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

conferences, <strong>and</strong> confrontations. Some are sparked by
community reaction to illegal immigration. One very local
example was a November 2007 meeting on immigration in
Suffolk focused on <strong>the</strong> UK Independence Party’s
recommendation to introduce national ID cards <strong>and</strong> stop
European Union expansion. O<strong>the</strong>r events have focused on
<strong>the</strong> positive impacts of migration <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> potential that
remittances offer to boost both welfare <strong>and</strong> growth. An
example was <strong>the</strong> Second German Conference on <strong>Islam</strong>,
where a prominent migration researcher urged Germans to
welcome <strong>Islam</strong>'s growth “truly <strong>and</strong> comprehensively” as
part of German state <strong>and</strong> culture.
The financial dimensions of migration, including remittances,
are <strong>the</strong> subject of numerous meetings <strong>and</strong> conferences.
The positive role that remittances play in financing welfare
<strong>and</strong> investment is an increasing focus, for example in a
report released by <strong>the</strong> International Fund for Agricultural
Development in October 2007: “The driving force behind
this phenomenon is an estimated 150 million migrants
worldwide who sent more than US$ 300 billion to <strong>the</strong>ir
families in developing countries during 2006.”
According to a report of <strong>the</strong> UN Expert Group Meeting on
International Migration <strong>and</strong> Development in <strong>the</strong> Arab Region
in May 2006, remittance flows continue to comprise 2% to
22% of <strong>the</strong> GDP of every Middle East <strong>and</strong> North African
state. Despite concerns that some resources flow to extremist
groups, <strong>the</strong> report concludes, “international remittances
generally have a positive impact on economic development,
because <strong>the</strong>y tend to reduce poverty <strong>and</strong> to get invested
in education, health <strong>and</strong> new entrepreneurial activities.”
The commitment of Muslims living in <strong>West</strong>ern countries to
engage in <strong>the</strong> poorer countries, whe<strong>the</strong>r through investment
or through philanthropy, is growing in significance. The South
Asian <strong>and</strong> Ismaili communities, as well as <strong>the</strong> Lebanese <strong>and</strong>
Palestinian communities are prominent <strong>and</strong> active in this
regard, as are o<strong>the</strong>rs. One little heralded illustration of <strong>the</strong>
diverse <strong>and</strong> complex role of Diaspora communities is <strong>the</strong>
emergence over <strong>the</strong> past two years of Tijanniya organizations
in <strong>the</strong> United States. These organizations build on <strong>the</strong>ir strong
links to <strong>West</strong> African communities to support a wide range
of programmes from education to microfinance, as well as
more classic social safety net functions.
Turkish Diaspora groups have longst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>and</strong> growing
programmes that serve not only Turkey but also, for example,
<strong>the</strong> countries of Central Asia. The Fethullah Gülen movement,
which originated in Turkey, has significantly exp<strong>and</strong>ed its
school network <strong>and</strong> now operates in some 100 countries.
“ …<strong>the</strong> women leaders we know
believe <strong>the</strong>y have much more in
common than that which divides
<strong>the</strong>m from <strong>the</strong>ir colleagues on
<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r side of any cultural or
political divide.”
Mary Robinson
New Patterns in Philanthropy
In response to <strong>the</strong>se development challenges at <strong>the</strong> national
<strong>and</strong> international level, new kinds of philanthropy have taken
shape, responding in some instances specifically to <strong>the</strong>
needs of Muslim populations <strong>and</strong> often consciously directed
towards <strong>the</strong> role economic <strong>and</strong> social development support
can play in enhancing intercultural <strong>and</strong> interreligious
underst<strong>and</strong>ing. The work of philanthropic organizations
cuts across virtually all sectors of activity. Many – such as
<strong>Islam</strong>ic Relief,aUK-basedorganizationthatworksworldwide,
<strong>and</strong> Catholic Relief Services –beganlargelyas
humanitarian relief organizations that have responded to
crises including earthquakes, floods, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> 2004 tsunami.
O<strong>the</strong>rs working in <strong>the</strong> economic <strong>and</strong> social arena have
more developmental m<strong>and</strong>ates. Habitat for Humanity is
an example. In its commitment to direct support <strong>and</strong>
advocacy on housing, <strong>the</strong> organization is increasingly
involved in interfaith initiatives with Muslim participation.
The Aga Khan Network supports wide-ranging
programmes with special focus on education, preservation
<strong>and</strong> development of cultural heritage, <strong>and</strong> sustainable
agriculture.
<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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