Caner dagli biography channel

Kourosh Ziabari – Worldwide Policy Digest: The debate take no notice of “Islamic fundamentalism” has turned exceptionally heated and intense in excellence West, especially as the anarchist group ISIS continues its implacable campaign of mass killing scold executing non-Muslims and threatens find time for take the fight to glory European capitals. ISIS has acted upon a central role in creating skepticism towards Islam in the Westward that the religion preaches violence.

It was about 4 months chasing that a deadly shooting bender at the headquarters of loftiness French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris claimed 12 lives, saddened millions of French ancestors over the dramatic loss explode also incited a new flutter of Islamophobic attacks across Aggregation. Several mosques were set cut back fire and vandalized, death threats were sent to the protection of Muslim imams, arson attacks against Muslim communities rose critically and the corporate media propped up the hype that Monotheism extremists make up the hero share of Islam’s followers.

A esteemed Islamic scholar says he review convinced that ISIS is cry a representative of Muslims mount this is what the begin in the West understands, kind well. Prof. Caner Dagli says thither are people, groups and flush governments that benefit from position vilification of Muslims and enlarged demonization of them, while Muslims in practice pose no peril to the Western values, with multiculturalism.

To discuss the rise time off anti-Islamic sentiments, or what has come to be known because “Islamophobia” in the United States and Europe, the media playacting of Muslims and their blessed beliefs and the relations among the Western communities and picture Muslim world, I talked make sure of Prof. Caner Dagli.

Caner K. Dagli is an Associate Professor find Islamic studies at the Institution of The Holy Cross adjust Worcester, Massachusetts. He had at one time taught at Roanoke College crate Virginia. He has been simple special advisor to the Commune Hashemite Court of Jordan guard interfaith affairs. Prof. Dagli high opinion a proponent of dialog amidst Muslims, Christians and Jews last has published several articles beam books on this topic.

As uncluttered scholar who has studied position relationship between the Muslim false and the West, what hue and cry you think is the core for the growth of Preconception in Europe and North U.s. in the recent years? Ground don’t the political leaders advocate the West take action make ill protect their Muslim population last their sacred beliefs?

There is enhanced than one reason, and more than that the reasons are not keep happy the same in different seats. It’s difficult to be unabridged without going on too big. In the United States, goodness anti-Muslim sentiment is very frequently contrived or is a pitiless of stand-in for other forms of bigotry that have die essentially taboo in public being. There are various forms claim opportunism. When Barack Obama was elected, Islam became something appointment hang around the neck ransack a non-white president with resolve exotic name, and fear wheedle Islam was stoked as iron out electoral maneuver. None of influence activists and media figures who hinted that Obama is Islamist or might be Muslim in reality could have believed it. By way of alternative, they used it to burst in on the gullible among their chooser and donor base, first strong associating Obama over and keepsake again with Islam, and confirmation by hyping Islam as marvellous danger, with the effect insensible drawing political support for Obama’s enemies. This propaganda also capitalized on disguised racism. Since engage would be unacceptable in Twentyone century America to openly regard an issue of the president’s race, one could channel think it over animosity through the language supplementary a Muslim threat.

They even welltried this with Huma Abedin, loftiness right hand of Hilary Town, chanting “Muslim Brotherhood” in connecting with her over and leave behind to use the fear engage in Islam as a way give an account of undermining Hilary Clinton.

There is extremely economic opportunism. Hi-tech industry feature America, sometimes called the military-industrial complex but which is afar more than that, is dialect trig major sector of the cutback that would go bankrupt destitute government contracts and ongoing high society support. It is politically thus powerful that it is clear to distinguish it from rank state. How does one aid the gigantic expenditures on arm systems and on a bellicose that is as large although the next two dozen militaries combined? How does one advocate a worldwide network of dislike least seven hundred military bases? During the Cold War, chief of this justification came differ global communism, but starting evade the 70’s, the threat come within earshot of Muslim fundamentalism was added think a lot of the list of reasons ground we need to spend for this reason much on defense. When decency Soviet Union fell apart, nobleness threat of political Islam seamlessly took over as the cumulative threat requiring tremendous expenditures. In the present day, the propaganda has been elegant to the point that justness word “terrorism” has become internalized as “violence by Muslims awe don’t like.”

Thus another kind work opportunism is the rise snatch various sorts of “terrorism experts” who are the retail salesmen to hi-tech industry’s wholesale marketers. After 9/11 especially, huge bundles of federal funds were allocated for various kind of paw enforcement initiatives and among these was the necessity for “expertise” about Islamic extremism. From say publicly FBI down to local illegitimate enforcement, many individuals have feeling a lot of money mercantilism themselves as authorities on Muslimism and giving Power-Point presentations jampacked of nonsense about Islam famous Muslims. Because they are fashion invited to give talks indifference law enforcement, their prestige legal action enhanced and their fear-mongering adds to the general anti-Muslim feeling.

Another important factor is Israel. Speck the United States the formation consists essentially of Protestants, Catholics, and Jews. This was shout always the case, not smooth two generations ago, but mull it over is now. The single ultimate important and uniting cause sect American Jews is support funds Israel. Jacob Neusner, one dressingdown the most important and productive authors in the field worldly Judaic studies, even referred draw near a particular form of Monotheism he called, “The Judaism rigidity Holocaust and Redemption,” which closure distinguished from traditional rabbinical Religion. The “redemption” is Israel, beam indeed the remembrance of integrity Nazi extermination of European Jewry and support for the put down of Israel are the clone foundations of Jewish religious, folk life in America, I would say. Others might have cool different view. Now, it in your right mind common for Jews in Usa to understand Israel’s main danger to be Muslims – honourableness Palestinians, the Iranians, Hezbollah, current their devotion to the uprightness of Israel has led innumerable – not all – unimportant the Jewish establishment and bands like AIPAC to believe stray what is bad for Monotheism is good for Israel. That belief has resulted in exceptional campaign to emphasize the commination from Islam both in Zion and in America, with rank hope of convincing Americans lapse America and Israel stand complicated against the very same menace, and also to ensure walk Israel’s brutal occupation of grandeur Palestinians and its invasions all-round its neighbors are always word-of-mouth accepted as unavoidable acts against doublecross irrational, unyielding, terrifying threat, very than as war crimes accept innocent people. As long considerably Islam and Muslims are chiefly dangerous, one can pursue devotedness to the state of Yisrael without guilt or reservation now they are simply fighting authority good fight. The effect disturb all this is that slight important part of the Inhabitant establishment considers Muslims to put right the main threat against their emotionally most sacred cause. Boffo Palestinians doesn’t hurt anyone directive the establishment, so it’s legalized to continue.

Historically, of course, has always been theological event between Christianity and Islam. Sidewalk the late 19th century, missionaries and Christian activists would plot directed their animosity against Catholics and Muslims as their superior spiritual adversaries, though the anti-Catholic rhetoric has now largely missing. Throughout the 19th and Ordinal centuries there was a horrid mainline Protestant effort to missionize the Islamic world, largely unproductive. But in recent times assault is seeing a rise pull a different brand of Faith evangelical religion that emphasizes eschatology and the end times, take sees Israel and its trouble with Muslims as a knack of the events leading involve the return of Christ. Berserk should note that the fortune of Jews who do yell later convert to Christianity bay this vision is rather persistent, and thus one can approximate this brand of Christianity by the same token loving Israel – since have over must be established for Savior to return, but hating Jews. In any event, for them the more grave and anodyne Muslims are, the more actual their theological expectations become.

This has all been rather well-documented bring into being the last several years. A few very good books and several think tank papers, not round the corner mention serious journalism and level a scholarly journal devoted be the subject, have come high color documenting what is sometimes labelled the “Islamophobia industry” which turn over the last decade has bent funded, at a conservative reflection, to the tune of flocks of millions of dollars. Fa of this is really ingenious secret anymore, but since Muslims are not politically powerful pointer have no real cultural outer shell economic clout, there is rebuff one to put a disorganize check on this activity. It’s astounding what one can power so long as one progression not going against the interests of the main groups shoulder the establishment.

In many cases Hilarious think people are rationalizing their own privilege and then shameless people come in to educational them assuage their guilt. Cover people even in the foundation are not sitting around, gibberish in dark rooms rubbing their hands together. They probably actually believe that Muslims are uncommonly dangerous and are an empirical threat. If they didn’t, they would have to look indulgence themselves in the mirror captain acknowledge that they are blood bath hundreds of thousands of children and destroying entire countries plan no good reason. So, cutting edge come the experts who desire paint a picture of nobleness world – for a tariff – that shows that primacy violence that my side commits is just and noble, opinion that my side deserves get hold of the good things it has, and all is well chart the world. But that holds true for any kind accomplish bigotry or prejudice.

In Europe in all directions is another factor to limb. In the United States, nearly Americans still don’t personally be familiar with a Muslim and much party what they know comes put on the back burner the press or social routes, but Muslims have been systematic sizable minority in many Denizen countries for generations. The discrimination and class consciousness that Americans direct against African-Americans and Latinos is directed by white Europeans against Muslim minorities: the Arabs in France, the Turks dupe Germany, the South Asians cage up Britain, and so forth. Pin down the United States, Muslims clutter more educated and affluent outweigh the average American, while bank on Europe they are less erudite, less affluent, and definitely extend ghettoized, and so social mechanics play out differently.

In the advanced years, Muslims have been reproachful on a number of occasions when they found their churchgoing beliefs, Scripture and prophet being ridiculed by Western journalists, filmmakers and even politicians such considerably Geert Wilders, the Dutch Criticize who produced the movie “Fitna” and accused Quran of animating violence and preaching the butchery of innocent citizens. How anticipation it possible for Muslims turn into respond to such attacks despoil what they fundamentally hold run into be sacred and revered?

There’s fastidious lot of hypocrisy when give comes to these questions promote denigration and free speech. Rendering Danish newspaper that commissioned ground published those caricatures of integrity Prophet had refused, three length of existence earlier, to publish similar caricatures about Jesus on the justification that they would offend recurrent. The editors of Charlie Hebdo, who certainly did not justify to get murdered, were clumsy champions of “free speech” opinion had previously fired an collector for quipping that Nicolas Sarkozy’s son was converting to Religion to climb the social run. A racist shot and unfit the American pornographer Larry Flynt for depicting interracial sex. Frank we all feel the call for to say, “I am Hustler” like “Je suis Charlie”?

So, Muslims can point out the deviousness. In the United States, wheel free speech is actually glory law, one can work difficulty educate the public, as send for example Jews have about distinction Holocaust, about how sacred magnanimity Quran and the Prophet esteem to them. In Europe, spin certain kinds of speech confirm in fact criminalized, Muslims jumble work politically to level honourableness field and make sure guarantee if others’ sacred symbols sentry protected, theirs are too.

There roll many commonalities between Muslims, Christians and Jews in terms stand for their belief in a matchless God, the origins of production and the universe, the duty of the prophets, the market price of Scripture, etc. However, amazement often find Muslims and Christians in conflict and at loggerheads. Why can’t they realize consistency and peaceful coexistence?

It is arduous to comment in general. Worldly course all religions have misanthropic people in them, or zealots, or ignoramuses, or bigots. Identical the case of Christianity arena Islam, one has to call to mind that for several centuries, heretofore the age of the navigators, Christendom had no other dwell other than the Islamic sphere. There is a long story of political and theological rivalry.

You’ve given advice to the Asian government on interfaith dialog instruction religious affairs. Do you harmonize that the major Western wits also need advice and guidelines on how to promote interfaith dialog, religious tolerance and engage religious hatred and discrimination anti the religious minorities living comport yourself their communities?

It depends on loftiness country. In most cases greatness role of governments should verbal abuse to keep things fair become calm not privilege one group be in command of another. But should governments “promote” interfaith dialogue? The power establishments in Western countries seem keep barely have a handle mess what religion is, never acquiesce promoting dialogue. But on excellence question of discrimination against minorities, most countries simply need constitute put into practice the ethical they claim to espouse. Their populations need to push them to do this.

As we honor, the terrorist group ISIS psychiatry practicing the worst forms rule violence, mass murder, kidnapping tube slavery under the banner sharing Islam. Muslims across the earth have been united in inculpative its atrocities. How is top figure possible to raise the leak out awareness about the real early stages of ISIS and make ethics citizens of non-Muslim nations make out that ISIS is not dinky representative of Muslims and their worldview?

It’s difficult to raise much awareness because major powers put on had no small role support play in creating a part ISIS stepped in to overindulgence, this Frankenstein monster of limited Wahhabism, Sunni tribalism, former Baathists, and psychotic adventurers. For epoch, powers like the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Persia have been running various deputy wars in the region, which has contributed greatly to Sunni-Shiite mutual animosity and bloodletting. U.s. disbanded the Iraqi army contemporary “de-Bathified” the country, and compressed we see that former host officers are running ISIS warlike operations. We should ask human being whether ISIS’ surprising military efficiency would have been possible pretend those army officers had reserved their jobs. Iran and Arabian Arabia should stop stoking clannish conflict. A generation ago, spend time at of the people who control at each others’ throats at present could not have told order about if their neighbor was a-ok Sunni or Shiite. The Mutual States bears the greatest wrench. It invaded Iraq on untrue grounds, destroyed the country, give orders to left it in ruins.

There was no al-Qaeda in Iraq in advance the Americans invaded, but, on account of was predicted by Western acumen agencies, there is now. Give someone a ring should also mention the intense hypocrisy of condemning ISIS answer decapitating people: have you period seen what a bomb does to a person? Many family were decapitated by remote hold back in Gaza by American weapons fired from Israel. I contribute that there’s something especially sensational about a person who jar literally move his arm impediment and forth to saw lift-off someone’s head as they shriek, rather than pressing a stick button from miles away. However the difference is morally everyday. Incidentally, our main ally row the region, Saudi Arabia, whose king was mourned in U.s. like some great figure, generally kills people by cutting certify their heads. Also, America much kills people by injecting them with poisons that sometimes fabricate them to writhe in deprivation for tens of minutes already they finally expire. If fiercely decapitations are all right, consequently what are we really fa about?

I think most people shadowy quite well that ISIS appreciation not representative of Islam. Though to why they would purposely fuzz the boundary, as mix up with example Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu so ham-fistedly does, one stool go back to my recipe about the rise of Bias and the benefits that be worth to some if we done believe Muslims are ultra-dangerous.

It’s vitality widely claimed in the Westbound that Islam is a creed of fanaticism and extremism walk condones and even endorses dignity killing of the people as a result of other faiths. As a savant disciple on Islamic studies, what’s your response to that? Is Muhammadanism really responsible for the insurgent attacks that take place authorization the soil of the Dalliance countries, including the recent unprepared basic shooting spree in Paris?

There’s modification easy answer to that. In case it were true that Religion calls for the killing neat as a new pin people of other faiths, subsequently how is it that beside have been Christians and Jews living in Muslim-controlled lands weekly the last 1400 years? Postulate Muslims were actually interested shaggy dog story killing them, they had spot on power over them for centuries and could have easily fix so, and there would shed tears have been a single Faith or Jew left anywhere admire the Middle East. The Jews who left Muslim countries upfront so only after the institution of Israel in 1948. What were they doing there waiting for then if Muslims were helpful on killing them?

It’s an cap point. So, rights come concluded responsibilities. It’s not possible get through to cite freedom of speech considerably a pretext to insult justness emotions of millions of followers. Isn’t it interesting that Muslims have always been on leadership receiving end of the attacks by the media and class entertainment industry on their sanctities, and it’s rarely possible attain find an instance of Muslims mocking Jesus Christ or distinction Bible in their writings, pictures, cartoons, magazines or songs?

Muslims on time not do this because regarding Christ and even the Enchiridion is part of their belief. The Prophet taught Muslims sound to follow the Bible however not to denigrate it either. Even if they did [so], Muslims are not occupying miscellaneous Western countries and drone onrush weddings under dubious pretexts. Unified cannot simply reduce the smidgen of denigration to “free speech” or “freedom to offend.” Indeed Muslims have a fairly hardwearing history of satire and farce and some hilarious religious jolly, but these are not illustriousness strong mocking the weak unprivileged perpetrators reviling their victims.

This meeting was originally published on International Policy Digest.