Originally published on the CGS blog on March 13, 2015.
The attacks on the French Satirical Newspaper Charlie Hebdo show the need for more interfaith dialogue in Europe, both in the expansion of already existing efforts and the creation of new programs. Sadly, interfaith and multicultural dialogue in Europe, like everywhere else, does not receive much attention in the media.
Even countries like Holland, which has seen a rise in Islamophobic attitudes, have been engaging in dialogue via community programs, such as those in the Slotervaart neighborhood in Amsterdam.
Muslim-Jewish dialogue and cooperation have even been going on in several European countries, particularly Norway. For instance, after an attack on a synagogue in Denmark this February, Muslims in Norway gathered around a synagogue to protect its parishioners from acts of extremism.
Even in France, there has been a history of Muslim-Jewish dialogue. During the attack on Kosher marketplaces shortly after the Charlie Hebdo attack, a Muslim citizen from Mali saved the lives of some of the hostages.
Today’s Western Europe is a society of multiculturalism and many religions because of globalization and people looking for opportunities away from their home countries. The countries of Western Europe are thriving democracies that value freedom of speech and separation of church and state.
Unfortunately, misunderstanding other cultures, a desire among some of Western Europe’s population not to be a multicultural society, and some immigrant youth feeling marginalized create a hotbed for extremist yearning and tragedies. In other words, extremism from one side feeds extremism on the other side. And this extremism, whether ethno-religious or secular-nationalistic in nature, is a threat to democracy.
A two-pronged approach has been occurring in several European countries to resolve the issue: interfaith and intercultural dialogue and intervention for youth considered likely to go extreme. I will focus on the former in this blog and go into the latter in my next.
Just as the attacks on Charlie Hebdo happened, Pope Francis met with Bishop Michel Dubost (Head of French Bishops Council for Interfaith Relations) and four French Imams at the Vatican to condemn the attack, denounce all forms of hate and violence in the name of religion, and promote interreligious dialogue. Dubost says that people need to be united in their response to terrible attacks such as this one. Otherwise, interfaith dialogue becomes even more difficult. He also said that people need to be willing to engage in dialogue with other cultures.
Interfaith dialogue in Europe needs to include secular people, especially those who may not understand and may be uncomfortable with religious expression in public. Even secular people have advocated extreme measures to counter religious-based extremism.
Although Marine Le Pen, leader of the rightist Front National Party in France, is more socio-politically moderate than some of the other people mentioned in this article, Le Pen believes that French Muslims should not pray openly in public and that Muslim women should not wear headscarves. There are many people on the left who share similar attitudes. Le Pen also believes that public schools should not bother providing halal or kosher food to students.
Reactions to religion such as this one only aggravate tensions in French society. Although secular people like Le Pen believe they are trying to unite everyone in France and emancipate people, this only 1) creates resentment and continues the cycle of marginalization, 2) provokes violent reactions when the marginalized youth are influenced by extremists, and 3) incites volatile backlash against that reaction.
Extremism needs to be defined and agreed upon by religious and non-religious people in France and the rest of Europe. It should not be defined as attire preference or diet. Extremism from one side only fuels extremism on the other side and maintains a toxic environment for disaster and tragedy to brew. Dialogue is needed to end extremism altogether.
