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

<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
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Citizenship <strong>and</strong> Integration
As early as 2003, Italian Interior Minister
Giuseppe Pisanu proposed <strong>the</strong> creation of a
Council of Muslims, similar to <strong>the</strong> French model.
The Consulta <strong>Islam</strong>ica (<strong>Islam</strong>ic Consultation)
was set up in 2005 to facilitate dialogue with
Muslim leaders on pressing issues.
Civil society organizations have also been active
in Italy. The Unione delle Comunita de
Organizzazioni <strong>Islam</strong>iche in Italia (Union of
<strong>the</strong> Committee of Italian <strong>Islam</strong>ic Organizations)
has served since 1990 to offer a collective
Muslim voice in dealings with <strong>the</strong> Italian state.
The community claims to represent 80% to
90% of Italy’s Muslim mosques <strong>and</strong> associations.
Its conferences debate <strong>and</strong> present conclusions,
several in <strong>the</strong> form of formal statements, on
issues relating to citizenship <strong>and</strong> integration.
Following major events in Muslim-European
relations, such as <strong>the</strong> death of John Paul II
<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> London bombings, it has helped to
craft constructive national responses. Ano<strong>the</strong>r
Muslim organization, <strong>the</strong> Centro <strong>Islam</strong>ico
Culturale d’Italia (<strong>Islam</strong>ic Cultural Centre of
Italy) brings toge<strong>the</strong>r representatives of mosques
<strong>and</strong> <strong>Islam</strong>ic associations across central <strong>and</strong>
nor<strong>the</strong>rn Italy around issues of common concern.
Dialogue efforts at <strong>the</strong> level of civil society have
flourished in o<strong>the</strong>r countries as well. In Spain,
numerous projects tackle <strong>the</strong> social controversies
linked to <strong>the</strong> integration of Muslim minorities.
The Atman Foundation for Dialogue among
Civilizations hosts a biannual Atman Encounter
for International Debate. Itbringsinternational
leaders <strong>and</strong> intellectuals to Madrid to discuss
key issues such as immigration, freedom <strong>and</strong>
respect.
At <strong>the</strong> local level, <strong>the</strong> Unión de Comunidades
Islámicas de España (Union of <strong>Islam</strong>ic
Communities of Spain) represents a broad
range of local Muslim communities <strong>and</strong> facilitates
cooperation between <strong>the</strong> government <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>
Muslim minority. It also sponsors workshops
designed to build <strong>the</strong> capacity of Muslim
communities to engage more actively <strong>and</strong>
constructively with local government.
Denmark was <strong>the</strong> venue for <strong>the</strong> November 2005
Conference on EU-Citizenship <strong>and</strong> Religious
Identity, sponsoredby<strong>the</strong><strong>Islam</strong>ic-Christian
Study Centre of Copenhagen. Theconference
convened both Christian <strong>and</strong> Muslim leaders.
The three-day event addressed issues such as
<strong>the</strong> admission of Turkey into <strong>the</strong> EU, <strong>the</strong> identities
of Muslim communities in secular Europe, <strong>and</strong>
Muslims’ <strong>and</strong> non-Muslims’ perceptions of
each o<strong>the</strong>r within European society.
“ Our famous tolerance has
degenerated into indifference.
This makes people feel excluded –
sometimes literally because <strong>the</strong>y
do not speak <strong>the</strong> language –
so that <strong>the</strong>y retreat into <strong>the</strong>ir
own bastions <strong>and</strong> cultivate <strong>the</strong>ir
own truths.”
Maria J.A. van der Hoeven
In <strong>the</strong> Ne<strong>the</strong>rl<strong>and</strong>s, a country wracked by
tensions in <strong>the</strong> wake of <strong>the</strong> 2004 murder of
Theo van Gogh, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Islam</strong>ic University of
Rotterdam sponsored <strong>the</strong> fourth annual
meeting of <strong>the</strong> Union of NGOs of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Islam</strong>ic
World in June 2007. The meeting, a first in
Europe, brought toge<strong>the</strong>r more than 50
representatives of NGOs from 15 countries.
It was preceded by meetings with Dutch
NGOs, which saw pragmatic discussions
about running non-governmental organizations
<strong>and</strong> enhancing cooperation.