Islamset - Dialogue betweent he Arab-Islamic Culture and other Cultures

Dialogue between the Arab-Islamic culture and other cultures

Amid this battleground which imposes conflict and represses in the human the will to do good, to love, and to appreciate beauty, the necessity to reinforce dialogue and communication among cultures, civilizations and divine religions becomes manifest so as to uphold the survival of, and the coexistence among the peoples of the world.

As the market culture and the culture of consumption becomes so predominant, the international community must free itself from the shackles of cultural imperialism which is imposed by the New World Order led by one world power. Edward Said says, "We must not lose sight of the plain truth that the United States is consolidating a strong bond around the world, and that the matter cannot be traced back to Reagan (or Clinton today) or to a group of people such as Kirkpatrick only, The matter has a great deal to do with cultural discourse, with information industry and with the production and marketing of texts. In short, it does not depend on cultural as a general anthropological field that is routinely analyzed and discussed in cultural studies, but on our culture strictly speaking(29)".

However, in spite of all this, we can conclude from the enduring experiences through which humanity has lived that the civilized relationship which ought

to prevail among contemporary cultures is that of real dialogue. The antithesis of dialogue is conflict, because dialogue aims to understand the other party and to appreciate it on a cultural, moral and rational basis. As for conflict, it seeks to invade, crush, conquer, and defeat the other so as to control it.

The components of dialogue among cultures can be complete only if the conditions of equality, rivalry, joint determination and mutual respect have been met. Regardless of the level and the topic, dialogue cannot take place unless two parties are involved, and only if they possess the will to hold it; otherwise, dialogue becomes an imposition and a dominance, both of which are a first step towards cultural invasion.

It has been said lately that cultural invasion is nothing but an illusory belief. We believe that this claim is a reaction to the much exaggerated assumption of cultural invasion and to the overstated warnings and dangers.

Through Our analysis of the nature of the relationships between nations, peoples and civilizations of this age and those of other periods, we have arrived at a truth that confirms to us the fact that cultural invasion, with both its positive and negative aspects, is but an undeniable aspect of these relationships.
Let us, therefore, examine the concept of cultural and intellectual invasion. Is invasion always a bad thing, or is it good sometimes? Is cultural and intellectual invasion always negative, or can it be positive sometimes?

In our view, the matter is relative, as it can be seen from quite different angles. Did not the Arab-Islamic culture, during the period of its apogee, invade the ancient world? Was not the Arab-Islamic cultural invasion a legitimate and positive one that served all too well the noble human objectives?

The Arab-Islamic cultural invasion receded right after the Arabs and Moslems became a secluded, introvert people, and after they had lost their way. They fell prey to the Western cultural invasion which differed in terms of its basis, means and goals from the Arab-Islamic cultural invasion whose main characteristics were humane nature, tolerance, and broadness of horizon.

It is the strong culture which invades the weak one. Strength here is not material only, the kind of which cultures draw from material potentials and capabilities available to the society which these cultures represent; strength is also that of the culture's source and of its spiritual drive, that of the ideas which it expresses, and that of the goals which it seeks to realize.

This is how we see the relativity of cultural invasion. Invasion is not always evil; there is good invasion, too. The Arab-Islamic culture is today facing all kinds of invasion. This situation should not scare us; nor should we abandon ourselves to despair because of it. We must, however, be aware of the nature of the age in which we live, and be prepared to defend our culture through serious, civilized and purposeful action, through giving a good example of our deeds and attitudes, through effecting change within ourselves by means of knowledge, work, faith, and a refined and civilized consciousness, and through adhering to this age and being an active and influential part of it, but always with a penchant for harmony and dialogue. In this way, we can breathe new life in the Arab-Islamic culture. rejuvenate it, and provide it with the means that would enable it to compete in the international cultural arena.

The Moslem thinker Rajaa Garaudy says: "In an age in which humans can practically annihilate humanity. the only choice we have is a mutually assured destruction or dialogue. There can be no real dialogue unless all parties are convinced that there are things to be learned from others(30)".

Contemporary cultures must all talk to one another. Rather, the future of humanity is contingent upon holding a civilized and reasonable dialogue among civilizations and religions.

The relationship between the Arab-Islamic culture and other cultures must, therefore, rest on a sound dialogue, on civilizational and cultural coexistence, and on the desire to learn from anything new and useful.

If established on this basis, dialogue among cultures leads to what is known today as acculturation which, in its most accurate definitions, is a form of civilized cultural coexistence. Acculturation is a result of constructive dialogue among humans to ward off a disaster.

In this day and age, dialogue is the responsibility of every rational intellectual. "In every age", says Michael Carrithers, "people live an emotional, scrupulous and intellectual life thanks to the relationships holding between them. The culture in question, here, is the one which is concerned with intellectual elements and with the forms of knowledge and values which we practise in our lives or with those which we have learned or established, but which we recognize only when other people have used them. As for others, cultures presuppose the existence of relationships(31)."

Cultural diversity, under the wing of human unity, compels cultural coexistence from humans, and establishes the concept of acculturation so firmly that it has become a fundamental element in the civilized international community. Cultural diversity is a historical and social necessity and a guaranty for progress. The enhancement of human life in many societies and throughout history is dependent upon cultural diversity, interaction between cultures, difference in visions and opinions, and upon the availability of social mechanisms that secure free and positive interaction(32).

The recognition and preservation of cultural diversity has today become a Human Rights principle. Article 1 of the Declaration of the Principles of International Cultural Cooperation says that "Every culture has its own dignity and value that must be respected and preserved. It is the right and duty of every people to develop their culture. All cultures constitute, with their rich diversity and mutual influence, part of the heritage which belongs to all humans(33)."

Existence on this earth and the necessity to live in peace and security enjoins on the international community the coexistence of cultures, civilizations and religions and the establishment of a serious and purposeful dialogue among them. This is the only way for the international community to preserve the legality of the law that governs the relationships between individuals, nations and governments. There will be no future for humanity if it goes in the opposite direction.

It is from this perspective that the Arab culture must achieve internal coherence on the level of content and full complementarity in terms of stance and outlook. The Arab culture must build on its identity that best reflects its true origin and noble goals. Only then can it stand steadfast on the arena of international cultural competition, and interact with the modern cultures from a position of might and merit, not dependence and sterile dazzledness.