20 October 2006
U.S. Muslims a Bridge Between Islam and the West
American imam cites need for interfaith dialogue
Washington -- Muslim culture and Western society are mutually enriching, despite the talk of a so-called "clash of civilizations" between Islam and the West, says Mohamad Bashar Arafat, a Syrian-born U.S. citizen who is president of the Islamic Affairs Council of Maryland.
Arafat, an imam by training, took part in a State Department webchat October 20, fielding questions about Islam and interfaith dialogue. "In this age of globalization, which changed everything in the past 20 years, we are supposed to know one another [better] so that we can prevent" any such clash, he said.
"To me, there are so many things in the Western culture that go side-by-side with Islam, and I have no problem adapting" to new customs that do not contradict Islamic precepts, he said.
For example, the Western traditions of customer service, transparent business transactions, democracy, freedom of religion and respect for diversity are compatible with the principles of Islam, Arafat said. While some Westerners have been openly skeptical of Islam's capacity to tolerate dissenting views, Arafat stressed that the Quran welcomes free inquiry and encourages the debate between faith and reason.
An interfaith dialogue about religious tolerance and Islamic law can enhance cross-cultural understanding and promote the social integration of Muslim immigrants within their adopted Western homelands, Arafat said. Cultural clashes often can be avoided if immigrants make an effort to appreciate and absorb the most attractive features of their new environment, according to Arafat.
Western philosophers acknowledge the impact of Islamic civilization on the European Renaissance, Arafat observed. He added that Muslims should acknowledge that they also benefit from Western society’s technology and advancements.
Asked about U.S. misconceptions about Islam, Arafat said that American television and film could do a better job of challenging the notion that Islam promotes violence and terrorism. American Muslims have an obligation to educate others about the true nature of Islam, he said, not only to dispel ignorance among non-Muslims, but also to prevent radicalized Muslims from distorting the faith. Muslims in the United States "need to start focusing" on creating television programs and movies that promote truer images of Islam, he argued. In this way, he said, American Muslims can be a bridge between the United States and the rest of the world.
Since 2005, Arafat has been conducting inter-religious programs through the U.S. State Department's International Speakers Program.
