Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at the Banquet Hosted in Honor of Governor
Perry, Houston, June 23, 2002
Governor Perry,
I will begin with an apology. I request your indulgence
because following a good deal of food for the stomach I
am going to use this occasion to dish up a fairly heavy
serving of food for thought. I do so because this is the
first time I have had the opportunity to speak publicly
in the United States about the events of September 11th
of last year. Since then many perspectives have been articulated
in many settings - diplomatic, academic, the media, and
in public opinion as expressed in the streets and measured
in opinion polls.
That
the acts of September 11th and all that is behind them are
repugnant to the very spirit of Islam and to the beliefs
and yearnings of the vast majority of Muslims around the
world is beyond question. In the words of the Quran it is
as if the entirety of humankind had suffered a death with
every life that was so brutally ended. The shared destiny
of the ethos of the Abrahamic tradition that unites Christians,
Jews and Muslims is governed by the duty of loving care
to help nurture each life that is born to its God-given
potential.
But
the cacophony of voices, both in the West and the Islamic
world, has generated a great deal of confusion about the
broader meaning of the events of September 11th. This confusion
has outcomes that are potentially dangerous for relations
between countries as well as for the safety and security
of individuals as they go peacefully about their daily lives.
Some
years ago, Professor Samuel Huntington warned of an impending
"clash of civilisations" between the West and
the Islamic world as the next great confrontation following
the end of the Cold War.
My
position is somewhat different. It is based on my perspective
as the leader of a Muslim community that now lives in the
West as well as in the Islamic world, and from an engagement
in international dialogue, development and cross-cultural
education for more than forty years. What we are now witnessing
is a clash of ignorance, an ignorance that is mutual, longstanding,
and to which the West and the Islamic world have been blind
for decades at their great peril.
For
a number of years I have voiced my concern that the faith
of a billion people is not part of the general education
process in the West - ignored by school and college curricula
in history, the sciences, philosophy and geography. An important
goal of responsible education should be to ringfence the
theologising of the image of the Muslim world by treating
Muslims as it treats Christians and Jews, by going beyond
a focus on theology to considering civil society, politics,
and economics of particular countries and peoples at various
points in their history. This will reveal the fundamental
diversity and pluralism of Muslim peoples, cultures, histories,
philosophies and legal systems. The Aga Khan University's
newly established Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations
in London will address these issues directly, as have the
programmes of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture with respect
to the field of architecture, and more recently music. Repositioning
theology with respect to the normal forces of human society
will help develop the understanding that Muslims too live
in the real world and have to contend with the same issues
of life - of poverty, hunger, tragedy and civil conflict
as all others in the developing world.
Within
the Islamic world there is work to do as well, starting
with a better understanding and appreciation of the pluralism
of cultures and interpretations among Muslims.
The
legacy is rich, a source of strength, and needs to be encouraged
and celebrated. It is also crucial that the Islamic world
develops a creative and reasoned response to the impact
of Western popular culture, which coupled with the dominance
of modern electronic media by Western corporations, poses
a serious threat to local and national identities and cultures,
and their creative and sustainable evolution.
I will stop here, although there is much more to say. I
warned you that my serving of food for thought would be
heavy, and I hope that it has not caused indigestion. But
I do feel that it is vital that we reduce the ignorance
that contributes to misunderstanding and can feed conflict.
The good news is that this is a process that each of us
in this room can contribute to whatever our vocations or
positions in life, whether through small individual initiatives
or major projects. Please do join me in this important endeavour.
First Lady of Texas, Anita Perry,
Mayor Wallace,
Leaders and representatives of the Congress of the United
States, the State of Texas and the City of Houston,
Consuls General,
Distinguished Guests
Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at the Opening Ceremony of the Ismaili Centre in Houston, Texas
Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at the Banquet Hosted in Honor of Governor Perry at the Opening Ceremony of the Ismaili Centre in Houston, Texas
Speech by His Highness the Aga Khan at the Foundation Laying Ceremony of the Ismaili Centre in Dubai
His Highness the Aga Khan's Speech Foundation Ceremony of the Ismaili Jamat Khana and Center Burnaby July 1982
His Highness the Aga Khan's Speech Foundation Ceremony of the Ismaili Jamat Khana and Center London, U.K. September 1979
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