New Zealand needs more Islamic and inter-religious studies, writes Majid Daneshgar.
History tells us the mutual relationship between Easterners and Westerners brought about the emergence of the peace and conflict between different groups of people.
The enlightenment, the modern age and Western technologies fully changed the life of humanity, particularly Easterners, the traditionalists who were in need of Western scientific products to improve the level of their society.
Although the migration from the East to the West in general and to Europe in particular was huge, Europeans for a particular period were overwhelmingly keen to discover the lands of the East. In a large part of the East, this was known as the colonialism period, when Easterners were under the rule and plunder of Europeans whose discoveries and scientific reports achieved from the East were important for Western development.
After the World Wars (particularly World War 2), many Muslims from the Middle East moved to Europe as a labour force and they gradually became a part of Western society. The way these people and their second or third generations communicate with non-Muslim societies, on one hand, and how Western communities perceive Muslims' beliefs on the other hand, became important issues examined by scholars in different fields.
It is apparent academic writings were not yet sufficient or able to meet the expectations of multinational, multiracial, multicultural societies.
While some Muslim leaders, academics and communities (not ordinary people or liberals) believe main Islamic texts and treatises are sufficient divine treasures helping Muslims to reach felicity and bliss, the majority are still trying to pave the way for the Islamisation of knowledge (particularly in humanities and social sciences). By this they attempt to guide and educate Muslims to contribute to intellectual life from an Islamic aspect rather than an alien (Western and secular) perspective.
More importantly, a new wave of conflict is observed in the West in recent decades when the second and third generations of Muslims became Western citizens but retained Islamic beliefs.
Muslims left their home country but kept their culture and identity, including their religion and Islamic customs. Conserving their identity, religion and culture, particularly in a liberal society, would be a task for this minority group of newcomers.
Use of halal food and Islamic marriage are the examples of preserving Islamic values.
Westerners, meanwhile, are not fully familiar with the importance of Islamic beliefs and this became regularly apparent through different ways, such as drawing the cartoons of the holy figures of Islam. The outcome, thus, would be violence and harassment.
New Zealand, as a Western country, has the potential to become a larger, safer and better community for Muslim newcomers and refugees from the Middle East, Central Asia (Afghans, Arabs, Turks, and Iranians), South Asia (Indians) and Southeast Asia (Malays and Indonesians). It is expected the second and third generations of these newcomers (Kiwi Muslims) will concentrate on preserving Islamic identity and culture in one of the most liberal societies of the world.
Accordingly, to not have terrors, blasphemy, harassments and social violence in the future - like the incidents of France, Denmark and so on - New Zealand needs something more than security, freedom, justice and police and that would be education. This is not achieved merely through studying some academic courses but is obtained through education and cultural instruments.
Indeed, non-Muslims are in need of some public broadcasting to read the Koran and Prophetic traditions (ahadith) in English, interfaith dialogue, TV programmes, and Islamic studies libraries in different languages.
And Muslims are required to become familiar with the notions of modernism, migration, identity, culture and ethics and interreligious discussions through passing some compulsory or elective courses.
- Dr Daneshgar is a lecturer in the department of theology and religion at the University of Otago.
