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

l Development
especially <strong>the</strong> development of our youths <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>
advancement of women by empowering <strong>the</strong>m into a
constructive <strong>and</strong> productive force.”
Many <strong>West</strong>ern leaders have acknowledged economic <strong>and</strong>
social dislocations in <strong>the</strong> Arab <strong>and</strong> Muslim world <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>
importance of addressing <strong>the</strong>m. Then UK Finance Minister
Gordon Brown, addressing <strong>the</strong> <strong>Islam</strong>ic Finance <strong>and</strong> Trade
Conference in London in June 2006, noted that he “was
shocked to learn that while Muslims constitute 22% of <strong>the</strong>
world's population, almost 40% of <strong>the</strong> world's out-of-school
children are Muslims.” He went on to emphasize <strong>the</strong>
importance of addressing a litany of impediments to
growth in <strong>the</strong> Muslim world, including agricultural subsidies.
“ Global dialogue about <strong>the</strong> <strong>West</strong>
<strong>and</strong> <strong>Islam</strong> is frankly absurd if its
implications for Africa are not
central to <strong>the</strong> agenda.”
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
The legacy of colonialism formed part of <strong>the</strong> backdrop for
<strong>West</strong>ern thinking around <strong>the</strong>se issues. For example, on a
visit to Algeria in July 2007, French President Nicolas Sarkozy
suggested that <strong>the</strong> European powers have an obligation
towards development in <strong>the</strong> Middle East <strong>and</strong> North Africa.
“Friendship is nurtured more by projects <strong>and</strong> actions than
by treaties or speeches,” he maintained.
International institutions are also involved in a continuing
dialogue about economic <strong>and</strong> social progress, although
most often <strong>the</strong> focus on <strong>West</strong>-<strong>Islam</strong>ic issues is more implicit
than explicit. One exception was <strong>the</strong> November 2007
International Conference on Terrorism: Dimensions, Threats,
<strong>and</strong> Countermeasures held in Tunis <strong>and</strong> co-sponsored by
<strong>the</strong> Tunisian government, <strong>the</strong> Organization of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Islam</strong>ic
Conference (OIC), <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Islam</strong>ic Educational,
Scientific, <strong>and</strong> Cultural Organization (ISESCO). The
conference explored both <strong>the</strong> military <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> socioeconomic
dimensions of security. Discussions centred on <strong>the</strong>
challenges of social exclusion, poverty, <strong>and</strong> illiteracy, as
underlying sources of extremism <strong>and</strong> terrorism <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>
policies necessary to address <strong>the</strong>m. In his address to <strong>the</strong>
ga<strong>the</strong>ring, incoming UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
noted: “It was <strong>the</strong> first time that all 192 UN Member States
came toge<strong>the</strong>r to formulate a comprehensive, collective,
<strong>and</strong> inter-governmentally approved plan to counter
terrorism. It was <strong>the</strong> first time <strong>the</strong>y agreed that conditions
exist that can be conducive to <strong>the</strong> spread of terrorism, <strong>and</strong>
that, to gain ground, <strong>the</strong>y must address <strong>the</strong>se conditions.”
The focus on “shared security” at <strong>the</strong> World Conference of
Religions for Peace Kyoto Assembly in August 2006 echoed
this <strong>the</strong>me. The message addressed to religious <strong>and</strong> political
leaders alike was that no one today is secure unless all are
secure, <strong>and</strong> that security involves far more than physical safety;
a more comprehensive human security also encompasses
access to economic opportunities <strong>and</strong> social services.
In his address to <strong>the</strong> Kyoto assembly, Prince Hassan of
Jordan developed <strong>the</strong> point: “Security involves not just
military containment, but positive action to win hearts <strong>and</strong>
minds. Its most effective form is a preventive one that tackles
root causes by helping <strong>the</strong> poor, <strong>the</strong> alienated <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>
marginalised to realise <strong>the</strong>ir human ambitions.” Hassan
chided as shortsighted any effort to resolve deep-seated
problems through military means. “Striking back hard at our
enemies may boost domestic opinion ratings, but it fatally
undermines long-term stability. Only by enlarging <strong>the</strong>
humanitarian mission <strong>and</strong> introducing an anthropocentric
policy where people’s existential needs are addressed, can
we hope to offer <strong>the</strong> hopeless of our world a space in
which to flourish.”
The public in <strong>West</strong>ern <strong>and</strong> Muslim-majority countries
recognises <strong>the</strong> importance of balanced <strong>and</strong> economic
<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 Economic <strong>and</strong> Social Development
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