Islam and the West: Annual Report on the State of Dialogue

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Statement 1 Bush gives an address on Middle East peace. Protagonist: Bush Explicit rating: Neutral Implicit rating: Neutral Bush’s activity – giving an address – is not explicitly qualified, nor is it generally considered to be positive or negative activity in <strong>and</strong> of itself. Statement 2 The <strong>Islam</strong>ic group Hamas seized control of <strong>the</strong> Gaza Strip in a bloody sweep. Protagonist: Hamas Explicit rating: Negative Implicit rating: Negative “Bloody” is both a negative adjective <strong>and</strong> an indication of a negative circumstance. Statement 3 Mr. Bush pledged to restart <strong>the</strong> moribund peace process… Protagonist: Bush Explicit rating: Neutral Implicit rating: Neutral Both <strong>the</strong> explicit <strong>and</strong> implicit ratings are ambivalent – a restart of <strong>the</strong> peace process is generally considered to be positive, but <strong>the</strong> fact that <strong>the</strong> peace process is “moribund” is negative. Ambivalent statements are coded as neutral. Statement 4 By pouring aid <strong>and</strong> diplomatic attention… Protagonist: Bush Explicit rating: Neutral Implicit rating: Neutral Bush’s action is not explicitly qualified. Providing aid <strong>and</strong> attention to could be perceived as implicitly positive or negative for <strong>the</strong> US government. Statement 5 On <strong>the</strong> new government established by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Protagonist: <strong>the</strong> government established by Abbas Explicit rating: Neutral Implicit rating: Positive While aid <strong>and</strong> attention are not identified with any positive adjectives, <strong>the</strong>y are generally considered to be a good thing for a country. Abbas receiving aid is implicitly positive. <strong>Islam</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>West</strong>: <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> on <strong>the</strong> State of Dialogue Media Coverage 121
Conclusions <strong>and</strong> Pat <strong>Islam</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>West</strong>: <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> on <strong>the</strong> State of Dialogue 122 Conclusions <strong>and</strong> Paths Forward 9Conclusions <strong>and</strong> Paths Forward As <strong>the</strong>year2007drewtoaclose, Muslim-<strong>West</strong> relations were marked by contradictory trends. At a November meeting in Annapolis, Maryl<strong>and</strong> hosted by <strong>the</strong> US government, Israeli <strong>and</strong> Palestinian leaders committed <strong>the</strong>mselves to negotiations to bring about a peaceful two-state solution. That same month, Vatican officials responded positively to an invitation to dialogue issued by 138 Muslim leaders several weeks earlier. In December, <strong>the</strong> civil war in Iraq appeared to be ebbing, <strong>and</strong> a revision of <strong>the</strong> US intelligence community’s assessment of Iran’s nuclear programme reduced fears of an imminent military clash. Not all <strong>the</strong> news at year’s end was good. The global media was transfixed by a crisis involving aBritishschoolteacherjailedin<strong>the</strong>Sudan for allowing her pupils to name a toy bear “Muhammad”. Observers questioned <strong>the</strong> ability of <strong>the</strong> Israeli <strong>and</strong> Palestinian governments, under pressure at home, to arrive at long hoped for compromise. The situation in Afghanistan <strong>and</strong> Iraq remained volatile. In December al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for a car bombing outside UN offices in Algiers, Algeria. And, during <strong>the</strong> final days of 2007, Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in Pakistan, dealing a blow to <strong>the</strong> country’s democratic prospects with potential repercussions far beyond. It is not clear what 2008 will bring. Efforts to improve relations between <strong>the</strong> <strong>West</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Muslim world – <strong>and</strong> to foster peaceful interaction <strong>and</strong> collaboration among Muslims <strong>and</strong> non- Muslims within <strong>the</strong> <strong>West</strong> – will be shaped both by broad global trends <strong>and</strong> contingent, unforeseeable events. High-level international meetings promise to advance dialogue, including a forum of <strong>the</strong> Alliance of Civilizations in Madrid in January <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> Organization of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Islam</strong>ic Conference summit two months later in Dakar (see box). At <strong>the</strong> national <strong>and</strong> local levels, numerous meetings, seminars <strong>and</strong> collaborative projects are planned for <strong>the</strong> year. How those efforts will play out will depend on a shifting international <strong>and</strong> national political constellation. But <strong>the</strong>ir success will also depend on whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>and</strong> how <strong>the</strong>y link back to <strong>and</strong> build upon <strong>the</strong> diverse dialogue efforts that have exp<strong>and</strong>ed dramatically over <strong>the</strong> past several years. <strong>Islam</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>West</strong>: <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> on <strong>the</strong> State of Dialogue provides a map of that diversity. It highlights high-profile initiatives led by global institutions, national governments <strong>and</strong> non-governmental organizations, <strong>and</strong> features many local <strong>and</strong> regional efforts that focus on particular communities. Throughout, <strong>the</strong> focus is on programmes <strong>and</strong> events designed to go beyond just talk to build knowledge <strong>and</strong> trust <strong>and</strong> to advance collaboration around key shared policy challenges, including peace, human rights <strong>and</strong> social justice. This report seeks to raise <strong>the</strong> visibility of dialogue efforts <strong>and</strong> through public opinion <strong>and</strong> media analysis, to illuminate <strong>the</strong> changing setting within which dialogue unfolds. It aims to bring dialogue efforts to <strong>the</strong> attention of leaders across government, business <strong>and</strong> civil society. Just as important, <strong>the</strong> report aims to inform those engaged in Muslim-<strong>West</strong> dialogue across multiple issue areas of <strong>the</strong> parallel <strong>and</strong> complementary efforts of o<strong>the</strong>rs. Greater awareness may help to build networks <strong>and</strong> deepen collaboration.
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Islam and the West: Annual Report on the State of Dialogue

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