islam is based on peace, dialogue,
and tolerance.
Vienna, 16 November 2005 (RFE/RL) -- "Salaam"
-- meaning "peace" -- was the key word of the
three-day conference, titled "Islam in a Pluralistic
World."
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Afghan President
Hamid Karzai used the word in their remarks to
emphasize the peaceful nature of Islam. Other
speakers quoted passages from the Koran to the
effect that all men and women, regardless of faith,
are creatures of God and should live in peace with
each other without discrimination.
Several referred to the Prophet Muhammad as an
example, including Karzai.
"One of the closest companions of -- peace be upon
him -- Prophet Muhammad was Belal, a man from Africa
and a former slave," Karzai said. "The differences
of racial and social background did not stop the
holy prophet -- peace be upon him -- to bestow upon
Belal the greatest honor of being Islam's first
muazzin, the man who calls people to prayer."
Karzai said the story reflects the true values of
the faith: "Put in the context of an era where
slavery and racial segregation was the norm, Belal
was a powerful embodiment of the values of Islam."
Lakhdar Brahimi is an adviser to UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan. As the first Muslim
speaker, he summed up the appeal by Muslim leaders
to the rest of the world.
"We must educate ourselves and our societies to go
beyond stereotypes of the other and avoid simplistic
characterizations that exacerbate misunderstandings
and prevent real problems being tackled," Brahimi
said.
The long list of speakers included Hojatoleslam
Mohammad Khatami, the former president of Iran, who
discussed the meaning of religious pluralism, as
well as the Egyptian and Moroccan ministers for
religious affairs and the Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomeos.
Iraq's new government was strongly represented in
Vienna. In addition to President Talabani, the
delegation from Baghdad included the former
president of the Iraqi Governing Council, Adnan
Pachachi, and the deputy speaker of the Iraqi
parliament, Husayn al-Shahristani.
In his remarks, Talabani praised the U.S. decision
to overthrow Saddam Hussein.
"That's why the war that coalition forces waged
against the dictatorship was the only way to deliver
the Iraqi people from the crimes [of the
dictatorship], its atrocities, and evils," Talabani
said.
Talabani gave the conference a detailed description
of the country's newly adopted constitution and
emphasized the democratic rights now available to
all Iraqis.
Al-Shahristani said Iraq could become a
"standard-bearer for openness, tolerance, and a
multicultural society once terrorism is defeated."
The secretary-general of the Organization of the
Islamic Conference, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, discussed
how European countries could begin to foster a
peaceful relationship between Muslims and
non-Muslims on their territories. He said it would
make a difference if Muslims played a greater role
in public life. "In this way," he said, "Europe
would become a truly pluralistic continent."
Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi, who won the Nobel Peace
Prize in 2003, gave a passionate address about the
continuing rejection of basic rights for women in
some Muslim countries. Without naming names, she
sharply criticized some governments that "hide
behind the shield of Islam and justify their tyranny
by presenting a distorted interpretation of Islam."
Western Attitudes
Several speakers were critical of Western attitudes
toward Islam. Some noted that the word "crusade" had
occasionally been used in relation to the U.S.
invasion of Iraq or the war against terrorism. They
said this shows insensitivity to the Muslim world's
rejection of the European-led Crusades of the Middle
Ages.
Egypt's minister for religious affairs, Mahmud
Zakzouk, said some Western countries appear to
believe that Muslim countries are in a "barbaric
condition" and that democracy needs to be spread in
order to "civilize" them. He said any program of
this sort will be resisted.
Zakzouk also charged that some Western countries do
not understand the underlying problems that foster
terrorism. "The so-called struggle against terrorism
led by Western governments," he said, "ignores the
basic roots of terrorism: subjection and poverty."
Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, who
organized the conference, concluded the gathering by
saying that she considered the broad exchange of
views in the meetings and in private talks to have
been a success. She said improving relations with
the Muslim world will be one of Austria's priorities
when it takes over the chairmanship of the European
Union in 2006.
She said one of her plans is to convene a meeting of
European imams. It will take up the work of a
similar meeting of imams in the Austrian city of
Graz in 2003.
(Wade German contributed to this report.)
www.rferl.org
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