Embrace Our Differences by Kofi Annan 1:09am 14th Feb, 2007   February 13, 2007    Currents along the Bosphorus are notoriously strong, flowing one way on the surface and the opposite way underneath. Yet for centuries the Turkish peoples successfully rode these currents as they navigated the boundary between Europe and Asia, and between the Islamic world and the West; they have prospered as a result. The report on the Alliance of Civilizations rightly stresses that an embrace of differences—in opinion, in culture, in belief, in way of life—has long been a driving force of human progress.    During Europe’s Dark Ages, that was how the Iberian peninsula flourished, through the interaction of Muslim, Christian and Jewish traditions. Later, the Ottoman empire prospered not only because of its armies, but because it was an empire of ideas, in which Muslim art and technology were enriched by Jewish and Christian contributions.    Some centuries later, our own globalized era is regrettably marked by rising intolerance, extremism and violence. Closer proximity and improved communications have often led not to mutual understanding and friendship but to tension and mutual mistrust. Many people, particularly in the developing world, have come to fear the global village as a cultural onslaught and an economic drain on their way of life. Globalization threatens their values as well as their wallets.    The terror attacks of 9/11, war and turmoil in the Middle East, ill-considered words and drawings have all helped to reinforce this perception, and have inflamed tensions between different peoples and cultures. They have especially strained relations between followers of the three great monotheistic faiths.    Today, when international migration has brought unprecedented numbers of people of different creeds or cultures to live as fellow-citizens, the misconceptions and stereotypes underlying the idea of a “clash of civilizations” have come to be more and more widely shared. Some groups seem eager to foment a new war of religion, this time on a global scale; the insensitivity, or even cavalier disregard, of others towards their beliefs or sacred symbols makes it easier for them to do so.    The idea of an alliance of civilizations could not be more timely, for clearly we do not live in different civilizations in the sense that our ancestors did. Migration, integration and technology have brought different races, cultures and ethnicities closer together, breaking down old barriers and creating new realities. We live, as never before, cheek by jowl, bombarded by different influences and ideas.    Demonization of the “other” has proved the path of least resistance, although healthy introspection would better serve us all. In the 21st century we remain hostage to our sense of grievance and to our feelings of entitlement. Our narratives have become our prison. Many people throughout the world, particularly Muslims, see the West as a threat to their beliefs and values, their economic interests and their political aspirations. Evidence to the contrary is just disregarded or rejected as incredible. Many in the West dismiss Islam as a religion of extremism and violence, despite a history of relations in which commerce, cooperation and cultural exchange have played at least as important a part as conflict. It is vital that we overcome these resentments. We should start by reaffirming, and demonstrating, that the problem is not the Qur’an, not the Torah, nor the Bible. The problem is never the faith; it is the faithful and how they behave towards each other.    We must stress the basic values that are common to all religions: compassion, solidarity, respect for the human person, the golden rule of “do as you would be done by.” At the same time, we need to take care not to let crimes committed by individuals or small groups dictate our image of an entire people, an entire region or an entire religion.    We all know the benefits that migrants can bring to their new homelands, not only as laborers but as consumers, entrepreneurs and contributors to a more diverse, dynamic culture. But these benefits are not evenly distributed, and are often not appreciated by the pre-existing population, parts of which tend to see immigrants as a threat to their material interests, security and traditional way of life.    Governments have been slow to grasp the need to develop strategies for integrating new arrivals and their children into the host society. They have expected new communities to conform to a static vision of a country’s national identity, instead of being willing to rethink how far values and culture need to be shared by different communities living together within a democratic state. Turkey has found its path to membership of the European Union strewn with obstacles, behind which we can often detect a concept of European identity that implicitly or explicitly excludes Muslims.    As a result, many second- and third-generation migrants have grown up in ghettos, often facing high rates of unemployment, relative poverty and crime, and regarded by their “indigenous” neighbors with a mixture of fear and contempt.    Unlearning intolerance is in part a matter of legal protection. The right to freedom of religion, and to freedom from discrimination based on religion, has long been enshrined in international law and incorporated into the domestic law of many countries. Any strategy to build bridges must depend heavily on education, not just about Islam or Christianity, but about all religions, traditions and cultures, so that myths and distortions can be seen for what they are.    We must create opportunities for young people, offering them a credible alternative to the siren song of hate and extremism. We must give them a real chance to join in improving the world order, so that they no longer feel the urge to smash it. We must safeguard freedom of expression, while working to prevent it being used to spread hatred or inflict humiliation. We must convince them that rights carry with them a responsibility and should be exercised with sensitivity, especially when dealing with symbols and traditions that are sacred to other people.    Public authorities should not only raise awareness, but take the lead in condemning intolerance and extremism. It is their job to see that pledges of non-discrimination are enshrined in law, and that the law is enforced in practice. But their responsibility doesn’t exclude ours. All of us, as individuals, help to form the political and cultural climate of our societies. We must always be ready to correct stereotypes and distorted images, and to speak up for victims of discrimination.    All of this will have little impact if the current climate of fear and suspicion continues to be affected by political events, especially those in which Muslim peoples, Iraqis, Afghans, Chechens and, perhaps most of all, Palestinians, are seen to be the victims of military action by non-Muslim powers. No conflict carries such a powerful symbolic and emotional charge among people far removed from the battlefield as does the one between Palestinians and Israelis. As long as the Palestinians live under occupation, exposed to daily frustration and humiliation, and as long as Israelis are blown up in buses and in dance halls, passions everywhere will be inflamed.    It may seem unfair that progress in improving relations between fellow-citizens in Europe should be held hostage to the solution of one of humanity’s most intractable political problems. But the link cannot be wished away and it is imperative to work on both fronts at once, seeking to improve social and cultural understanding between peoples, and at the same time to resolve political conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere.    * Kofi Annan is former secretary-general of the United Nations. Visit the related web page
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