This week is Diversity Week [pdf file] on campus, which I forgot to mention yesterday when I blogged about the Campus Crusaders. As part of my freshman orientation class, and because of my interest in the subject, I attended the presentation "There is no Clash of Civilizations" by Dr. Nasser Zawia. Here is the abstract:
After his presentation ended, he opened the floor to questions. A fellow pharmacy student asked the question like "Was it wrong for the US to invade Afghanistan, even though it was in response to the 9/11 attacks?" Dr. Zawia dodged the question a bit, claiming that not all Muslims are terrorists and that the US should not equate Islam with terrorism. He then proceeded to say that yes, humans have the right to attack those who attack them, but that it was unfair to the innocent people of Afghanistan (innocent?).
After a few questions, I decided to stir the pot up a little with this question. "You stated in your conclusion that there is no historical evidence that demonstrates that Islam in inherently intolerant to other beliefs. I don't believe that the Muslim people cannot accept democracy, because we clearly have Turkey as a secular democracy. However, how do you feel about the Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia, the execution of those who convert to Christianity, etc.?"
Again, I felt he dodged the answer, talking again about the extremist elements in Islam and such for a few minutes. In order to get back on focus I asked him, "What I'm trying to say is, do you feel that this tolerance is reflected in Muslim Sharia Law and Dar al-Islam?" I expected a yes or no answer, or something like it. What I got was a five minute speech about how Islam is probably more tolerant than I thought. He stated that it was the Muslims that protected the Christian and Jewish Holy sites in the Holy land while they were in control, and that the Muslims did not destroy the statues of Buddha and Hindu structures that we see today.
I was unsatisfied, but he addressed another question. Another man raised his hand, seemingly tip-toeing by saying something like "I've been hearing from our media that there is a dislike of the West and the US in the Middle East. I don't want to believe it, but maybe other people might, can you confirm if it's true?" Dr. Zawia then talked about how there is a demonization of Muslim words, like Hawalah, the Muslim transfer of money, painted as underground terrorist funding.
Another man then asked, "I've been hearing from our media about the education in the madras schools, can you explain?" Dr. Zawia then explained how the school system in Arab countries needs significant reform, and he acknowledged that the hate of the West and US comes from the education system and mosques. However, I was annoyed that he found some way to blame the US again, by saying that the US gives a disproportionate amount of funding to Israel over Africa, and that the US really isn't serious about helping the situation out.
After that, someone asked about what would happen if the West lost dependency on Arab oil, and Dr. Zawia remarked that it would be the best thing in the world for the Arab people, but not the Arab government. He actually refuted the notion that the US is going to war for oil with the statistic that the US only imports 13% of its oil from the Middle East. Though, he did add that they are protecting the oil for Israel and other allies...
I guess I can't say I was disappointed, because I was expecting question dodging. If I got a straight answer, I would have pressed on and asked about the current conflict with the Pope and Islam, but it would have been a fruitless endeavor based on the previous questions. I want to state that I respect Dr. Zawia, a professor in the Pharmacy department here at URI. To be fair, he might not have fully answered my question because a good response may have taken more time to explain. However, the presentation left me with more questions than answers. I'm reminded of an interview that Wafa Sultan did on Al-Jazeera seen here (a partial transcript available here):
Colorfully restating a theory in international relations that advocates the superiority and dominance of Western culture and values of those over the East, Harvard political scientist Samuel Huntington's "The Clash of Civilizations?" (Foreign Affairs, Summer, 2003) provided a rationale that has influenced current American foreign policy, resulting in the perception that conflict between a "unified" West and a militant "Islam" is inevitable, absolving Western militarism and and notions of empire from responsibility. Using photographs from recent Fullbright-sponsored research in the Middle East, this workshop comments on cross-cultural collaborations between Western and Muslim academicians, and Muslim and non-Muslim governments.I walked in hoping that maybe, just maybe the presentation would shed some light on the conflict between Muslims and, well, the rest of the world. However, I had a feeling there'd be plenty of things that I'd disagree with. Dr. Zawia presented the follwing points, as I remember them:
- The Clash of Civilizations is a myth, because the West is the one dominant civilization; all other civilizations are minor and exist under Western dominance
- Colonialism, Post-Colonialism and Neo-Colonialism are to blame for the struggle of the people in former colonies. Borders seperated people like the Kurds into five countries and forced nomadic lifestyle in the Middle East to change. Once the colonial powers left, they left problems behind for the fledgling governments to deal with.
- As a result of various forms of colonialism, former colonies, including Muslim countries have been left with no power in organizations such as the UN. (A political cartoon showed a table labled UN, with Uncle Sam seated at the center, and several other countries, with mirrors for faces, reflecting Uncle Sam's face, showing that Uncle Sam was at every seat in the UN)
- There is no historical evidence to show that Islam is inherently intolerant of other cultures and beliefs.
After his presentation ended, he opened the floor to questions. A fellow pharmacy student asked the question like "Was it wrong for the US to invade Afghanistan, even though it was in response to the 9/11 attacks?" Dr. Zawia dodged the question a bit, claiming that not all Muslims are terrorists and that the US should not equate Islam with terrorism. He then proceeded to say that yes, humans have the right to attack those who attack them, but that it was unfair to the innocent people of Afghanistan (innocent?).
After a few questions, I decided to stir the pot up a little with this question. "You stated in your conclusion that there is no historical evidence that demonstrates that Islam in inherently intolerant to other beliefs. I don't believe that the Muslim people cannot accept democracy, because we clearly have Turkey as a secular democracy. However, how do you feel about the Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia, the execution of those who convert to Christianity, etc.?"
Again, I felt he dodged the answer, talking again about the extremist elements in Islam and such for a few minutes. In order to get back on focus I asked him, "What I'm trying to say is, do you feel that this tolerance is reflected in Muslim Sharia Law and Dar al-Islam?" I expected a yes or no answer, or something like it. What I got was a five minute speech about how Islam is probably more tolerant than I thought. He stated that it was the Muslims that protected the Christian and Jewish Holy sites in the Holy land while they were in control, and that the Muslims did not destroy the statues of Buddha and Hindu structures that we see today.
I was unsatisfied, but he addressed another question. Another man raised his hand, seemingly tip-toeing by saying something like "I've been hearing from our media that there is a dislike of the West and the US in the Middle East. I don't want to believe it, but maybe other people might, can you confirm if it's true?" Dr. Zawia then talked about how there is a demonization of Muslim words, like Hawalah, the Muslim transfer of money, painted as underground terrorist funding.
Another man then asked, "I've been hearing from our media about the education in the madras schools, can you explain?" Dr. Zawia then explained how the school system in Arab countries needs significant reform, and he acknowledged that the hate of the West and US comes from the education system and mosques. However, I was annoyed that he found some way to blame the US again, by saying that the US gives a disproportionate amount of funding to Israel over Africa, and that the US really isn't serious about helping the situation out.
After that, someone asked about what would happen if the West lost dependency on Arab oil, and Dr. Zawia remarked that it would be the best thing in the world for the Arab people, but not the Arab government. He actually refuted the notion that the US is going to war for oil with the statistic that the US only imports 13% of its oil from the Middle East. Though, he did add that they are protecting the oil for Israel and other allies...
I guess I can't say I was disappointed, because I was expecting question dodging. If I got a straight answer, I would have pressed on and asked about the current conflict with the Pope and Islam, but it would have been a fruitless endeavor based on the previous questions. I want to state that I respect Dr. Zawia, a professor in the Pharmacy department here at URI. To be fair, he might not have fully answered my question because a good response may have taken more time to explain. However, the presentation left me with more questions than answers. I'm reminded of an interview that Wafa Sultan did on Al-Jazeera seen here (a partial transcript available here):
The clash we are witnessing around the world is not a clash of religions, or a clash of civilizations. It is a clash between two opposites, between two eras. It is a clash between a mentality that belongs to the Middle Ages and another mentality that belongs to the 21st century. It is a clash between civilization and backwardness, between the civilized and the primitive, between barbarity and rationality. It is a clash between freedom and oppression, between democracy and dictatorship. It is a clash between human rights, on the one hand, and the violation of these rights, on other hand. It is a clash between those who treat women like beasts, and those who treat them like human beings. What we see today is not a clash of civilizations. Civilizations do not clash, but compete.What do you think about this "Clash of Civlizations?"
Very interesting. I find it funny that when ever there is an event like this one they always have speakers that are not history proffessors or political/cultural proffessors. Why does a proffessor of pharmacy (I am assuming) studies get the chance to lecture about things that they are not experts of?
There is definitely a class of cultures: a clash between Islam and modernity, and a clash within Islam itself. Islam has a very blody history. Look at what Muhamed did to the two Jewish tribes in Mecca. People seem to gloss over these atrocities because we are taught to hate ourselves; our culture, our beliefs, and our freedomes. We are taught at a young age that we have destroyed the world.
The clash of cultures will only end when we develope the steadfastness necessary to defeat this threat. And we only do that when we start to appreciate who we are.