Here is the truth about
the true Muslims and their work in this world.
As spiritual leader of
Ismaili Muslims, the Aga Khan
uses recent Koerner
Hall address to make global pitch for pluralism.
(Pluralism is defined
as a situation in which people of different social classes, religions, races, etc.
are together in a society...
but continue to have
their different traditions and religions.)
His
Highness, the Aga Khan was given the inaugural Adrienne Clarkson
Prize for Global Citizenship at a ceremony at Toronto's Koemer Hall,
Tuesday, September20. In his acceptance speech, the spiritual leader
of Ismaili Muslims around theworld warned of the threats to pluralism
in Canada and abroad in the age of mass migration...Brexit...Donald
Trump and the explosion of information technology. Below is a
slightly edited and condensed excerpt from his address. The subheads
have been edited.
OF
DIVERSITY AND DIVISION:
We talk sincerely about the values of diversity...about living with
complexity. But in too many cases, diversity seems to mean more
division...greater complexity and more fragmentation...and more
fragmentation can bring us closer to conflict.
The
stakes seem to be getting higher to the ideals of global citizenship.
One enormous challenge, is the simple fact that diversity is
increasing around the world. The task is not merely learning to live
with that diversity...but learning to live with greater diversity
with each passing year. More people are moving willingly and
unwillingly, across national frontiers than ever before. In country
after country, the migration question is a central issue of political
life. And old habits of mind, including narrow, exclusionary
definitions of citizenship, have not met the challenge!
That was true 3 months ago when Great Britain voted to leave the
European Union. It is true in pre-election debates in France, where
I now live and in the United States, where I went to university.
It is true in Canada, though Canada has certainly been a world
leader in expanding the concept of citizenship. But the challenge
is felt exerywhere. Nor is the migration challenge likely to
dissipate any time soon...especially as war, violence...and economic
deprivation displace more and more people
FEAR
OF THE “OTHER”:
In such a world, the 'other' is no longer a distant someone whom we
encounter primarily in the pages of a magazine...or on a video
screen...or an exotic holiday trip. The 'other' increasingly is
someone who appears in what we think of as “our space” or even
“in our face”.
When the other is seen as a potential competitor, for a job, as
example, even when this fear is unfounded, it is tempting to look for
scapegoats...for someone to blame...when our self-esteem seems to be
threatened. Often, we then find it easier to define our identity by
what we are against.
Such fears may be culturally based, or economically driven,
or psychologically rooted. But they should not be underestimated.
And they will not be driven away by nice sounding words
proclaiming lofty ideals.
That is why I would emphasize our responsibility to improve the
quality of life in places throughout the world...fighting
poverty...improving health and education...expanding opportunity...as
the first manifestation of a healthy 'pluralistic' ethic. Pluralism
means responding to diversity not only at home, but on a global
basis.
TECHNOLOGY
WON'T SAVE US:
As new technologies shrink the planet, distant forces become dire
threats. We worry about the perils of environmental degration, for
example. We see how every local economay can be affected by distant
economies. We realize how dangerous forces...deadly diseases...or
deadly weaponry...criminal networks...or terrorist threats...can
spread across the national borders. And often, the human impulse is
to withdraw from a threatening world.
One element that complicates this challenge is the way
we communicate with our global neighbours.
We think sometimes that the new technologies can save us. If we
can connect faster...at lower cost...across greater distances with
more people, just think what could happen! We would all learn to
understand one another better. But I am not sure that things are
working out that way. The explosion of availabe information often
means less focus on relevant information...and even a surfeit of
misinformation. Thoughful leadership often gives way to noisy
chatter.
Media proliferation is another challenge. What it often means is
media fragmentation.
Many now live in their own media bubble...resisting diverse views.
REALITIES
OF IDENTITY ARE MORE THAN SKIN DEEP:
With the reality of human nature, we often hear in dicussions of
global citizenship that people are basically alike. Under the skin,
deep in our hearts, we are all brothers and sisters...we are
told...and the secret to a harmonious world is to ignore our
differences...and to emphasize our similarities. Yes, our
understanding and our underlying humanity should motivate our quest
for healthy pluralism. Yet, talking only about our common humanity
might seem to threaten people's distinctive idenitities.
WHO
AM I?:
We all must pose that question. Answers grow out of basic loyalties
to family faith, language, which provide a healthy sense of security
and worth. Embracing the values of global citizenship should mean
compromising the bonds of local or national citizenship. The call of
pluralism should ask us to integrate diversity...not to depreciate
diversity.
One's
identity need not be diluted in a pluralistic world,
but
rather fulfilled, as one bright thread in a cloth of many colours.
My own religious community identifies proudly as Ismaili
Muslims, with our interpretation of Islamic faith and history.
But we also feel a sense of belonging with the whole of the Muslim
world...what we call the Ummah. Within the Ummah, the diversity of
identities is immense...based on language...on history...on
nationhood...ethnicity...and a variety of local affiliations. But,
at the same time, I observe a growing sense within the Ummah of a
meaningful global bond.
In this context, diversity itself can be seen as a gift.
In the end, of course, we must realize that living with diversity
is a challenging process...we are wrong to think it will be easy.
The work of pluralism is always a work in progress!
The challenges will be many and continuing. What will they
require of us? A short list might include:
a vital sense of balance,
an abundant capacity for compromise,
more than a little sense of patience,
an appropriate degree of humility,
a good measure of forgiveness
and a genuine welcoming of human difference.
It will never be completed...but no work will be more important!
Merle Baird-Kerr...written October 5, 2016
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