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[ April 2006 ]

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Monday, April 10, 2006

The meeting is clouded by an attack on an Islamic cemetery being built in a suburb of Vienna. The building shell of the prayer room was set on fire at the weekend. Its outside walls were smeared with graffiti saying: 'Will be blown up'

VIENNA - Reuters

  European imams meeting in Vienna have pledged to work harder to prove that Islam is compatible with democracy and that the majority of Muslims living in the West support human rights, free speech and pluralism.

  More than 130 prayer leaders from across the continent, whose meeting was sponsored by Austria as current European Union president, agreed Islamic theologians in Europe must do more to establish that their faith does not clash with Western values.

  Their declaration published on Sunday amounted to a catalogue of home-grown moderate views that Western politicians have been urging Muslim leaders to draw up as a bulwark against radical Islamist ideologies coming from the Middle East.

  But an attack on an Islamic cemetery being built in Vienna reminded them of the hostility Muslims meet throughout Europe.

  "Muslims in Europe are making history," said Mouddar Khouja, a senior official of the Islamic Community in Austria, which organized the two-day meeting where several speakers urged "new thinking" to develop a theological basis for Islam in Europe.

  He said European imams were issuing fatwas (religious edicts) dealing with modern challenges, such as condemning terrorism, instead of leaving the field open to radical Middle Eastern preachers who glorify violence on the Internet.

  "We have shown how to protect ourselves from fatwas from other countries," he said. "We have fatwas from imams living in Europe and they speak for themselves."

  Imams, who lead Friday prayers in mosques, play an important role in Islam because the faithful often ask their advice on what the faith allows or forbids Muslims to do.

  This is routine in Muslim majority countries, but Muslims in Europe face new challenges as minorities in non-Islamic societies. They also have fewer Islamic scholars and little or no tradition of Muslim life in the West to refer to.

Theology is part of the solution:

  This Conference of European Imams aimed to strengthen moderate voices sometimes drowned out in Muslim discussions by radical anti-Western preachers whose sermons and writings on the Internet inspire small groups of radical Muslims in Europe.

  It stressed that Muslims might better adapt to Europe, which some of them see as corrupt and immoral, if imams stressed in their sermons that core Western values of democracy and freedom meshed with their own Islamic faith.

  "Imams, as teachers and preachers, have a duty to emphasize to their congregations to play a positive role ... in addressing the plagues of Europe -- hate, bigotry, racism, extremism and terrorism," said British imam Abduljalil Sajid.

  The meeting was clouded by an attack on an Islamic cemetery being built in a suburb of Vienna. The building shell of the prayer room was set on fire at the weekend. Its outside walls were smeared with graffiti saying: "Will be blown up."

  "The graffiti shows this was an anti-Islamic attack," said Omar al-Rawi, head of integration affairs at the Austrian Islamic Community. A similar attack on a mosque happened after another Islam conference last November.

  The imam meeting's declaration urged Muslim theologians to point out chapter and verse how Islam fits with Western values.

  "Theological arguments have a good chance of leading to lasting changes in attitudes," it said. "These should be seen as part of the solution and fostered in public discussion."

  Among practical steps they sought were Islamic arguments against immigrants isolating themselves in self-made ghettos, refusing to integrate or rejecting the separation of church and state in Western democracies.

  Imams should also show that violations of women's rights -- through forced marriages, female circumcision and "honor killings" -- were rooted in traditions from outside Europe and not justified by Islam, they said.

  "We need some new thinking," said Ayatollah Sayed Abbas Ghaemmagami, head of the Imam Ali Islamic Center in Hamburg, a leading Shiite center in Europe.

  "Today we are in dire need of a social model that is just and realistic (and can) arrive at solutions to the problems that prevent integration and peaceful living together," he said.

© 2005 Dogan Daily News Inc. www.turkishdailynews.com.tr

Monday, March 27, 2006 Turkish Daily News

The controversy over the Danish caricatures of Prophet Mohammed, and the perception of Islam that resurfaced in some European circles in the name of freedom of expression, has turned into a global wave of violent protests throughout the 'Muslim world.' Demonstrations turned into ransacking of diplomatic missions and violent clashes with human casualties. However, there was a parallel agenda of the protests besides religion per se, that is less recognized by those who find it expedient to rely on the thesis of 'clash of civilizations.'

DOĞU ERGİL

  The controversy over the Danish caricatures of Prophet Mohammed, and the perception of Islam that resurfaced in some European circles in the name of freedom of expression, has turned into a global wave of violent protests throughout the “Muslim world.” Demonstrations turned into ransacking of diplomatic missions and violent clashes with human casualties. However, there was a parallel agenda of the protests besides religion per se, that is less recognized by those who find it expedient to rely on the thesis of “clash of civilizations.” This thesis foresees a bifurcated world where the civilized, progressive and affluent side of the world lives the way they do because they deserve it by way of their superiority. The remaining part of the world that is not civilized may live in its squalor, backwardness and tyranny of ignorance by their own choice, and because they also deserve it. The first world feels no responsibility for the second, and hence expends no effort to understand why its sentiments and view of the first does not match their naiveté and irresponsibility.

  First of all, what is crudely called the “Muslim world” has been the hunting ground of Western colonialism and expansionism in the previous centuries that left behind a legacy of exploitation, impoverishment and a wounded psyche, at the core of which is resentment, humiliation and feeling of inferiority. This is an explosive mixture in that if the culprit or former oppressor does not extend its hand and heart in the post-colonial era to its former colonized subjects, and does not help to repair the damage done during many centuries of domination and humiliation, the national identities in the former colonies become nothing but renouncement of anything associated with their former colonizers. The West seems never to grasp this reality because it is a hard and bitter pill to swallow. Because of this, it becomes all the more difficult to understand the real reasons and local agendas that have aggravated this crisis, which fundamentally is a mechanism to vent the reservoir of pre-existing resentment towards the West.

  The Egyptian demonstrators condemn the insolence of the West. With a strong group in parliament, the Muslim Brothers is a challenge to the secular government of Mr. Hosni Mubarak. Besides the West, they want to direct their protest against the regime they strive to replace, and the incumbent government in turn feels the need to show that they are also capable of playing on popular sentiments, so that there is no need for a more radical group to be in power. These internal tensions are easily channeled against a common target. The Iraqi demonstrators want the withdrawal of Danish troops, and Afghan tribesman that have links with the old (dis)order want NATO soldiers out of their country. What better excuse is there for these groups to express their political agenda in a public forum when there is so little legitimate opportunity to do so otherwise? Iran, Syria and the pro-Syrian Lebanese Sunnis are undoubtedly unhappy with Western pressure on them. They do not want to see Western dominance once again on their home soil. With the example American invasion of Iraq, which they see as a revival of western imperialism, anti-western and anti-American sentiment has reached boiling point.

  Despite these facts, in most of the Western media the ongoing dispute has typically been treated as a further sign of the fanaticism of Muslims. But the tempest did not arise out of nowhere. First, it arose out of ignorance of the local context of these conflicts, which are mostly not about religion as much as they are about power struggles within Muslim societies. Secondly, religious nationalism exacerbated by the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq has raised suspicions that it can do the same all over the region. The ensuing turmoil that threatens almost every party in the Middle East and the Muslim World interprets this as an aggression to their being (identity, territory and sovereignty). It is not just about the cartoons.

  After the cartoons were published on Sept. 30, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen refused to meet with ambassadors from Muslim countries and lectured Muslims on their need to tolerate the caricatures. This attitude was exactly what the Muslims (or anyone outside the Western political reality) abhorred: encroachment and disrespect of the liberty to define yourself rather than being defined by the imperial West. This is exactly the source of bitterness in their collective memory that is still remembered vividly in the form of Christian missionaries preaching to local people exactly how barbaric they thought the Muslim faith was. Or signs hanging on the doors of European clubs in India only a century ago that said, "Dogs and Indians not allowed." In short, the overly critical opinion of the Muslim crowds has little to do with piety and more to do with history and its lingering legacy.

  The whole affair is a cost-free bandwagon on which everyone can jump on in search of greater legitimacy among Muslim publics. There is no downside in the Muslim world to defending Prophet Mohammed from Western insults. Pro-Western politicians can use it to burnish their nationalist image, while others use it to show how respectful they are to religion to cover their weaker flank against the religious political parties who are threatening their ruling positions.

  If the conservative, Christian West shows no ability (or willingness) to respect conservative Muslims' need to value his or her own beliefs, the West will find itself less able to speak to the Muslim world, and less able to defend freedom of expression. What will be the end result? Clash of faiths and values started by those who dread it most!  

‘There’s kind of a psychological warfare now between East and West, and Europe is at the center of it,’ says Mustafa Ceric, leader of Bosnia’s Muslim community

ANKARA - TDN with AP Sunday, April 9, 2006

  The agenda for a high-level meeting of European imams touched on politics, job creation and the role of women, but at heart there was really one issue -- how to create a distinct identity for European Muslims.

  The two-day gathering of 150 imams that kicked off on Friday in Vienna worked toward a final statement that tries to carve a path between secular Europe and the conservative Islam of the Arab world.

  A declaration by the head of Bosnia's Islamic community that was circulating Friday among European mosques illustrated the balancing act for the continent's more than 33 million Muslims.

  The document called on European Muslims to fully accept Western norms of openness and publicly reject groups promoting violence. But, it added, Europe must come to grips with Islam's presence with measures such as aiding Islamic-oriented education and allowing Islamic law some jurisdiction over family matters.

  “There's kind of psychological warfare now between East and West and Europe is at the center of it,” said Mustafa Ceric, leader of Bosnia's Muslim community and author of the “Declaration of European Muslims” issued earlier this year.

  Finding a way for Islam to thrive peacefully in Europe is a task that's being made increasingly difficult by groups such as the British National Party and Austria's Freedom Party that claim the continent's way of life is under threat.

  Those questions grew louder with the 2004 slaying of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh by a suspected Muslim extremist and probes into radical preachers such as Abu Hamza al-Masri, who was convicted in February of fomenting racial hatred and inciting followers to kill non-Muslims during six years as imam at London's Finsbury Park Mosque.

  The Madrid and London bombings only hardened views and, last year, polls across the European Union showed widespread reservations about the decision to keep mostly Muslim Turkey on track for possible membership in coming decades.

  The debate took on a critical urgency during the violent Muslim backlash to Prophet Mohammed caricatures first published by a Danish newspaper. What began as a stand for free expression turned into a grim lesson of a divided world. Both the West and Muslim worlds felt they were under siege from the other.

  Ceric, who could not attend the Vienna meeting because of a scheduling conflict, planned to have an aide present his document. It urged European Muslims to embrace modern views and change “a bad global image to a good global image of Muslims,” but also blamed the West for fanning prejudices against Islam following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

  He made a clear distinction between Muslims in the United States and Europe, where economic and social systems are more rigid and Islamic communities are often caught in a cycle of few jobs and few opportunities.

  In France -- with Europe's largest Muslim population of about 5 million, or at more than 8 percent -- it boiled over into weeks of rioting last year in poor suburbs where many North and West African immigrants live with their French-born children. The number of Muslims in the United States could reach as high as 6 million, or roughly 2 percent of the population.

  “I am more optimistic about Muslims in America,” Ceric told The Associated Press. “Europe has a historical predicament, and it will take a great effort on all sides to change it.”

There are some signs of progress:

  Centers have been established in France and the Netherlands to train new imams with a European perspective. Recently in Denmark, state broadcasters allowed for the first time a Muslim woman co-hosting a television talk show to wear a headscarf. On Monday, the powerful Greek Orthodox Church said it would not oppose efforts to open the first mosque in Athens since the end of Ottoman rule more than 170 years ago.

  “The biggest challenge is to recognize the identity of Muslims as Europeans. We are aiming for integration, to learn the national languages, to participate in society on every level,” said Mouddar Khouja, a top adviser with the Islamic Community in Austria, a group overseeing Muslims in the country and an organizer of the imam conference. Austria currently holds the presidency of the EU.

  Rashied Omar, a South African imam currently leading a program on conflict and religion at the University of Notre Dame, urged both Muslims and Christians to understand that their religious traditions can encourage intolerance and violence.

  “I'm worried about the future,” he said, “unless we come together and say, ‘We are all complicit in this madness.'”

OIC Efforts for Global Peace Win Accolades
Maha Akeel, Arab News www.arabnews.com

JEDDAH, 4 April 2006 — In recognition of the Organization of the Islamic Conference’s commitment and fruitful contribution to global peace and security and for strengthening multilateral cooperation around the world, the Goi Peace Foundation, a Japan-based non-profit organization, awarded the pan-Islamic body its “Peace Pole” yesterday.

Patrick Uwe Petit, the European representative of the foundation, presented the award to OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu at the organization’s headquarters in Jeddah.

Petit said that the award was in recognition of “OIC’s outstanding commitment to the creation of a culture of peace and building a global alliance of solidarity among Muslim nations as well as for safeguarding the dignity and independence of all Muslim people.”

He said that in Europe some institutions and people have unfortunately failed to understand the policy of co-existence.

The foundation decided to commend the OIC for launching the idea of dialogue among civilizations in 1998 and Petit praised Ihsanoglu for his distinguished leadership and for making the organization a well-respected and global voice for peace on earth.

The OIC now joins a global alliance of distinguished recipients of the “Peace Pole” award, such as the United Nations secretariat, UNESCO, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Arab League, the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The Peace Poles are silent reminders of peace on earth. They carry a universal message and prayer in various languages: “May peace prevail on earth.”

The OIC, which groups 57 Muslim countries, was established in Rabat, Morocco, on Sept. 25, 1969.

The idea of the Peace Pole came to the Japanese philosopher and humanist Masahisa Goi in the aftermath of World War II. In 1955, the Peace Pole Project was launched in Japan and it spread around the world and today more than 200,000 Peace Poles have been planted in more than 180 countries.

In 1999, the Goi Peace Foundation was established in Tokyo to promote global efforts toward a culture of peace. The mission of the foundation is to bring together people and organizations united in their hearts toward a common goal of peace on earth.

Spanish FM: Europe Must Respect Muslims
By JAN M. OLSEN (AP) 04.03.2006

Spain's foreign minister said Monday that the European Union must take the Muslim world more seriously following the uproar over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

Miguel Angel Moratinos called the uproar "one of the worst crises the European Union has faced in recent years."

The 12 drawings, which were reprinted in several European countries, prompted angry mobs to attack Western embassies in Muslim countries, including Lebanon, Iran and Indonesia.

The cartoons, which included a drawing of the prophet with a bomb-shaped turban, were seen as highly insulting by many followers of Islam, which is interpreted as barrring even respectful images of Muhammad for fear of prompting idolatry.

"The cartoon crisis has shown that we have to pay more attention to that part of the world," Moratinos told reporters during a visit to Denmark, where the cartoons were first published.

"All of Europe must take the question of the Muslim countries more seriously," he said. "It does not mean we have bad relations with them, but we have to be more engaged in the Muslim world."

Many Muslim leaders have criticized the Danish government for not taking a stronger stance against the newspaper Jyllands-Posten, which published the cartoons in September. The government has said it cannot interfere with, or be held responsible for, the actions of Denmark's free press.

Moratinos and his Danish counterpart, Per Stig Moeller, spoke later Monday at a public forum on how to improve relations between the Muslim world and the West.

Moratinos told the crowd of about 150 people at Copenhagen's Royal Library that European countries must preserve their traditions of free speech, "but it has to be exercised with responsibility."

Moeller said the cartoon crisis illustrated a "growing gap between the West and the Muslim worlds."

He urged both sides to increase mutual respect, and refrain from stereotyping each other to reduce the risk of more serious conflicts.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will travel to Sudan to attend the Arab League Summit from March 28 to 29. Prime Minister Erdogan is expected to speak at the summit on the issue of "Alliance of Civilizations", as well as hold a series of bilateral talks with his counterparts.

Erdogan is scheduled to meet President Umar Ahmad Al-Bashir of Sudan and First Vice President Salva Kiir and Prime Minister. Turkish state ministers Besir Atalay and Mehmet Aydin will accompany Prime Minister Erdogan during his visit.
>>

Arab Summit: Erdogan warns EU of dangers of anti-Muslim laws

In move to warn US and EU about implementing anti-Muslim laws, in a key speech to support Alliance of Civilizations initiative Erdogan says such legislation creates dangerous fault line that threatens peace in societies

Touching on Muhammed cartoon crisis, Erdogan stresses freedom of expression should have some limits and urges all members of different religions to stop struggling to dominate the other

Warning the U.S. and the European Union about the consequences of formulating new laws against Muslims, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday said that such legislation creates a dangerous fault line which threatens peace in societies.

Delivering a speech at a conference entitled "Dialogue among Civilizations" held on the sidelines of the Arab League summit held in Sudan, Erdogan complained about the way religions continue to struggle to dominate each other.

Beginning his speech with "Bismillahirrahmanirrahim", a traditional way for Arab leaders to begin a speech, Erdogan touched on the crisis that emerged between the West and the Muslim world over the publication of the Prophet Muhammed cartoons in various European newspapers. He stressed that freedom of expression should have some limits. "The Muslim approach to other religions is as follows: Both Jesus Christ and Muhammed are our prophets," said the Turkish prime minister, stressing that Muslims expect the same approach from followers of other religions.

Underlining that the world shouldn't be deceived by those who seek a "clash of civilizations," Erdogan also called for cooperation in fighting terrorism.

Concerning sharing of intelligence, Erdogan urged the international community to be more open on the issue.

"There's been a cold war between values," said the prime minister, warning that the consequences might be devastating.

Highlighting that competition in the arms race now accounts for $1 billion, Erdogan asked, "So where's your commitment to strengthening world peace? Those with the greatest power said that but these commitments remain mere words. They're still searching for market strategies to sell their products to poor countries."

During his speech Erdogan also touched on developments in Iraq, saying, "Turkey wants to see a democratic Iraq with territorial integrity which can preserve political unity and stability and establish peaceful relations with its neighbors."

www.ABHaber.com  29.03.2006 www.thenewanatolian.com 

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Erdogan seeks stronger Arab support for Iraq's unity

Erdogan will deliver a speech at the opening meeting of the two-day summit on the issue of "Alliance of Civilizations," where he will call for dialogue among the West and the Muslim World.

The New Anatolian / Ankara with AP

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will leave for Sudan today to attend a Arab League summit where he will call on Arab countries to take a stronger role and involvement in Iraq to avoid the country falling into a civil war.

Before his visit, Turkish authorities sent 30,000 tons of food aid to the troubled Darfur region of Sudan as a gesture, The New Anatolian learned.

Erdogan will deliver a speech at the opening meeting of the two-day summit on the issue of "Alliance of Civilizations," where he will call for dialogue among the West and the Muslim World.

The Turkish prime minister, accompanied by State Ministers Besir Atalay and Mehmet Aydin, is also expected to hold a series of bilateral talks with his counterparts. Erdogan is scheduled to meet Sudanese President Umar Ahmad Al-Bashir and the country's First Vice President Salva Kiir and prime minister.

Diplomatic sources told The New Anatolian on Sunday that the Iraq issue will top Erdogan's meetings on the margins of the summit. Erdogan will stress that neighboring countries and the Arab League should make more efforts and work together to end the country's political deadlock. He will also ask to give a clear message to Iraqis that its neighbors and the Arab League supports the political process in Iraq.

The Arab League summit comes at a time when most Arab countries fear that Iranian Shiite influence is dominating the country.

On Saturday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari harshly criticized Arab governments for doing little to help Iraqis, and said they should offer debt relief and reopen diplomatic missions in Baghdad. Zebari warned that if Arab countries did not take those steps, they were leaving a void that Iran might fill.

Iraq's Shiite leaders have frequently expressed bitterness over Arab nations' slowness in showing support for the country's new leadership, suggesting the Arab League -- whose 22 members are majority Sunnis -- is biased toward Iraq's Sunni minority, which enjoyed power during the rule of ousted leader Saddam Hussein.

But the strong criticism was striking coming from Zebari, a Kurd who as foreign minister has played the role of point man with Arab nations.

Several Arab diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity Sunday, told the Associated Press that a squabble broke out Saturday between Zebari and the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over proposed talks between the United States and Iran on how to stabilize Iraq.

Zebari confirmed only that some Arab officials had expressed concerns over Iran's influence in Iraq and complained about the planned Iranian-U.S. meetings.

The other Arab diplomats, who spoke anonymously because the talks were private, said the Saudi and Emirates ministers complained that Arabs were being left in the dark about the talks. One diplomat who attended the sessions said Arab leaders want to know what the dialogue's objectives were, and whether Arab interests would be ignored.

A draft resolution on Iraq to be adopted by the leaders "emphasizes the Arab role in the future of Iraq." It also calls for support for a reconciliation conference the Arab League is trying to put together among Iraq's Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish leaders in June. But there has been no confirmation that conference will take place.

Zebari said the Arab complaints are unfounded. "We told them time and again that they should be present in Iraq and never abandon it," he told The Associated Press.

The Arab worries over Iran's influence come at a time when Iraqi politicians have been struggling to form a government amid disputes among the Shiite parties that dominate Parliament and Sunni Arab and Kurdish leaders.
March 28, 2006

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Turkey trip to help West-Islam dialogue

ANKARA - Turkish Daily News

  A senior Vatican cardinal said yesterday that Pope Benedict XVI would use his trip to predominantly Muslim Turkey, scheduled for Nov. 28-30, to promote greater dialogue between Islam and the West.

  “This is one of the main problems today, to come to a relationship with Islam that will not be a clash of civilizations but a dialogue between civilizations,” Cardinal Walter Kasper, head of the Council for Christian Unity, said in an interview with the Reuters news agency.

  “Of course, nobody wants a clash of cultures. It would be disastrous for the whole world,” Kasper said, adding that he expected the pope to speak on relations with Islam at meetings with the Turkish government in Ankara before going to Istanbul.

  Prior to becoming pope, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger gave a controversial interview arguing that Europe's roots are Christian and that a Muslim country would not fit in.

EU-Turkey integration important for regional, world peace: official

UN ready to help Arab world overcome ‘many formidable challenges’ – Annan

28 March 2006 – In a wide-ranging review of the “many formidable challenges” facing the Arab world, Secretary-General Kofi Annan today reaffirmed the United Nations commitment to help resolve issues ranging from sectarian violence in Iraq to the Israeli-Palestinian impasse to the continued killings, rape and displacement in Sudan.

“You gather during a period of continued turbulence in the Arab world and the surrounding region,” he said in a message to the Arab League summit in Khartoum, Sudan, delivered by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari.

Mr. Annan stressed the need for dialogue and cooperation in overcoming continuing strife on each of the following issues:

Iraq: after last month’s “heinous” bombing of the Shiite shrine in Samarra, a fully inclusive government is needed more urgently than ever to counter sectarian violence. The UN will continue to promote inter-communal dialogue and maintain its efforts, as circumstances permit, to assist reconstruction and economic development.

Israeli-Palestinian conflict: an affirmation by the new Palestinian cabinet of the Arab Peace Initiative would be a first welcome step towards the reaffirmation of Palestinian commitment to the principles of non-violence, recognition of Israel’s right to exist and acceptance of the UN-backed Road Map peace plan for a two-state solution. Israel, too, must be reminded, in light of continued creation of facts on the ground, that peace cannot be imposed unilaterally.

Lebanon: the country’s friends and neighbours have a crucial role to play in helping it consolidate its independence and sovereignty and the UN stands ready to help Lebanon and Syria to cultivate productive, friendly ties based on the explicit assurances of respect for each other’s sovereignty, security and independence.

Somalia: the UN will continue to provide political, moral and material support for the transitional process as the Horn of Africa country continues to cope with violence, the weakness or non-existence of governing institutions, and a lack of national consensus on the future. “I hope Arab states will actively seek opportunities to give both humanitarian and development aid,” Mr. Annan said.

Sudan: aspects of the situation remains deeply troubling with actions falling short of expectations on several fronts following last year’s peace accord in the south, while in Darfur “people continue to be killed, raped and driven from their homes by the thousands.” Mr. Annan hailed African Union agreement to support in principle the transition from its mission in Darfur to a larger, more mobile UN operation.

Cultural rifts: the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad that many found deeply offensive has led to “an apparent deepening of the already troubling rift between communities and nations of different beliefs and cultures,” Mr. Annan said. The Alliance of Civilizations initiative that he has launched with the support of Spain and Turkey is intended to generate a concerted effort to bridge divides, combat extremism and overcome prejudices, misconceptions, and polarizations which potentially threaten world peace.

UN reform: he thanked the Arab countries for supporting the process and noted that important steps have already been taken such as setting up a new Peace-building Commission, a Democracy Fund, a much improved emergency response fund, and a new, stronger Human Rights Council.

Can Turkey bridge the gap between Islam and the West?

By improving ties with Iran and Syria, Turkey aims to help mediate tensions.

By Yigal Schleifer | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor March 29, 2006 edition - http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0329/p04s01-wome.html

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - After decades of keeping the Arab and Muslim countries of the Middle East at arm's length, Turkey is trying to strengthen relations with its neighbors while at the same time recasting itself as a mediator in the region.

İlk fotoğraf

Ferai TINÇ 29 Mart 2006

Sudan’da yapılan Arap Birliği zirvesine Türkiye, tarihte ilk kez konuk ülke statüsünde katıldı. Tayyip Erdoğan, dün yaptığı konuşmayla bir Arap Birliği zirvesinde liderlere hitap eden ilk Türk Başbakanı unvanını kazandı. Rum Dışişleri Bakanı Yakovu da, Arap desteği aramak için zirvedeydi.

ARAP Birliği’nin Sudan’da gerçekleşen 18’inci zirvesi ilklere sahne oldu. Zirvede ilk kez bir Türk Başbakanı Araplara seslenirken, Kıbrıs Rum Yönetimi ilk kez bir Arap Birliği Zirvesi’ne davetli olarak katıldı.

Kıbrıs Dışişleri Bakanı Yakovu’nun Arap ülkelerinin desteğini almak için lobi yaptığı zirveye Mısır, Suudi Arabistan, Tunus gibi etkili Arap ülkelerinin liderlerinin katılmaması Hartum buluşmasını gölgeledi.

Son ana kadar Hartum’a gelmeyeceği söylenen Libya Lideri Kaddafi ise Arap Birliği ile ilgili önerilerinin ele alınacağı vaadini aldıktan sonra zirveye katıldı. Buna karşın, Irak Devlet Başkanı Celal Talabani, katılması beklenirken son anda Hartum’a gelmekten vazgeçti.

Irak, Filistin ve Darfur sorunlarının damgasını vurduğu zirvede, Başbakan Tayyip Erdoğan, besmele çekerek başladığı konuşmasında kültürler arası diyalogdan söz etti. Başbakan, zirve sırasında Suriye Devlet Başkanı Beşar Esad, Ürdün Kralı Abdullah ve Filistin Devlet Başkanı Ebu Abbas ile bir araya geldi.

FİLİSTİN’E 55 MİLYON $

Arap Birliği Genel Sekreteri Mısır Dışişleri Bakanı Amr Musa, "dış müdahaleye hayır, Sudan ve Filistin’e yardıma evet" derken Arap ülkeleri, Filistin’e istediği yardımı sağlayamadılar. Hamas’ın davet edilmediği, Filistin’in Devlet Başkanı Ebu Abbas ve FKÖ’lü eski dışişleri bakanı tarafından temsil edildiği toplantıda Arap liderleri Filistin hükümetine ayda 55 milyon dolar yardımda anlaştılar.

Zirve’ye katılan lider sayısının azlığı, Sudan hükümetinin Darfur’da krizin yeniden tırmanmaya başladığı bir dönemde, toplantıyı kendisine verilen destek haline getirme arayışının neden olduğu söyleniyor.

Batıda Afrikalılar ile Arap kökenli Sudanlılar arasında yıllardan beri süren çatışmaların üç yıl önce hükümet yanlısı gerillalar ile Afrikalılar arasında kanlı bir hale bürünmesi sonucu bölgede 2 milyon kişi yaşamını yitirdi. Bu katliamın soykırım olarak kabul edimemesi için yoğun çaba harcayan Sudan hükümeti, Birleşmiş Milletler Güvenlik Konseyi’nin geçen hafta kabul ettiği bölgeye BM barış gücünün gönderilmesi kararına karşı çıktı. Dünkü zirvede Arap ülkelerinin desteğini almak için çalışan Sudan hükümeti, halen Darfur’da görev yapan Afrika Birliği Barış Gücü askerlerinin bölgede kalması için parasal destek istedi.

IRAK’A TEMSİLCİLİK

Zirve öncesi Hartum’da yapılan Arap Birliği üyesi ülkeler dışişleri bakanları toplantısında Amerikan güçlerinin Irak’tan çekilmesi yolundaki çağrı önerisi zirvede çok destek bulmadı. Ancak Iraklı Şii ve Kürtlerin yardım çağrısını dikkate alan Arap Birliği Bağdat’ta temsilcilik açmaya karar verdi.

Arapların Saddam sonrası Irak’a geri dönüşleri niteliğindeki bu karar da getirilen birçok koşul nedeniyle etkisini yitirdi.

Zirveyi izleyen Arap gazeteciler, Irak’ta hükümetin kurulması ve istikrarın sağlanmasından sonra güvenlik koşullarının el vermesi halinde temsilcilik açma kararının, esasında Arapların isteksizliğini gösterdiğini söylediler.

Konuşmasına besmeleyle başladı

AB aile fotoğraflarında görmeye alıştığımız Başbakan Erdoğan bu kez, Arap Birliği’nin aile fotoğrafına girdi. Zirvedeki konuşmasına besmele ile başlayan Erdoğan, genelde açılış törenlerinde kurdele keserken, ’hayırlı olsun’ dedikten sonra ’besmele’ çekiyor. Ancak başbakan olarak yaptığı hiçbir resmi konuşmaya ’besmele’ ile başlamadığı da biliniyor.

Erdoğan, AB ve ABD’ye çattı

BAŞBAKAN Erdoğan, önceki akşam Sudanlı aydınların katıldığı konferansta uygarlıklar arası diyalog konusunda bir konferans verdi. Başbakan bu konferansta AB ve ABD’ye çattı. Avrupa ve ABD’de Müslümanlara karşı özel yasalar çıkartıldığını belirten başbakan, bu bakışın toplumda fay hatları oluşturduğunu söyledi. Başbakan, silahlanma yarışının bir trilyon dolarlık pazar payına ulaştığını da vurgulayarak, "Hani biz barışı güçlendirecektik. Bunu dünyada gücü elinde bulunduranlar söyledi. Ama lafta kaldı. Ürettiklerini az gelişmiş ülkelere nasıl satarız, bunun pazarlıkları yapılıyor."

’Gel, Ferai Abla’

Başbakan Erdoğan, gazetecilerle resim çektirirken, "Ferai Abla, gel, sen hepimizin ablasısın" diyerek Hürriyet yazarı Ferai Tınç’ı yanına aldı. Erdoğan, zirvedeki görüşmelerin ardından Türk Büyükelçiliği rezidansının bahçesinde verilen resepsiyonda ise, Hartum’daki Türk toplumu temsilcileriyle bir araya geldi. Sudan’daki üniversitelerde okuyan türbanlı Türk kızlarıyla konuşan Erdoğan, "Burada yeni bir yaşam yaşıyorsunuz" dedi. Öğrenciler ise "Sudanlılar bizden Müslümanlığı öğrendikleri için memnunlar" diye konuştular. Resepsiyondaki harem-selamlık düzen dikkat çekti.

Turquía y España buscan en Jartum apoyo a Alianza Civilizaciones

Turquía y España defendieron hoy, al margen de la cumbre de la Liga Arabe en Jartum, el proyecto de la ONU de la Alianza de Civilizaciones, e hicieron un llamamiento a favor de la tolerancia y en contra del extremismo y el terrorismo. 28-03-2006

El primer ministro turco, Recep Tayip Erdogan, que auspicia con el presidente del Gobierno español, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, la idea de la Alianza de Civilizaciones, destacó la necesidad de rechazar todo tipo de violencia y discriminación.

'Tenemos que comprender que el choque entre civilizaciones no es inevitable', dijo Erdogan en un discurso que pronunció en un simposio organizado en la capital sudanesa por el Consejo de la Convivencia Religiosa sudanés.

Se refirió al acuerdo de paz logrado el año pasado en el sur de Sudán tras décadas de guerra civil, y ofreció ayuda para solucionar la crisis en Darfur, en el oeste sudanés, donde cientos de miles de personas han muerto en un conflicto similar desatado en 2003.

En el simposio estuvo presente una delegación española, cuyo jefe, Juan José Santos-Aguado, subrayó que 'las relaciones entre civilizaciones y la coexistencia pacífica entre las culturas será el desafío de la comunidad internacional en las próximas décadas'.

Lo ocurrido en los últimos meses en el mundo demuestra que la 'Alianza entre Civilizaciones es ahora necesaria más que nunca', dijo el enviado español, aparentemente en referencia a la crisis de la caricaturas de Mahoma.

'La Alianza de Civilizaciones responde al deseo de la comunidad internacional de adoptar nuevos mecanismos de comprensión y cooperación entre los musulmanes y las sociedades occidentales', añadió.

Destacó la importancia de actuar en contra de 'las posturas del fanatismo y el extremismo', cuyas actitudes 'no comparte, afortunadamente, la inmensa mayoría'.

'Ha llegado la hora de intensificar el diálogo en favor de las iniciativas comunes. Este es el desafío que la Alianza debe afrontar con el apoyo de los Estados árabes y musulmanes en general, y de la Liga Arabe en Particular', agregó.

El enviado español destacó el hecho de que la idea de la Alianza de Civilizaciones ha ido ganando apoyo mundial desde que fuera adoptada por la Asamblea General de la ONU, en 2005.

Asimismo agradeció, en nombre del Gobierno español, a Qatar por haber acogido a finales de febrero pasado la reunión de Alto Nivel de la Alianza de Civilizaciones, y apreció el apoyo de los miembros de la Liga Arabe a la iniciativa.

La invitación dirigida por el organismo panárabe a Zapatero, para participar en la cumbre árabe de 2005 en Argelia, y la que recibió Erdogan este año 'es un claro mensaje que demuestra el interés y la implicación de los miembros de la Liga Arabe' en la propuesta, concluyó.

Erdogan, por su parte, señaló que 'intercambiará puntos de vista' sobre la iniciativa con los jefes de Estado árabes durante la cumbre que se celebrará mañana y pasado en Jartum, y confío en que 'los resultados serán positivos para toda la humanidad'.

Terra Actualidad - EFE

El PP lleva a cabo un "fuerte lobby" en Washington para desacreditar la iniciativa de la Alianza de Civilizaciones

Secrétaire général SG/SM/10390

www.un.org/News/fr-press/docs/2006/SGSM10390.doc.htm
L’ONU CONTINUE DE COMPTER SUR L’APPUI DE LA LIGUE DES ÉTATS ARABES POUR RÉGLER CERTAINS CONFLITS, DÉCLARE KOFI ANNAN AU SOMMET DE KHARTOUM

NATIONS UNIES- Département de l’information • Service des informations et des accréditations • New York
 28/03/2006

Vous trouverez ci-après le texte du message du Secrétaire général de l’ONU, M. Kofi Annan, adressé au Sommet de la Ligue des États arabes, et lu par le Secrétaire général adjoint aux affaires politiques, M. Ibrahim Gambari, le 28 mars à Khartoum, au Soudan:

Je présente mes sincères salutations à tous ceux qui sont à Khartoum pour le sommet de la Ligue des États arabes.

Votre réunion a pour toile de fond les troubles qui continuent de secouer le monde arabe et la région avoisinante, et donc d’énormes défis pour les dirigeants politiques que vous êtes, votre organisation et la communauté internationale.

En Iraq, les principaux objectifs de la transition ont été atteints, mais la situation reste instable et dangereuse.  Avec l’acte innommable qui a détruit le mausolée de Samarra le mois dernier, le danger de la violence sectaire n’a fait que grandir.  L’Organisation des Nations Unies continue de penser que c’est un processus politique transparent et sans exclusive qui aura le plus de chances de conduire à des progrès sur les plans de la sécurité, des droits de l’homme, de la démocratie et des conditions de vie.  Tous les intéressés doivent donc faire rapidement le nécessaire pour qu’un gouvernement n’excluant aucune des parties soit formé.  L’ONU continuera de promouvoir le dialogue intercommunautaire et d’appuyer le processus de révision de la constitution, ainsi que l’initiative qu’a prise la Ligue arabe de convoquer une Conférence de réconciliation nationale iraquienne, autant d’éléments propres à favoriser un consensus national.  Si les circonstances le permettent, nous continuerons aussi de contribuer à l’effort de reconstruction et de développement économique.  L’intégration de l’Iraq dans la région au sens large est une autre priorité.  Certains pays voisins sont légitimement inquiets de la violence et de l’instabilité qui règnent actuellement, mais ils doivent s’abstenir de toute ingérence dans les affaires intérieures du pays et respecter son unité et son intégrité territoriale.

Le conflit israélo-palestinien est également parvenu à un stade critique.  Je respecte la décision que le peuple palestinien a prise lors des élections parlementaires de janvier, dont le bon déroulement fait honneur à la démocratie palestinienne.  J’espère que le nouveau gouvernement dans le territoire occupé tiendra compte du fait que les Palestiniens aspirent à la paix et au statut d’État, comme l’a dit le Président Abbas avec tant d’éloquence.  Si le nouveau cabinet palestinien adhère à l’Initiative de paix arabe, on pourra s’en féliciter comme d’un premier pas vers la confirmation de l’attachement palestinien au principe de la non-violence, la reconnaissance du fait qu’Israël a le droit d’exister et l’acceptation des accords et obligations souscrits antérieurement, notamment la Feuille de route.  Tout comme le Quatuor et le Conseil de sécurité ont récemment réaffirmé l’importance de ces principes, nous devons rappeler à Israël, qui poursuit sa politique du fait accompli, que la paix ne peut être imposée unilatéralement, ni s’établir durablement si elle ne s’inscrit pas dans le cadre régional du processus de paix au Moyen-Orient.  Si l’objectif demeure la coexistence de deux États –et il le faut– les deux parties doivent rester fermes quant aux principes régissant cette solution et aux moyens d’y parvenir. 

Pour sa part, l’ONU poursuivra l’action qu’elle mène pour qu’il soit mis un terme à l’occupation qui dure depuis 1967 et que le conflit soit réglé conformément aux résolutions du Conseil de sécurité.  Tant que cet objectif n’aura pas été atteint, l’Organisation continuera de s’acquitter des mandats que les États Membres lui ont confiés pour qu’elle vienne en aide au peuple palestinien.  Nous constituons des dossiers détaillés sur les bouclages de Gaza et de la Cisjordanie, qui sont la cause de graves difficultés et de profondes humiliations, et nous continuerons d’insister pour qu’ils cessent.  Nous rappellerons à tous nos partenaires que le peuple palestinien ne doit pas être puni pour la façon dont il exerce ses droits démocratiques et que ses précieuses institutions sont les fondations sur lesquelles pourra être bâti un État palestinien auquel il soit possible de vivre en paix avec Israël, sans que celui-ci ait à craindre pour sa sécurité, et avec tous ses voisins. 

Le Liban aussi se trouve à la croisée des chemins.  La Ligue arabe et d’autres acteurs régionaux ont fait œuvre utile en l’aidant à s’extraire de la guerre civile et à sortir d’une période extrêmement sombre.  Aujourd’hui, ses amis et ses voisins doivent l’aider à asseoir son indépendance et sa souveraineté.  J’engage tous les intéressés à soutenir le programme de réforme du Premier Ministre Siniora et le dialogue national qui vient d’être entamé.  Les rapports entre le Liban et la Syrie seront déterminants, et j’engage les deux pays à cultiver des relations productives et amicales fondées sur des assurances mutuelles explicites concernant le respect de leur souveraineté, de leur sécurité et de leur indépendance.  L’ONU est prête à leur apporter toute l’assistance qu’ils jugeront bon de demander.  Par ailleurs, elle poursuit l’enquête sur l’assassinat de l’ancien Premier Ministre Hariri et a eu des échanges avec les autorités libanaises au sujet de leurs enquêtes concernant d’autres assassinats et tentatives d’assassinat récemment commis sur les personnes de hauts responsables politiques.  Enfin, elle examine avec ces autorités l’assistance dont le pays aurait besoin pour mettre sur pied un tribunal de caractère international chargé de juger les personnes impliquées dans l’assassinat de M. Hariri.

La Somalie reste aux prises avec la violence, l’insuffisance des structures de gouvernement et l’absence de consensus national quant à l’avenir.  Les dirigeants des institutions fédérales de transition ont beaucoup de mérite d’avoir réussi à ce que la session parlementaire du mois dernier se tienne malgré des circonstances extrêmement difficiles.  Les Somaliens doivent entretenir la dynamique en mettant particulièrement l’accent sur l’amélioration des conditions de sécurité.  Tant que la force sera le moyen de régler les différends ou d’atteindre des objectifs politiques, les progrès resteront fragiles et le pays ne pourra se relever.  L’ONU continuera d’appuyer le processus de transition sur les plans politique, moral et matériel et j’espère que les États arabes rechercheront activement des possibilités d’offrir eux aussi des secours humanitaires et une aide au développement. 

Ici au Soudan, certain aspect de la situation restent profondément préoccupants.  Depuis que l’Accord de paix global a été signé, en janvier 2005, les parties ont pris des mesures importantes pour l’appliquer.  Mais sur plusieurs points, ces mesures ont été décevantes.  Au Darfour, les massacres, les viols et les déplacements se poursuivent sans relâche, et les conditions de sécurité ont empiré à cause des combats à la frontière entre les troupes tchadiennes et l’opposition armée tchadienne.  Je suis heureux que l’Union africaine, qui a fait de vaillants efforts, ait donné son accord de principe pour qu’une opération des Nations Unies succède à sa mission au Soudan, dans le cadre d’un partenariat entre les deux organisations.  Et je tiens à souligner qu’il s’agit de tirer parti de la mission de l’Union africaine pour créer une opération des Nations Unies plus grande et plus mobile.  Pour que la transition se passe bien, il faudra je crois qu’une grande partie du personnel de l’Union africaine soit absorbé par la force des Nations Unies.  Nous devons donc nous concentrer prioritairement sur notre principal objectif: protéger la population et permettre au personnel humanitaire de faire son travail.  Et nous devons faire pression sur les parties aux Pourparlers de paix intersoudanais d’Abuja, dont les progrès sont excessivement lents, pour qu’elles parviennent sans plus tarder à un accord, notamment sur un cessez-le-feu effectivement applicable.  Enfin, nous devons étoffer la force de l’Union africaine, même au stade actuel des choses, car ceux qui souffrent ne peuvent attendre la transition, et faire tout ce que nous pouvons d’autre pour éviter que la situation n’empire encore.

Les troubles ne sont pas circonscrits à certains pays ou à des crises politiques précises.  Ces derniers mois, suite à la publication de dessins représentant le prophète Mohamed que beaucoup ont trouvé profondément insultants, le clivage déjà inquiétant entre groupes et nations de convictions et de cultures différentes a semblé s’accentuer encore.  L’initiative intitulée « Alliance des civilisations », que j’ai lancée avec l’appui de l’Espagne et de la Turquie, a pour but de mobiliser un effort concerté de part la communauté internationale – gouvernements et société civile confondus – afin de réduire les fractures, de combattre l’extrémisme et de surmonter les préjugés, les idées fausses et les intransigeances qui menacent la paix dans le monde.  Je suis heureux que l’ONU et la Ligue arabe aient réussi à trouver un terrain d’entente lorsqu’il s’agissait de réagir à certaines crises récentes, et j’espère que vous soutiendrez sans réserve cette initiative plus étendue. 

Enfin, je tiens à vous remercier d’appuyer la réforme de l’Organisation des Nations Unies.  Des dispositions importantes ont été prises pour mettre en œuvre le document final du Sommet mondial de septembre dernier, auquel beaucoup d’entre vous ont participé.  Nous disposons à présent d’une Commission de consolidation de la paix, d’un Fonds pour la démocratie, d’un fonds d’intervention pour les urgences humanitaires nettement amélioré et, désormais, d’un Conseil des droits de l’homme, dont les membres seront élus le 9 mai et qui se réunira pour la première fois le 19 juin.  Nous avons aussi dans le texte issu du Sommet une magnifique déclaration de l’intention des États de mener « en temps voulu une action collective résolue, par l’entremise du Conseil de sécurité » pour protéger les populations si leur gouvernement ne le fait pas.  Je viens enfin de saisir les États Membres d’une nouvelle série de propositions visant à moderniser la gestion de l’Organisation.  Mais tous ces changements ne porteront leurs fruits que si les États Membres s’engagent véritablement à les rendre effectifs et à donner à l’ONU les moyens de changer réellement la vie de ceux qui, partout dans le monde, ont besoin d’elle et attendent son aide.

Sur tous ces plans, je continuerai de compter sur votre appui dans les mois à venir.  Et dans l’esprit de ce partenariat, je souhaite sincèrement que votre sommet soit une réussite.