Build bridges, don’t burn them [Archives:2006/920/Opinion]
Alex Hansen
alxhansen@hotmail.com
The negative correlation between radical and fundamentalist views and consensus-building is well documented. The ability to reach out and dialogue is essential in an effort to find common ground.
Lack of the same seems characteristic of the current situation which, in the wake of the published prophet Mohammed drawings, has sparked a worrying uprise around the Middle East and beyond. The opinion expressed in this paper by Hassan Al-Haifi is a clear example. It is easy to see it as an opportunity to further a political agenda.
To get a balanced view of matters, it is important to be well-informed, use several sources of information, evaluate their validity, etc. – journalism basics which should not be necessary to tell an experienced writer. When information is used on a selective basis to drive a political agenda and fit a specific viewpoint, it instantly loses its credibility.
The drawings were published September 30, 2005, and the current situation can be attributed to a lot of spin. In Denmark, Abu Laban, the religious leader and centerpiece in the ordeal, has made an important contribution to the conflict by making contradicting statements in the Danish and Arabic press, respectively. He plays with the advantage that not many people in Denmark understand his Arabic statements and not many people in Muslim parts of the world understand Danish.
Publishing the 12 images was probably undoubtedly an offensive act. But does it justify the acts of vandalism against Western European properties (including countries with absolutely no involvement other than being located suspiciously close to Denmark on a world map) in several Muslim-dominated countries around the globe? It seems disproportionate when Muslims kill each other in demonstrations in Afghanistan or Sudan over illustrations published in a newspaper thousands of kilometers away more than four months ago.
My best guess is that Muslim anger runs deeper and goes beyond the drawings. Such anger may or may not be justifiable. But the road to mutual understanding goes though conversation – not confrontation. It is time to turn the page, sit down around the table, clarify the issues and move on.
As for Al-Haifi's specific knowledge of what led to the images' publication in Jyllands Posten, the column illustrates all too well that he lacks information. But in the spirit of finding common ground, let's not go there.
Alex Hansen is a Danish journalist
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[archive-e:920-v:14-y:2006-d:2006-02-13-p:opinion]
