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A R E G I O N A L P E R S P E C T IV E

I N T E R R E L I G I O U S A N DI N T E R C U L T U R A L D I A L O G U E I N

T H E M E D I T E R R A N E A N A R E A D U R I N GA P E R I O D O F G L O B A L I Z A T I O N

T a r e k M i t r i

T h e c o n fl ic ts in w h i c h t h e M e d i t e r ra n e a n h a s o f t e n b e e n e m b r o i l e d h a v e n o t p r e -ven t ed co ns t an t con t ac t s and exchanges be t we en i ts d i f f e r en t popu l a t i ons . I n t henew Nor t h - Sou t h con f i gu r a t i on , i t i s a p l ace whe r e new equ i l i b r i a a r e g r adua l l yem e r g i ng i n t he w ake o f t he co l laps e o f t he b i po l a r o r de r .

O n a lm os t a l l i ts shores , a t a t ime of g loba l i za t ion , there i s a pass io na te d es i ref o r g r o up a l leg i ance , i den t it y and ' r oo t s ' wh i ch a t t i m es r e s em bl e s a r e s u r gen t t ri b -a l is m o r r a t he r neo t r i ba li s m , encour ag i ng w i t hd r a w a l i n t o one ' s ow n s pecif ic cu l -t u r a l i d e n t i ty a n d p r o d u c i n g a n y t h in g f r o m ' g h e t t o i z a t io n ' a n d it s a t t e n d a n t x e n o -pho b i a t o s oc i a l exc l us i on and r ac is m . F i e r ce l y r e s i s tan t t o g l oba l i za ti on andcu l t u r a l ' un i f o r m i za t i on ' , neo t ri ba l is m i s ob l i ged t o t a r ge t peop l e r a t h e r t ha n s ys-t em s , e f f ec t s r a t he r t han cause s . It is a m an i f e s t a t i on o f r e j ec t i on and o f f e r s no a l te r -na t i ve s o l u t i ons . Th i s i nab i l i t y o f t en nu r t u r e s an i deo l ogy o f r e s i gna t i on wh i chr ega r ds g l oba l i za t ion a s a f a t al it y , an i r r eve rs i b le p r oces s gove r n ed by h i dd en f o r cesa n d e n d o w e d w i t h a n a l m o s t m a g i ca l p o w e r .

Orig inal language: FrencbTarek M i t r i (Lebanon)Exec utive Secretary, Office of Interreligious Relations, Wo rld Co uncil Of Chu rches (Genev a).Visiting professor at B alamund University, Lebanon. H as taught, lectured and written on thehistory a nd sociology of Christian/M uslim relations. Recent publications includ e:L'Is lam, lam od er ni t i e t l' is lamisme [Islam, modernity and Islamism] (1996); Religion, law an d society:a Christian~Muslim discussion (1995); and Eastern Chris tians a nd Is lam (1994).

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Som ewher e be t ween t he f i ne wor ds advoca t i ng i n t e r na t i ona l i s m , s t r e s s i ngi n t e rd e p e n d e n c e a n d p l a y i ng d o w n p o w e r r e l at io n s a n d t h o s e a d v o c a t i n g p a r ti c u -la r i sm, s t ress ing a spec i f i c cu l tura l ident i ty and focus ing a t t en t ion on f ront ie r s ,i n t e r r e l i g i ous and i n t e r cu l t u r a l Med i t e r r anean d i a l ogue , whe t he r s een a s Eur o -Ar a b o r I s lam i c - Chr i s ti an , is seek i ng a ne w pa r a d i gm w hi ch wi l l m ake t he ex i s t ings i t ua t ion i n t e ll ig i b le and g i ve hope a nd a s ens e o f pu r po s e t o t hos e m en a nd w om enw h o w i s h t o w o r k t o g e t h e r a n d t h i n k t h r o u g h t h e i r c o m m o n f u tu r e .

Ed uca t ion , wh ich in a ll i ts forms su ppo r t s and fac i l it a t es th i s d ia logue , i s thusg r app l i ng w i t h t he ques t ions t ha t i t t h r ow s up . W e s ha l l add r e s s s om e o f t he s e ques-t ions .G l o b a l iz a t i o n , h o m o g e n i z a t io n a n d d i f fe r e n c eGl oba l i za t i on is a m u l t i -f ace t ed p r oces s o f t e chn i ca l , e conom i c , s oci a l and cu l t u r a lt r ans f o r m a t i on t ha t ups e ts t he i n t e rna l equ i l ib r i a o f r eg i ons and i nd i v i dua l na t ions .

Th i s p r oces s s t r eng t hens a com pl ex s ys t em o f t i gh t l y woven i n t e r dependen tr e l a ti ons i n w h i ch ne t w or ks a r e r ep l ac i ng t e r ri t o r ie s an d t h e S t a t e is s i m p l y a va s tl ega l , bu r eauc r a t i c and f inanc i a l eng i nee r i ng s ys t em w or k i ng t o i m pr ove econ om i cpe r f o r m anc e and com m e r c i a l com pe t i t ivenes s . The S t a te i s dec r ea s ing l y t he po l i t i-c a l exp r e s s i on o f t he pub li c i n te r e s t. Go ve r nm en t s a r e s a id t o have beco m e t oos m a l l t o d e a l w i t h m a j o r p r o b l em s a n d t o o b i g t o d e a l w i t h m i n o r o n e s 2

T h e g l o b al iz a ti o n o f t h e e c o n o m y a n d c o m m u n i c a t i o n is s ai d t o h e r a l d , i ns om e s ens e , t he dea t h o f po li ti c s. W hi l s t e con om i c log i c u r ges ' g l oba l i z a t ion ' , i n t e r-depe nden ce and r eg i ona l i n teg r a t i on , po l it i c a l log i c is le ad i ng t ow ar ds t he f r agm en-t a t i on o f t he S t a te . The p r oces s does n o t i nvo l ve a dec l i ne in n a t i ona l i s t f e e li ngs. I th a s t o b e a c k n o w l e d g e d t h a t t h e w o r l d m a r k e t a n d t h e u n i v e rs a l bomo economicusdo n o t d i s pe l e t hn i c pa r t i cu la r i s m , whe t he r wi t h i n na t i ons o r a t t he s up r ana t i ona llevel.~

T h e p a r a d o x o f g lo b a li z at io n , w i t h t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e c o n s u m e r s o c ie t yand t he g l oba l en t e r t a i nm en t i ndus t r y , is t ha t i n hom ogen i z i ng and s t an da r d i z i n g i tm a k e s t h e n e e d f o r d i st in c t io n a n d r e c o g n i t io n m o r e a c u te . T h e m o r e i n d i v i d u a l s - -and peop l e s - - a r e a l i ke , t he m or e t hey s eek t o em phas i ze t he i r d i f f e r ences . Thes m a l l e r t he ac t ua l d i f fe r ences, t he m or e t he i r i m p or t anc e i s exagge r a t ed . I t s eem st h a t t o d e n y o n e ' s r e se m b l a n c e t o a n o t h e r is t h e k e y t o r e m e m b e r i n g a l o n g f o r g o t -t en d i f fe rence .

Thus , t he f ir s t t a s k o f any f r u i t f u l d i a l ogue wo u l d be t o be m or e a w ar e o f t het ende ncy t o ove r - em phas i ze d i f fe r ences be t w een ones e l f and t he o t h e r pe r s on . Th ev i ew s o f c o m m u n i t ie s in B o s n ia a n d L e b a n o n , t o n a m e o n l y t w o c o n f l ic t - ri d d e ncoun t r i e s , o f t hem s e lves and t he i r d i ff e r ences wi t h t he o t h e r co m m un i t y a r e an i ll u s-t r a t i on o f th i s. Th e ove r - em phas i s o f the I s l am i c o ri g in s o f M us l i m s i n E ur op e a f t e rh a v i n g l o n g p la y e d t h e m d o w n i s a n o t h e r e x a m p l e .

R e l ig ious p lu ra l i sm andPr o sp e ct s, v o l. XX V I I , n o . 1 , M a r c h 1 9 9 7

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Interreligiousand intercu lturaldialogue n the Med iterranean 125t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n o f d i v e r s i t yAn e s s en t i a l i s t app r oach , agg r ava t ed by t he r educ t i on i s t s ens a t i ona l i s m o f t hem ed i a , am pl if ie s t he d i ff e r ences be t w een Eur o pe an d t he A r ab - M us l i m w or l d .I s l am i s m , w h i ch c l a i m s t ha t I s lam i s ' und e r t h r e a t ' , is s een a s ev idence o f t he t h r ea tpos ed by I s l am i tsel f.

Th e ' cu l t u r e ' o f I s lam w ou l d exp l a i n t o a l a r ge ex t en t the d i s t inc t ivenes s o f theM i dd l e E as t wi t h r ega r d t o d em ocr ac y and hu m an r igh t s . 3 I s l am is s a id t o have c r e -a t ed cond i t i ons l ike l y t o p r even t Mus l i m cou n t r i e s f r om ga i n i ng acces s t o dem oc-r a c y a n d t o c o n d e m n t h e m t o a p e r p e t u a l co n f li c t w i t h t h e E n l i g h te n m e n t .4

I t is tr ue t h a t ex t r em e doc t r i ne s f r om I s l am i c f undam en t a l i s ts o r r a t he r i n t e r -p r e t a t i ons o f t he s c r ip t u r e s im pe r v i ous t o any i dea o f po l i ti c a l pa r t ic i pa t i on o r t hes ove r e i gn t y o f t he peop l e , no t t o m en t i on ac t i ons wh i ch p r ovoke s t r ong s ecu r i t ym eas u r e s - - s o m e t i m e s j u s ti fi ed bu t o f t en exc es s i ve - - m ake d i a l ogue d i ff icu lt .

Bu t t he f o r ce o f t he f unda m en t a l i s t m es s age ha s t o be r ecogn i zed . I t is ba s ed ,i n Mu s l i m coun t r i e s , on a den unc i a t i on o f genu i ne g r ievances and p l eads t he caus eo f t he oppr e s s ed a nd v i c ti m s o f de s po t is m . I t s opp os i t i on t o t he i nc r ea s i ng t r iv i a l-i za t ion o f li fe i s a ca l l for a re tu rn to bas ic va lues . I t seeks the prom ise of u top ia in aw or l d s u f f e ri ng i nc rea s ing l y f r om l os s o f m ea n i ng an d am nes i a . I n Eur o pea n cou n-t r i es , i t fu lf il s a ne ed for se l f -asser tion w he n c on f ro nte d by the d i f f icu l t choice ,w he t h e r r ea l o r i m ag i ned , be t wee n m ar g i na l i t y and t he l o ss o f i den ti ty .

Th e ba s ic ques t i on , beyon d I s l am i s m and t he f ea r s t o w h i ch i t c an g i ve ri s e,r e m a i n s t h a t o f a m o d e l o f s o c i e ty in w h i c h p l u r a l is m is a c c o m m o d a t e d b y r e c o n c il -i ng t he p r i nc ip l e o f c it iz ens h ip and c iv i c and po l i ti c a l equa l i t y wi t h t ha t o f t he r i gh tto be d i f fe rent .

N ow ada ys , he i gh t ened p r e s su r e f r om t he I s l am i c com m u ni t i e s l iv i ng i n s ecu -l a r iz ed E ur op ean s oc ie ti es in t he t h r oes o f cu l t u r a l an d s oc i a l hom oge n i za t i on i s ap r o b l e m t o w h i c h n e it h er o f t h e t w o a p p r o a c h e s - - u n i t a r y a n d c o m m u n i t y - b a s edo r , o n t h e o t h e r h a n d , t m i f y i n g - - h a v e y e t p r o v i d e d a s a t is f a ct o r y s o lu t io n .

Bu t i t s hou l d be r em e m b er ed t ha t cu l t u r a l and r e li g ious p l u r a l it y does no tm e a n t h e sa m e t h i n g o n t h e tw o s h o r es o f t h e M e d i t e r r a n e a n . I t w o u l d b e d a n g e r -ous , i ndeed un j us t , t o equa t e t hem and s ee a s ym m et r i ca l r e l a ti ons h i p be t w een am a j o r i t y / m a j o r i t i e s and a m i no r i t y / m i nor i t i e s o r t o r equ i r e r ec i p r oc i t y be t weent h e M u s l i m U m m a ( c o m m u n i t y ) a n d t h e ' C h r i s t i a n ' W e s t . A n a n c i e n t l e g a c y o fr e l ig i ous p l u r a l it y s haped ove r cen t u r i e s by an a l l - em br ac i ng cu l tu r e an d a f ee li ngo f n a t i o n a l i d e n ti ty , c a n n o t b e c o m p a r e d t o a s i t u a ti o n c a u s e d b y c o n t e m p o r a r ym i g r a t i ons and cha r ac t e r i zed by econom i c i nequa l i t i e s and e t hnocu l t u r a l d i f f e r -ences .R e a f f i r m i n g c i t i z e n s h i pD i a l o g u e n o t o n l y b et w e e n th e t w o s h o r e s o f t h e M e d i t e r r a n e a n b u t a l s o a m o n g t h epeop l e s t ha t l ive on each s ho r e wi ll no t ge t un de r w ay un l e s s the i dea o f c it i z ens h ip i s

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r ea f f i rmed , pe rhap s r ehab i l it a t ed . F o r c i ti z ensh ip r ema ins t he ba s i s f o r f r ee enco un-t e rs a m o n g i n d iv i d u al s w h o a l t h o u g h t h e y h a v e b e e n i n f lu e n c ed b y t h e i r o w n c u l -t u r e , r e l i g ion and na t i ona l i t y c anno t be r educed t o t he ro l e s t ha t a r e a s s igned t ot h e m e i t h e r b y m a r k e t f o r c e s o r b y n e o tr i b a li s m . I n d i v i d u a l m e n a n d w o m e n s h o u l dno t be s een so l e ly i n te rms o f t he i r needs and capac i t i e s a s consu me r s b u t no r sho u ldt h e y b e s u b j e c t e d t o t h e - - o f t e n f i c t i t i o u s - - i n t e r e s t s o f o n e c o m m u n i t y d e f i n e d i nt e rms o f i ts opp os i t i on t o o the r s .

The mo de rn i za t i on o f c i ti z ensh ip , wh ich i s a t once a nece s sa ry cond i t i on fo rd i a lo g u e a n d i ts o u t c o m e , w o u l d o f f e r a b a s i s f o r e x c h a n g es o f v i ew s w i t h i n s o c i e ty ,ma k ing soc i a l a ccep t ance pos s ib l e w i tho u t need ing t o s ac r if ic e one ' s i den t i t y . Bu t aques t i on m ark con t i nues t o ha ng o ve r t he pos s ib i l it y o f a s ecu l a r o r s imp ly non - r e li -g ious ba s i s f o r ci t iz ensh ip i n t he Me d i t e r r an ean a r ea .

T i e s t o t h e p a s tI n t e r r e l i g ious and i n t e r cu l t u r a l d i a logue mus t i nev i t ab ly dea l w i th t he many p rob -l ems i nvo lved i n t he Med i t e r r anean peop l e s ' l i nks w i th t he i r pa s t . Arabs a r e s t i l ld e s c r i b e d a s a p e o p l e o f m e m o r y ' d r a w i n g t h e ir f u t u r e f r o m t h e p a s t ' , 5 a n dE u r o p e a n s , f a c e d w i th t h e s p r e a d o f ' p o s t - m o d e r n ' c u l tu r e , a r e sa i d t o h a v e a t e n -d e n c y t o h a r k b a c k t o t h e i r p a s t m o r e o f t e n . ~B u t , p a r a d o x i c a ll y , a s w e h a v e a l r e a d yseen , w e a r e w i tne s sing a t t he s ame t ime t he l o s s o f cu l tu r a l i den t i t y and amn es i ac a u s e d b y t h e c o n s u m e r e c o n o m y , a t el e v is i o n c u l t u re a n d t h e A m e r i c a n i z a t io n o fyoung peop l e ' s l i f e - s t y l e s . G iven t h i s dua l phenomenon some f ea r t ha t , i n s t ead o fc o m b i n i n g t h e b e s t o f b o t h w o r l d s , w e f a c e t h e p r o s p e c t o f h a v in g t h e w o r s t o f b o t hw o r l d s , i . e. a c u l t u ra l ly h o m o g e n e o u s w o r l d i n w h i c h p e o p l e m e e t th e i r n e e d t o f ee lp a r t o f a c o m m u n i t y b y e x p re s s in g h o s t i l it y t o w a r d s t h e ir n e i g h b o u r s . 7

W he n t h i s k ind o f s i t ua t i on deve lops , h i s t o ry is ne i t he r an ances t r a l m em oryn o r a c o l le c t iv e tr a d it io n . I t is w h a t i s m e d i a t e d b y c o n t e m p o r a r y e d u c a t i o n a n dc o m m u n i c a t i o n . H a t r e d is i n c u lc a t e d a s m u c h b y e d u c a t i o n i n t h e b r o a d s e n s e a s b ym em ory . I t is m ore o f t en s t ir r ed up by r ad io b ro adca s t s , a r ti c le s i n t he p r e s s andt e l ev is i on p rog ram m es t han i nhe r i ted f rom pas t con fl ic t s . Af t e r a ll , i f t he pa s t doe sno t me e t t he needs o f the p r e sen t , ano the r one ca n a lw ays be inven ted .*

I t is t he r e fo r e v i t al t o d i s t ingu i sh t he r ea l e f f ec t o f h i s t o r ic even t s f r om the i r u seand abu se i n po l it i c a l d is cou r se fo r t he pu rpo se o f l eg it im iz ing pow er , m ob i l i z i ng acommuni ty and j u s t i f y ing r ecou r se t o v io l ence . The e f f ec t i venes s o f u s ing g roupiden t i t y t o mob i l i z e a communi ty i s no t de t e rmined so much by a t av i s t i c f o r ce s a sby po l i t ic a l s t ra t eg i e s app l i ed fo r t he pu rp ose o f se i z ing o r ho ld ing on t o po w er . I twa s no t ances t r a l ha t r ed t ha t c aused t he wa r i n Bosn i a ( o r t he s ec t a r i an con f l i c ts inL e b a n o n ) . I t w a s t h e w a r t h a t c r e a t e d h a t r e d . ~R e t h i n k i n g p r o g r e s sT h e i d e o l o g y o f g lo b a l iz a t io n a l l o w s i t t o b e a s s u m e d t h a t a c c e s s t o d e v e l o p m e n tand m ode rn i t y i s s til l depende n t on acce s s to t e chno logy , and i t f a il s t o d r a w su f fi -

Pro spec ts , vo L XX VI I , n o . 1 , M a r ~ 1 9 9 7

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In t e r r e li g ious and i n t e r cu l t u r a l d i a log ue i n t he M ed i t e r r a nean 127

c i en t a t t en t i on t o t he f ac t t ha t a cce s s t o t e ch no lo gy is o f t en ba r r e d i n o rde r t o p ro -t e c t m a r k e t s a n d p o s i ti o n s o f p o w e r .

The h i s to ry o f t e chno logy i s , a t be s t , a h i s t o ry o f amb iva l ence . The re i s non e e d t o r e p e a t t h a t t e c h n o l o g y n o w p o s s e s s e s t h e m o s t m o n s t r o u s p o t e n ti a l it i es t h a tc a n p o s s i b l y b e i m a g i n ed .

Di scus s ion o f the p rog re s s o f hum an ac t i v i ty and i ts f ina l goa l is , aga in , a t t hehea r t o f any d i a logue be tw een d i f f e r en t r e l ig ions and cu l t u re s . I t som e t imes u se s t hea r g u m e n t s e x c h a n g e d t h r o u g h o u t t h e A r a b - M u s l i m w o r l d i n t h e tw e n t i e t h c e n t u r y .B u t t h a t d e b a t e w a s p a r t l y c o n d u c t e d i n t e r m s o f t h e d u a l it y o f e n d o g e n o u s a n dexo gen ous i n f luences, whe rea s t od ay t he r e i s no soc i e ty t ha t c an e scape t he g r a sp o f' t e c h n o p o l y ' , 1~s u b j e c t i n g cultural l i fe t o t h e s u p r e m a c y o f t e c h n o lo g y .

In f ac t , g loba l i z a t i on imp oses it s ow n ag end a o n u s , wh i l e t he r e i ec t ion o f th i sp r o c e s s , p a s s i o n a te l y a n d p e r h a p s c l u m s il y , p r o p o s e s a n o t h e r . D i a l o g u e b e t w e e nd i f f e r en t re l ig ions and cu l t u r e s is t he r e fo re m ore t han eve r ob l i ged t o t r e ad t he na r -row pa th t ha t w i l l l e ad to a p l ace wh e re a n au then t i ca l l y p lu r a li s ti c c iv i l iz a t i on ha sf r e e d o m t o d e v e l o p .N o r e s

1. According to the often-cited formula of Daniel Bell.2. Jacques Rupnik, Le r~veil des nationalismes [T he awakening of nationalisms]. In :Jacques Rupnik, ed., Le d~c bi re me nt de s na t ions , Paris, Seuil, 1995 , p. 17.3. Joh n W aterbury, Une d~m ocratie sans d~mocrates? Le potentiel de lib~ralisation poli-

tique au M oyen-Orient [Democracy w ithou t democrats? The potential for politicalfreedom in the M iddle East]. In : Ghassan Salami, ed., D b n o c r a t i e s s a n s d b n o c r a t e s :pol i t iques d 'ouver ture dans le monde arabe e t i s lamique , Paris, Fayard, 1994, p. 94--128.

4. Ben jamin R. Barber, J i b a d v s M c W o r l d , Ne w York , Times Books, Random House ,1995, p. 208.

5. Expression coined by Jacques Berque.6. It suffices to mention by w ay of illustration the various 'comm emorations' last year ofthe preaching of the First Crusade and the m ore recent controversy in France ove r thebaptism o f Clovis.

7. Rup nik, op. cir., p. 265.8. Eric Hob sbaw m, A new threat to history, T h e N e w Y o r k r e v ie w o f b o o k s (New Y ork),16 Decem ber 1993, p. 62.9. J. Rup nik, op. cir., p. 24.10 . NeffPostman, Te c hnopol y : t he surre nde r o f c u l t ure to t e c hnology , N ew York, Alfred

A. Knof, 1992, p. 52.

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