Cover Stories
Is Italy a racist country?
Guerrilla warfare broke out at the beginning of January in Rosarno, in the province of Reggio Calabria, between part of the local population and illegal African immigrants. There were clashes in which shots were also fired. And yet those immigrants were the only ones in the town who revolted against the ‘ndrangheta. Roberto Saviano, the author of ‘Gomorra’ wrote “Immigrants do not only come to Italy to take the jobs Italians no longer want, but also to defend rights that Italians no longer wish to defend.” Are we sure we want to get rid of them?
Iran and the West’s dilemma
The regime in Teheran continues to repress dissent and goads the international community on the subject of nuclear power. What can the West do? How can the West help the ‘Green Wave’? In a video-interview with Resetdoc, philosopher Ramin Jahanbegloo emphasises how this movement manages to unite Islam and human rights. Are new sanctions necessary as suggested by The Economist?
World Philosophy Day in Iran? No, thank you
Valentine M. Moghadam, Fred Dallmayr, Karel von Schwarzenberg, Navid Kermani, Pietro Marcenaro, Gianfranco Pasquino and Luigi Spaventa. These are just a few of Resetdoc's many friends and readers who have signed the appeal Giuliano Amato, Giancarlo Bosetti and Ramin Jahanbegloo, members of Resetdoc’s scientific committee, have sent to UNESCO’s General Director Irina Bokova to prevent the 2010 World Philosophy Day from being hosted by Iran. If you want to join our protest, send a message of support to info@resetdoc.org.
(Click here to read the article from Liberation).
New voices of Arabia
We Westerners still see the Arab world as a monolithic block, and as such we see its contemporary literary production, which seems as one, simply because it is all written in the same language. There are instead 22 countries in the Arab League and each has its own history, explains Isabella Camera D'Afflitto. In the Arabian Peninsula (from Saudi Arabia to the Emirates and including Yemen), for example, a new generation of novelists has emerged in recent years, daring to address burning issues, speaking of slavery, taboos, traditions and superstitions, social disruption, individual responsibilities and relationships between men and women.
Fear of minarets
«The Swiss referendum has revealed that Islam’s visibility is distressing in the eyes of Europeans – writes Nilüfer Göle, Director of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris – The concept of acknowledging Islam and Muslims as a phenomenon endogenous to Swiss society has been rejected.» On November 29th a majority of Swiss citizens approved a constitutional banning the construction of new minarets in their country. It was a shocking vote in a country where Muslims are a well integrated minority. How could this have happened? Is this a warning for all of Europe?
Being gay in the Arab-Islamic world
In spite of the fact that according to President Ahmadinejad «this phenomenon» does not exist in Iran, homosexuals are a reality throughout the Arab-Islamic world. Theirs is not an easy life, although, as the Lebanese movement Helem proves, they are beginning to speak out. Is their discrimination “written” in the Koran or explained by the same conservative culture we also see in the West? Opposing opinions concerning the spread of the homosexual movement in the Arab world are expressed by activist Hossein Alizadeh and by Professor Joseph Massad.
On tolerance
In times of economic crisis, when European nations close their borders, expelling legal and illegal immigrants, the philosopher Carlos Thiebaut believes that to speak of tolerance and acceptance may seem bitterly ironic. And yet, it is all the more necessary. We discuss this with Mario Tronco, who with his Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio uplifts the name of one country, Italy, which does not stand out for its respect for immigrants and those who are different.
Dissident Galileo, 400 years later
In December 1609 while observing the sky above Padua, Galileo Galilei carried out his first astronomical observations using a telescope. Exactly four hundred years later we remember this great Western scientist and intellectual, the modernity of his methods, his difficult relationship with the Church, his humanist culture and above all the dramatic choices made by a free dissident forced to recant by a tyrannical power.
The day that changed Europe
Twenty years ago, on November 9th 1989, tens of thousands of Berliners crossed the border between the East and the West and started to knock down the wall that for 28 years had divided their city and with it a whole continent. Slowly the people of the East returned to freedom and democracy thanks above all to the courage of Mikhail Gorbaciov and Helmut Kohl. Resetdoc revisits those events that posed the foundations for the reunification of Europe.
The burkini dilemma
In Verona, Italy, a Moroccan woman was asked to leave a municipal swimming pool because she was wearing a ‘burkini,’ an ‘Islamically correct’ swimsuit. The reason was that she “frightened the children.” The same thing happened a few days earlier not far from Paris. The xenophobe right exalted, the media made comments ranging from expressing concern to amusement, while the public debated the matter. Can the ‘burkini’ really be considered a “Islamic” swimsuit? Does it humiliate women? In the meantime, in Afghanistan...
Veiled women or showgirls?
We are accustomed to believing that Arab women experience conditions that are worse than those of western ones. And yet in the western media women are increasingly subject to the “tyranny of beauty” (with consequences that are also political as last summer’s Italian gossip columns proved). There are on the contrary new and interesting perspectives in the Arab media. Why then is the Islamic veil debated so much in the West, when our own TV channels broadcast an increasingly emphasised eroticisation of the female body?
An encounter of civilizations in New Delhi
India is an almost insuperable laboratory in the battles between “two different civilisations” within one same nation. One appreciating multiple identities and people coming from various traditions, the other feeling safe only when those who are different are alienated. In India as it really is today, the problems of the world are far better expressed than in Huntington-styled analyses showing the West besieged by young Muslims, fuelled by religion, the poor’s new vitamin.
The Road to Damascus
The winner of the June elections held in the Lebanon, the anti-Syrian collation led by Saad Hariri is encountering numerous problems in forming a new government. Hence Syria continues to powerfully influence Lebanese politics. The truth however is that, as Barack Obama knows only too well, peace in the Middle East depends on Damascus.
Another Tibet?
The Uyghurs’ revolt has at last drawn the West’s attention to these people who for decades have experienced conditions very similar to those of the Tibetans. In fact, in the Chinese region of Xinjiang, the Beijing regime is relying on the assimilation of this people who are different by language (Uyghur) and religion (Muslim). This also involves massive immigration of Han Chinese. What are the differences with Tibet? Why has the West only just noticed the existence of the Uyghurs?
Schools and religions. How can they coexist?
Last April 26th Berliners voted ‘no’ in a referendum that proposed to make religious instruction compulsory in schools, like the courses on ethics introduced in 2006. The majority of European countries provide religious instruction, but in twelve of them it is multi-religious. Is it possible for respect of secularism and the need to know the history and values of religions - that in recent decades have returned to dominate the public sphere - to coexist?
Tariq Ramadan: «Muslims must learn to be self-critical»
During the Resetdoc Istanbul Seminars (May 30th - June 4th) prominent Muslim intellectual Tariq Ramadan reacted positively to Giuliano Amato’s call to support the women demonstrating against the Shia Family Law in Afghanistan. Ramadan has been emphasising the issue of self-criticism for Muslim scholars and has himself been critical of a literal implementation of Shar’ia: «Giuliano Amato is right. We Muslims need to take a stand – he says in an exclusive video-interview with Resetdoc – I have been doing this for the last twenty years stating that we cannot accept the literal implementation and a dogmatic interpretation of Islam. We need a sense of humility within dialogue».
Ramin Jahanbegloo: «An outcome with no hope for Iran»
«The Iranian elections have been an astonishingly surprising experience, first of all because there has been immense participation. The outcome is a negative one for many of us and for many young Iranians, a result with no hope. There is an open clash within the nomenclature, and the government has started to solve it using violence.» In an exclusive video-interview with Resetdoc, the Iranian philosopher Ramin Jahanbegloo comments the results of the recent Iranian elections and addresses some future issues to be faced by the Iranian government and society.
The day that changed China
Twenty years after the massacre in Tiananmen Square, the regime has still not made known the number of victims and does all it can to ensure those events are forgotten in spite of the profound consequences on China’s social and political evolution. «In the West memories of Tiananmen are fading,» says Andrew J. Nathan, a professor of Political Science at Columbia University and co-author of The Tiananmen Papers, talking to Reset Doc. «The USA as well as Europe will be more secure when other political systems are open and stable. And the Chinese regime also in various direct and indirect ways encourages the persistence of authoritarian regimes elsewhere.»
Abu Zayd: "Why Muhammad wouldn't have signed the Afghan Family Law"
When the Afghan parliament approved the "Family Law for Shiites" effectively legitimising rape against women, our website published Emma Bonino's appeal and petition to the Afghan government. Former Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato signed the petition and on the newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore asked why moderate Muslims such as Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd and Tariq Ramadan, two reference points for European Islam, remained silent. Abu Zayd has chosen Resetdoc to clarify his positions. Ramadan has not yet responded, but will certainly do so at the next Resetdoc Istanbul Seminars, where he will discuss the East-West relations together with other influential Arab, Israeli, American and European intellectuals.
Iran, the Reformist Challenge
These are the most important elections for the world held this year, or at least for a dialogue between the West and the Islamic world. On June 12th Iranian citizens will elect their new President. Two competing factions are divided and the result is uncertain. Will we have the controversial outgoing President Ahmadinejad for another four years, or will one of the two reformist candidates, Mousavi or Karoubi, win the day?
India's Future
This year’s general election in India is numerically the largest ever held in history, with 714 million citizens (41 million more than in 2004) being called upon to vote and choose their representatives from over one thousand political parties. This is a phenomenal event that will last four weeks, until May 13th.
A sign of democratic vivacity that seems, however, destined to result yet again in an unstable government, marked by opportunistic post-electoral alliances. Historian Ramachandra Guha explains why regional parties are so successful.
What (Arab) Women Want
The veil makes them more visible than their men and hence exposes them to racism. Traditions and prejudices do not help them and are often the first obstacles they must overcome. How is the condition of Muslim women evolving in Europe and in the Arab-Islamic world?
How is Family Law changing in Arab countries? A journey at the centre of a debate that goes well beyond the female body and closely affects relations between Islam, democracy and the West.
Religion and identity
“The veil appears as a regression only if we assume progress to be teleological and linearly moving towards secularization”. Yale political philosopher Seyla Benhabib has discussed in Genoa the struggles over cultural identity in the scenario of contemporary Europe. In occasion of her lecture, we propose here a conversation with the Editor in chief of Reset Giancarlo Bosetti.
Lord of Algeria
The winner of the Algerian presidential elections to be held on April 9th is already known. He is the outgoing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who had the constitution changed so he could run for a third consecutive term. In the last ten years this country has at last seen the end of the civil war, but has not yet been capable of finding the path to modernity. The political system remains tragically closed, with “pluralist” elections that, however, do not indicate any opportunities for change. As a protest against the president’s coup de main, the main opposition groups have in fact boycotted this election.
The Virtues of Dissent
“Dissent is a constitutive virtue of democracy” writes Nadia Urbinati, Professor of Political Theory at New York’s Columbia University. “Rather than corroding social ideals, as authoritarians and conservatives believe, it strengthens partiality and cooperation between citizens. Dissent reveals a fundamental loyalty to a country, a society or a community.” But how is dissent developing nowadays in the Arab world? And what should the West do to support it?
The Swiss Exception
In a recent referendum, 60% of Swiss citizens voted in favour of the free movement of labour between the Confederation and the E.U. (Bulgaria and Romania included). This was a surprising vote that reversed the country’s isolationist stereotype, and that also goes against the trend (see controversies on Italian workers in Great Britain and Lieberman’s success in Israel). The Right, waving the spectre of an invasion of cheap foreign labour, lost the election. The election was instead won by those choosing not to be afraid of foreigners and the economic crisis.
The language of Islam
In Italy the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Gianfranco Fini, has proposed that only the language of the country mosques are in should be used for preaching. Is this a measure that could encourage integration, or is it dictated only by security concerns and the need to control the words spoken by Imams? The debate has begun. In the meantime, once again in Italy, for some time now the Islamic Council has stopped holding meetings.
A referendum on peace
On February 10th Israeli citizens will be called-upon to vote in a general election. Their future is at stake, as is that of their neighbours the Palestinians. How will voting be conditioned by the recent war with Hamas? What effect would a victory by Benjamin Netanyahu’s right wing Likud party have on peace negotiations? Resetdoc talks to author Etgar Keret and Haaretz journalist Gideon Levy, who explains the reasons for the bitter controversy between himself and Abraham Yehoshua during this conflict.
After the Bombs. A Confederation?
"Air strikes on Gaza are not a solution. More Palestinian deaths are what Hamas needs to feed its own radicalism," states the Czech Republic Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel von Scharzenberg in Giancarlo Bosetti's interview. How is this war going to change the relationships between Israelis and Palestinians? Political philosopher Seyla Benhabib writes: “Suppose there was a confederation in Israel-Palestine. This confederation could become the kernel of a Middle Eastern Union of Peoples, in which Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and many other states would conjoin together much along the model of the European Union”.
Palestinian Chaos
The conflict between the two main Palestinian political parties shows no sign of abating. On one hand Hamas dominates the Gaza Strip, on the other Fatah continues to govern the West Bank. Two visions of the world or more simply two different political power machines? President Abu Mazen’s mandate is drawing to an end with few regrets, while Hamas has announced that the truce with Israel is over. In the meantime the conflict between the two political parties reflects the divisions within the Arab League. Is there any way out of this blind alley?
Wall Street and the Arab Street
What are the consequences of the global financial crisis in the Arab world? The Gulf region’s financial markets have suffered considerable losses, but above all it has been the fall in the price of oil that has highlighted the weakness of the Arab economy. And yet there are some on the shores of the Mediterranean who are increasingly optimistic. These are the people who relied on financial institutes that respect the Shari ‘a, the so-called “Islamic finance.”
Sinophobia
Is China’s terrible reputation in the western media legitimate? Two books, one published in America and the other in Italy, explain the reasons for the West’s growing fear of the Asian giant and its emigrants. Criticising China is a sport explained with an entire series of misunderstandings, prejudices and urban legends. What do we really know about Chinese culture? What will change with Obama in the White House and the worsening of the economic crisis?
Obama’s Consequences
The world is celebrating Barack Obama, the new President of the United States of America. Young, educated, with a multicultural, multiracial and cosmopolitan background, Obama provides new prestige to America’s image and to that of western liberal democracy. The Arab world has reacted enthusiastically, but is waiting to see the new White House resident in action. “Will he be with us or against us?”, wonder Palestinians and Israelis. In theory with neither, and this gives us hope. The task awaiting Obama is arduous, but the man does not lack audacity and hope. Will he also inspire change far from America? Even in China?
In India’s Belly
There are only two castes: men with large bellies and those with small ones. And only two destinies: to eat or be eaten. The portrait of India that emerges from Aravind Adiga’s novel entitled “The White Tiger”, recently the winner of the Booker Prize, differs greatly from the super-globalised and technological one often described. This other India is a harsh and dark reality in which "the planet’s largest democracy” still has to deal with poverty and human rights and where, every day, politicians and civil society trample on Gandhi’s legacy.
Are you ready America?
The economic crisis will make George W. Bush’s successor’s job even more difficult. In such difficult times, Obama stands out as a safe and serene power, but the elections have not yet taken place. “The factor of race, obliquely if inconsistently revived by McCain’s camp – writes Andrew Arato – may still reappear in some unexpected form”. Two different visions of the nation and of the world, and even of religion oppose each other. “Will Obama disappoint us?” wonders John Judis looking to the future. And is America at last ready to elect a black candidate to the White House?
Egypt Slumbers
What has happened to Egypt’s democratisation? After a few minor concessions, the regime is once again closing any real space in the political arena to the opposition, whose only voice today seems that of bloggers. The price of essential food has risen by 60%, a blow to 40% of the population obliged to survive on less than one dollar a day. Further damage to the country’s image came when the Foreign Minister triumphantly announced in New York the release of the eleven tourists kidnapped in the desert, who instead were held hostage for another week. Would change not be good for such a country?
Gandhi’s Legacy
Non-violence as the answer to violence. Dialogue as the antidote for clashes between civilisations. And: listen, learn and lead. How modern are Mahatma Gandhi’s lessons? This was discussed by Iranian philosopher Ramin Jahanbegloo expressing his thoughts in the video-chat room on the Avoicomunare.it website, launched by Telecom coinciding with its successful advertising campaign based on Gandhi. “I believe in his dream of One World – said Jahanbegloo, whose book entitled Reading Gandhi in Teheran is about to be published in Italy (Marsilio, I Libri di Reset) – But this means that the world belongs to us and we must all assume responsibility for it”.
Illegal Immigrants, the Pariahs of the Western World
They leave their whole lives behind, risking their lives on journeys that at times are with no return. Those who succeed, wander around our cities without a name, exploited by ruthless entrepreneurs and labelled as enemies by populist politicians. Public opinion recently learned off yet another massacre off the coast of Malta. Illegal immigrants have however played a leading role in some of the saddest stories of this Italian summer; a man killed while travelling under an articulated lorry, another arrested after reporting a crime. The victims of poverty and fear, these are the new marginalised people, the pariahs of the West.
Forgotten Bosnia
Since the war ended in 1995 Bosnia no longer makes the headlines. Kosovo has stolen the centre-stage. But Sarajevo may soon return to be in the news. The central government has limited power, the country has serious economic problems and ethnic divisions are also reflected in the existence of two different states that are totally separate: the Srpska Republic (with a Serb majority) and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Croatians and Muslims coexist. The Serbs threaten independence and look to Belgrade. "But Bosnia will live” , as Wolfgang Petritsch, the International Community’s former High Representative for Bosnia explains to Resetdoc.org. This time Europe will have to pay attention and not be taken by surprise.
European Pride
The Irish rejection of the Lisbon treaty has resulted in the reappearance of profound pessimism. Political Europe is obliged once again to call a halt. The cliché states that Europe is distant from its citizens, that it no longer has the mission or the spirit of its founding fathers. If however one looks outside the continent, one observes that the EU project has become a model for many, from the Arab world to Africa and all the way to South East Asia. The citizens of the Old Continent often take the EU for granted and not many would be ready to state that they are proud to be Europeans. Philosopher Tzvetan Todorov is however one of them and he explains why to Resetdoc.
Euro-Islam: at what point are we?
“We need a communications strategy emphasising above all the image of a moderate Islam”, as the new President of the French Muslims, Mohammed Moussaoui, told Resetdoc. Moussaoui presents himself as an enlightened and polyglot Muslim, but he too appears to represent an Islam “imposed from above”. Relations between Islam and Europe continue to be marked by misunderstandings, timid steps forward and ambiguity. As proved by the French example, representative bodies are all too often “managed” by the State, and their internal level of democracy leaves a great deal to be desired. What is happening as far as the integration of European Muslims is concerned? Who represents them?
When Enemies Increase the Ratings
The arrival of Arab satellite channels is changing the world of global communication. Now that Al Jazeera too has an English language channel, world markets are enriched by another point of view. The Americans, the English, the French, the Russians, the Arabs and the Germans, all have at least one channel dedicated to global viewers. With increased competition is has become increasingly hard to hide the truth, but there is also the risk that the battle will be fought above all playing on sensationalism, feelings and prejudices. After all, an enemy always increases the ratings. Ideas and thoughts for avoiding a media clash of civilisations.
The Multicultural Candidate
Kenya, Kansas, Indonesia, Hawaii. The biography of Democratic candidate for the White House, Barack Obama is unique. Young, black, well-educated, open and an optimist, the Illinois Senator portrays everything that is the opposite of America’s last eight years. He represents the America we have always loved, and, for this reason too, Europe and world are rooting for him in the November presidential elections. But is America ready to elect its best son? What will be the most important issues addressed in the campaign opposing the Republican candidate John McCain?
Turkish Chaos
The Turkish Constitutional Court has rejected a law allowing women to wear the Islamic veil in universities. According to sociologist Nilüfer Göle, a guest at Resetdoc’s Istanbul Seminars, this is “a way of confiscating democracy and public debate in the name of legalism”. Now the judges themselves could decide to outlaw the moderate Islamic party, the AKP, as well as its most important leaders (among them Premier Erdogan and the President of the Republic Gül), accused of attacking the country’s laicity. Is democracy at risk in Turkey? Europe and the Arab world are watching. Some, perhaps, are hoping for chaos.
Where is Benedict XVI's Church going?
“He and I represent two different ways of being Catholics, one in the sense of the Roman Curia, one in the sense of the Second Vatican Council. And I am not alone; there are many who share with me the persuasion that the Church is in need of reforms”. This is how the great Swiss theologian Hans Küng described to Giancarlo Bosetti - editor-in-chief of Reset - his relationship with the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, and also explained why he is disappointed with his papacy. Has the Catholic Church abandoned the spirit of the Second Vatican Council?
The West Locks The Doors
There is a cold wind blowing on Globalisation in the West. The Democrats in America are campaigning against NAFTA, Congress opposes new free-market agreements with Colombia and South Korea and only 28% of Americans agree that globalisation is a good thing. Europe is faced with the electoral success of regional political parties that are hostile to immigration. In Italy the new right-wing government is asking for excise duty on Chinese products and dreams that the national airline will remain in Italian hands. As the Wall Street Journal says, “the world is not as flat as it used to be”.
Being a Christian in the Middle East
They are “People of the Book”, and they share the same values as Muslims. And yet, the lives of Christians in the Middle East seem to have become more difficult in recent years. Many emigrate, their numbers dwindle, and their political influence is reduced while threats increase, from Iraq to Egypt and even Turkey. This, to the extent that a few months ago the European Parliament almost unanimously voted a resolution expressing serious condemnation. How do Christians live in the Middle East? What role do they play in societies where there is a Muslim majority?
And the winner is: Fear
The Italian elections held in April have returned the centre-right government to power. Silvio Berlusconi is once again Prime Minister, leading a coalition that is even more right-wing than the previous one. The Northern League, gambling on people’s fear of foreigners, managed to address a widespread need for social and economic security, and will now play a pivotal role in the government. What are the real reasons for this party’s success? Relations between Rome and Arab capitals are destined to be overturned. In what sense will Italy’s foreign policy change?
The Saudi Enigma
Although it is still impossible to build a Christian church in Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah has intensified interreligious dialogue with Pope Benedict XVI. The debate addressing women’s right to drive has recommenced, however, the “religious police”, the Mutawwa, continues to rule. Conflicting news from a mysterious kingdom safeguarding Islam’s holy places, but one that is certainly not considered a model by the Muslim world. Riyadh is still a key ally for the USA, not only for its oil but above all due to the anti-Iranian role it plays in this region, and this is one of the reasons for which, while the world fights for Tibet, for some time now silence has fallen as far as human rights in Saudi Arabia are concerned.
Who would be better for the World?
Barack Obama has a multicultural and international background. His father is Kenyan, he has lived in Indonesia and his family is spread out over three continents, as far as China. On the other hand, former First Lady Hillary Clinton has more experience in foreign policy issues, although only indirectly. The world cannot vote for either of them, but it is closely watching the race between the two Democrat candidates to the White House. And it wants to know who has more chance of resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict? Who would be better at handling the crisis in Iraq and the difficult relations with Iran?
No country for immigrants
In the Democratic Party primaries, immigrants took part en masse, but Walter Veltroni’s party has not even proposed one as a candidate for the forthcoming national elections on 13th April. On the contrary, he has excluded the only outgoing representative, Khaled Fouad Allam, from the list. The centre-right chose Souad Sbai, although she risks not being elected. Italians abroad who are not living in Italy can vote, whilst the children of immigrants, who support the Italian national football team, speak local dialects and have possibly always lived here, cannot vote. Why do Italian politics dismiss immigrants? Because they don't vote? Because politicians think that they make them lose votes?
What is secularism?
The concept of secularism originated in the West, although here it has and has had various meanings. Philosopher Charles Taylor says ‘it consists, among other things, of a move from a society where belief in God is unchallenged to one in which it is understood to be one option among others’. In the Muslim world secularism creates several misunderstandings. And yet when interpreted in a certain sense, it could present itself as ‘the third way’ to the crisis of political societies in the Middle East and in opposition to the secular authoritarianism of the state and the rise of religious fundamentalism within the civil society.
Boycotting Israel? Surely not
Various Communist politicians and Muslim intellectuals have called upon people to boycott the Book Fair in Turin, “guilty” of asking Israel to be its guest of honour. This has sparked off a heated debate in Italy, where the reasons of those against the boycott have come across as much more balanced and sound (one cannot compare the Israeli government with its writers, and the authors invited, such as Oz and Yehoshua, are men of peace and dialogue). Someone however (who really could not wait) has seized the occasion to expose some anti-semitism and "Islamic fascism" in someone who in reality only reacted due to political reasons, such as Tariq Ramadan.
The Oriana Phenomenon, a sociological perspective
One year after her death, an exhibition dedicated to Oriana Fallaci has met with the usual success with audiences in New York, Milan and Rome. And once again it resulted in moved memories expressed by the media (most of all Rizzoli and Mediaset). Two sociologist, one French and the other Italian, once again ask themselves why Italians love Oriana Fallaci and her Lepenist school of thought so much. Are they racists? Her success in Italy and abroad reveals interesting information not only about those who love her last books, but also about our societies. This is the thesis embraced by Giancarlo Bosetti, Reset’s editor in chief, who has written a book about Fallaci, about “orianism” and thinking-in-terms-of-the-enemy.
Saving Pakistan to save Islam
According to the Economist Pakistan is the most dangerous place in the world. And nevertheless, Pakistan boasts a long tradition of democracy. Its people is moderate and against terrorism. Its media are definitely freer than the average Arab country. Benazir Bhutto was the first Muslim woman to become Prime Minister. Its economy is growing by 7% on average per year. Pakistan could be a much more modern and attractive model for Islamic countries than the Saudi Wahhabi one. This is why on the next elections on 18th February, the future not only of Pakistan, but also a large part of the future of Islam is at stake.
Cairo-New York. A dialogue on democracy
What does 'democracy' mean for you? Reset posed the question to two prominent intellectuals – one belonging to the Western tradition and one from the Arabic tradition. The result is the dialogue published below, which takes its starting point from a text written for Resetdoc by Carlo Galli. Andrew Arato, the editor of Constellations and professor of Political Theory at New York's New School, does nothing to mask the limits of current Western liberal democracies, but states that democracy represents “the only response the the profound crisis of the Arab world.” The response of Hassan Hanafi, professor of philosophy at the University of Cairo, is caustic: "Democracy is a means, not an end, and liberal democracy is not the magic key that opens all the secrets of the world."
Islam and the Left. Dialogue or cold war?
What stance should the left adopt with regard to Islam and a multicultural society? Dialogue or cold war? In an article published in the magazine Reset, Nadia Urbinati of Columbia University initiated a long discussion with the Princeton philosopher Michael Walzer, editor of Dissent. Urbinati evoked post-war categories, internal criticism from Eastern dissidents, and the rejection of 'block thinking'. Walzer adopted a more sceptical stance on dialogue, saying that criticism of extremists must come from within their own ranks. It is a crucial issue for today's world, on which the philosopher Charles Taylor has also shared his views.
More yawns than hopes
Even symbols have a certain importance. This is why the Annapolis handshake between Abbas and Olmert can bring hope with the new talks between Israelis and Palestinians. But an agreement is still far away and two very serious conundrums are weighing down on the future of the region. Hamas, locked away in the prison that is Gaza, still does not want to recognize Israel. Meanwhile, Iran feels more and more surrounded, following the Syrian and Saudi participation in the conference. The Annapolis summit, which was lived out with more enthusiasm in Washington than in the Middle East, will be the umpteenth false start, a film which has already been seen? Or, despite the general skepticism, will represent the beginning of a new road to peace?
Kosovo, time to decide
The parliamentary elections on the 17th November saw victory for those in favour of secession from Serbia. It is likely that with effect from the 10th December Kosovo will unilaterally declare its independence. What will the consequences of this decision be for the region? The Kosovars see no other alternative. Serbia considers independence to be inadmissible, and has the support of Russia. The international community is divided. And so is Europe, which urges caution but risks proving itself once again to be impotent in the face of crisis in the Balkans. Yet now more than ever there would seem to be a need for an inequivocal stance.
Embracing the foreign
Fear of the other is engulfing European cities. The xenophobic right of Christoph Blocher wins in Switzerland, trouble is brewing in the suburbs of Amsterdam, and in Italy hatred of Roma and Romanians is spreading. And yet the number of mixed marriages continues to rise in France, in the UK, in Italy and in the US, amongst others, uniting partners of different religion, different colour, different ethnic group and different nationality. They are the sign of a hope, of a society which opens itself up the 'other'. They are couples formed often of people who are prepared to make compromises, and their children are destined to be even more open to the world. Beyond all prejudice.
Burma, what next?
They marched for days, braving the wrath of the regime. The Burmese demonstrators caught the attention of the world with their demands for democracy, freedom and dignity. Their weapons were mobile phones, and their leaders Buddhist monks who have reminded the world how religion can sometimes contain a unique energy. Now, however, those sacrifices and those deaths, demand that the lights do not go out on Burma. More than two months after the start of the protests, what has become of the “saffron revolution”? Much lies in the hands of China and India, the two main allies of the military junta. But the West, too, can still play its part.
Forbidden Mosques
Berlin, London, Cologne, Marseille, and now Bologna and Genoa. All over Europe the building of new Mosques is giving rise to disputes and protests. According to some in Italy there are too many Mosques; according to others there are too few. The media is blowing on the fire, and the fear of differences is mixing with Islamophobic provocations and more rational arguments. How transparent is the running of our Mosques? The left is divided. In Bologna, the mayor Sergio Cofferati says that Mosques guarantee more security than an improvised garage. In the face of protests, however, he is opting for a local referendum. In America, according to the Economist, everything is easier. And in Australia, a deliberative poll has showed that…
A Turkish model for Morocco?
The expected spectacular victory of the Moroccan Islamic Party of Justice and Development did not happen. But in the parliamentary elections of September 7th , the PJD proved itself to be an authoritative and responsible protagonist in a Morocco which is increasingly open and modern, despite the low turnout at the ballot box. Opening up the system to Islamic parties is a decision that cannot now be reversed for a country which wishes to call itself democratic. The people therefore have the freedom to choose, and the Islamic parties in turn are encouraged to open up, to engage in dialogue with secularists, and to come face to face with reality. Just as has happened in Turkey with Tayyip Erdogan's AKP. But can Ankara serve as a model for Rabat? After Turkey, might Morocco also have the right to a claim for EU membership?
The dilemma of the liberal State
In 1976 Ernst-Wolfgang Böckenförde presented the following dilemma: “The liberal secular state lives on premises that it is not able to guarantee by itself. On one side it can subsist only if the freedom it consents to its citizens is regulated from within, inside the moral substance of individuals and of a homogeneous society. On the other side, it is not able to guarantee these forces of inner regulation by itself without renouncing to its liberalism.” What answers can the liberal state offer to questions of social cohesion and ethical deficit that are affecting secularized democracies? Are we living in a secular or a post-secular society? Reset put these questions to some of the most influential international intellectuals.
Confucius’ democracy
The democratization of China will not necessarily involve the adoption of the Western model. On the contrary, it is by looking within itself, and going back to its Confucian roots, that the Asian giant could slowly open itself up to democracy. So says Daniel A. Bell in his latest book Beyond Liberal Democracy. The traditional values of Asia are founded upon communitarianism, social order, respect for elders and a paternalistic state – but is this definition still valid? As China opens itself up to the values of the West, the West seems to look down with a sense of superiority on Asian values. And yet Benjamin Franklin, almost 300 years ago...
Turkey, why Europe is wrong
The media of the old continent have accentuated the political battle which has recently prevented the Islamic moderate Abdullah Gul from becoming president of the Republic: an event which has reignited the anti-Turkish and anti-Islamic polemic. “There is no risk whatsoever of theocracy”, assures the philosopher Seyla Benhabib, who says to be interested in the experiment of Gul and Erdogan’s party. Turkish politics is already ever more European, and the same laics, as sociologist Nilüfer Göle explains, have knocked down the wall of incomprehension which separated them from the clergymen. So, the only wall left is the one which Europe is putting up. The doors of the EU remain closed.
New media for a New Arab World
Politics may continue to slam the door in their faces and to suppress all dissent, but, to the citizens of the Arab world, the emergence of new media today offers an extraordinary opportunity. Satellite TV, on-line journals, blogs and Youtube are giving a new voice to Arab 'subjects', who escape with increasing frequency the control of regimes. A part of the credit must be attributed to the pan-Arab satellite channel Al Jazeera, which has for years been challenging the 'single thought' of governments, and which is changing the very nature of journalism in the Arab world. The agendas of the media have been shaken, opening up unexpected spaces for all - for Islamic opposition, but also for secularists and reformists.
The New Germans
The Second session of the German Conference on Islam concluded with a controversial balance. No concrete results, but an undoubted symbolic success. It's some time now that Germany has quit considering immigrants as simple Gastarbeiter, guest workers. New Germans of Turkish origins are in the Bundestag or at the top of major political parties, and they often play the main characters in German movies and TV fictional stories. Surely some problems remain if one Turkish-German out of two still searches for his wife abroad, and if every generation is still a first-generation - as the NYT Magazine wrote. But the new course has started and Germany shows to be seriously taking into account the challenge of integration.
Ayaan or Tariq?
Over the past few months a heated debate, spread across the pages of the international press and of the website Signandsight.com, has raised the following question: Should the West support moderate yet controversial Muslims such as Tariq Ramadan, the popular grandson of the founder of the Muslim Brothers, or Islamic dissidents such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who for years has spoken out against crimes committed on women in the name of Islam, and who wrote the screenplay of Theo Van Gogh's provocative film Submission? The two intellectuals know and cannot stand each other. And yet today, while the Italian right once again attacks Ramadan, who is still banned from the U.S., the ex-Somalian refugee here defends his right to freedom of speech, even if she claims to be completely opposed to his thinking.
Algeria, les jeux sont faits?
Algeria prepares for the election of the National Popular Assembly, voting coming about a month after the attack - claimed by "Al Qaeda for the Islamic Maghreb" - which killed 33 people in the capital. While intelligence services warn that the likelihood of a new attack is far from remote, political parties are wearily preparing themselves for the elections. Algerians remember those of 1991, won by the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), and for this reason too, no surprises are expected. High levels of abstention are likely, which can be interpreted as a protest against the National Front of Liberation's (FNL) hegemony, and a monopoly that is set to be confirmed in an ever more dull and monotonous democracy.
Mubarak Forever?
On the 26th March, the reform of the Egyptian Constitution was approved by popular referendum, in which only 27% of those eligible voted (5% according to the human rights groups). Socialism is cast to one side, and the regime becomes even more authoritarian: religious parties are banned, judicial supervision of elections is eliminated, and legislation brought in for a state of emergency become permanent. President Mubarak strengthens his rule, and the possibility of the ‘monarchical’ succession to power of his son Gamal looms ever closer. In the meantime, as the American scholar Robert S. Leiken explains in an interview, the international community considers with growing interest the increasing influence of moderates within the Muslim Brotherhood, the only real force of opposition to the regime.
The French Mosaic
France will go to the polls to elect the new President of the Republic, and it will be interesting to see how multicultural France votes. After the autumn of 2005 and the banlieue riots, and following the controversy over the threat of anti-semitism, which way will the country’s major religious communities go? The republican model of integration itself is being called into question, and whilst other European countries look on with increasing interest, there have also been strong criticisms, as was seen in the debate concerning the wearing of the Islamic veil in schools. How will the direction of French foreign policy change? And is it true that France will reject its current pro-Arab orientation should Nicolas Sarkozy and the center-right triumph?
Women, Between Veil and Capitalism
According to the latest UN report on human development, women in Arab countries still have great difficulties in gaining access to education, health, politics, work and rights. Unemployment, Aids and domestic violence are problems which remain unresolved. However, it is not because of Islam that women rights are not respected in the Muslim world, as the American philosopher Martha Nussbaum says to us in an interview. In the Arab-speaking region, businesses led by female entrepreneurs have a larger number of employees, attract more foreign investors and export more than those led by male entrepreneurs. Is it through women that the Arab renaissance will develop?
Iran and the Paths to War
War has not yet been waged, but both Iran and the United States are doing their best not to avoid it. The Iranian leadership continues to pursue its nuclear programme, heedless of UN concerns. The Bush administration partakes in dangerous "provocations" (Gary Sick) on Iraqi soil, and does not exclude military intervention. Between the two lies Europe. The paths to war are infinite and implicate the role of Western intellectuals, who unwittingly risk strenghtening the current regime at a time when President Ahmadinejad is at ist lowest point and there are rumours of divisions amongst Tehran's top ranks.
The Armenian Issue
Dispersed throughout the world, they have a history that stretches over millenniums. Today there are just over 10 million Armenians, but the early twentieth century genocide of which they were the victims has barely been acknowledged. It is a controversial question which continues to be as relevant as ever: the French National Assembly has passed a law punishing denial of the Armenian genocide; the Taviani brothers have dedicated a film to the massacre, premiered at the Berlin Film Festival; the Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was killed in Istanbul because of his origins; and the U.S. Congress is divided over the official recognition of the genocide. But who are the Armenians? And how ‘Armenian’ do the members of this diaspora feel?
Democracy and Religion
They don’t seem to always exist in perfect harmony. Yet, in the current post-secular society, religion and democracy can’t make it without each other. That applies to the Western world, where more faiths live together in the same territory and where we face a religious revival (even though religion, to be true, never disappeared). But it is also valid for Muslim societies, where Islam needs to bring modernity, autonomous reason and science to account. Between a democracy subjugated by the ideology of secularization and one dominated by faith, is there possibly a third way?
Somalia: the Law of the Jungle
After sixteen years of chaos, in 2004 the main politicians and warlords finally signed a deal for a new government. Last summer, though, an Islamist movement (UIC) gained control of much of the south, including the capital Mogadishu, and imposed Sharia Law. With the backing of Ethiopia and the U.S., by the end of 2006 forces loyal to the government had defeated the Islamists. Can this be classified as a clash of civilization or just geopolitical conflict? The role of U.S. and of the Arab countries in a war in which prevailed only one rule: the law of the jungle.
Al Jazeera meets the World
During the Iraqi war some named it “Jihad TV” or “Terrorist News Network”. Now the Qatar-based satellite network, the first attempt at a pan-Arab Arabic channel, launches its English version, Al Jazeera International. It demonstrates that the Arab world is not closed in upon itself and knows how to produce communications for the global market. Can TV help East and West to understand each other better?
A Foot in Two Camps
According to French Sinologist François Jullien, China has a foot in two camps: a traditional one, and a western one. How do these two cultures coexist? Confucius fights against Individualism, but the battle is bloody and the outcome is in doubt. China’s influence meanwhile spreads in the world, from Venezuela to Sudan. But what is its relation to Islam? What about the old Huntington prophecy, of an emerging “Sino-Islamic connection”?
Words of Dialogue
The experience of dialogue begins with the clarification of terms. That’s why ResetDoc is creating an “Intercultural Lexicon” - a place where the most contested issues of intercultural significance can be explored by analyzing the key words we hear in today’s philosophical and cultural debates. Because words count and can become dangerous weapons, Reset Doc’s Lexicon is a way for us to start understanding each other.
Who is afraid of a Shia Revival?
During the Lebanese war, some Sunni governments criticized Hezbollah’s actions. They probably fear that the emergence of the so-called “Shia Crescent”, from Damascus to Tehran, from Beirut to Baghdad, will change the balance of power in the Muslim world. Will the phenomenon spread to other countries? Why is such an old sectarian division still dividing Islam? Iran funds and waits, and is always more powerful.
From Beirut to Haifa. Living together after the war
Multicultural cities, have always represented an experiment of coexistence between different cultures and faiths. After being violently hit during the last war, does the capital of Lebanon and the biggest city of Northern Israel still represent examples of factual dialogue?
Learning from Cairo
The West and the East do not understand each other. But amidst mutual incomprehension, terrorism and clash of civilizations, we still have a soft but effective arm: dialogue. Should religion be a part of it? What’s happening in Egypt, where our association held its first international conference.