Globalisation an opportunity to teach each other
2/21/2006
Source ::: The Peninsula

Doha: While leaders from all walks of life in the Arab and Islamic world know much about USA, its policies, society and sensitivities, Americans know little about Muslims and Islam.

Educating Americans about Islam, their followers and their sensitivities, thus, holds the key to bridging the communication gap.

Globalisation presents an excellent opportunity to educate each other. This significant viewpoint was presented by the foreign minister of Azerbaijan, Elmar Mammadayarov, at the concluding session of the three-day US-Islamic world forum that ended at the Ritz-Carlton here yesterday.

Leaders from different sectors from the US and the Arab and Islamic world held brainstorming sessions during the three days on a number of issues significant to their two worlds.

Present at the session entitled 'leaders roundtable 4' were Peter Singer, from Project on US Policy Towards the Islamic World, Saban Centre, Brookings, USA, Shibley Telhami, professor University of Maryland, and Muhammadu Buhari, former head of state of Nigeria, aside from Mammadayarov.

Singer was moderator and clarified that at the sessions that were not open nothing secretive were discussed. "It was just that we thought that at closed sessions people would put forth their opinion frankly," he said.

Clearly, Iraq, Afghanistan and even Arab-Israel conflict that dominated the forum in the past, took a backstage this time as the electoral victory of Hamas in the Palestinian territories and the controversial Danish caricatures came to the fore.

An indication of how the two worlds differ in their perception on key issues can be had from the fact that while Buhari said that Hamas win had given confidence to the Muslim world, others pointed out that it had led to widespread scepticism in the United States. Cultural exchanges between the two sides and holding of art exhibitions and workshops were mooted as a means to bridge the communication gap.

Singer while focusing on the theme of change and maintaining how difficult it was for people to accept it, said 9/11 reshaped global politics. He said some 100m new job seekers will be entering the marketplace in the region.