ISLAM AND INTERCIVILIZATIONAL DIALOGUE: TOWARDS PEACE AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING

Biook Behnam

Dr B. Behnam is a Lecturer in the Englsih Department of
Tabriz Teacher Education University,
Iran

The world has experienced extreme sufferings along the history,
due to the lack of an appropriate context for the recognition of other rights,
for the mutual understanding and genuine respect towards the ideological, moral
and religious values possessed by other ethnic groups or nations. Hostility and
hatred have been intensified further by cultural/civilizational ego-centricism
imposed by superpowers' against other civilizations, however powerful and
indispensable they could be within the whole context of human intellectual
realm.

The consequence of this predominant expansionism and
ego-centricism has been devastating and destructive on social groups'
regional/national identity, without which no strong and sound basis can be
established or even imagined for independence, self-esteem and innovation.

Given this, the main aim of this paper is to discuss the
inevitable necessity of a constantly peaceful and auspiciously flourishing
atmosphere for a dialogue of civilizations, as opposed to the tension-creating,
sheer politically-oriented doctrines like clash of civilizations' (cf.
Huntington, 1993). To achieve this goal, we will attempt first to introduce some
basic concepts related to the issue of civilization with a focus on the
contributions of Islamic civilization to the development of Western
civilization, and then advocate the proposal of intercivilizational dialogue
made for the first time by the Iranian President, Mr Khatami. We will also
discuss some primary conditions for the establishment of a dialogue of
civilizations, from Islamic perspective.

One logical implication of our argument about the matter would
be to claim that if Man wishes to construct a world free of war, poverty and
injustice, he/she will have to learn first how to negotiate and interact, thus
to welcome the contributions of other civilizations to the overall development
and achievements of international community, and thereby believe in the
potentiality of other nations not only to develop themselves but also to put
forward solutions for the most serious problems humans are now involved in.