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Alliance or Clash of Civilization. by Riza EKICI Member of Board of Managers, SBK. The September 11th tragedy has drawn attention to the magnitude of the threat of terrorism and the need to take a common action to counter this threat globally.
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Alliance or Clash of Civilization by Riza EKICI Member of Board of Managers, SBK
The September 11th tragedy has drawn attention to the magnitude of the threat of terrorism and the need to take a common action to counter this threat globally.
Terror in all shapes and forms is a global issue that has no boundaries. It cannot be linked to any religion, ethnicity or culture. Lack of basic needs, unfair distribution of wealth among the nations of the world, hunger, marginalization, poverty, unemployment, poor housing, illiteracy, oppression, totalitarianism, violation of human rights, minorities’ problems, corruption and disorder can in no way justify but only provide the grounds that breed terror and violence. In combat against terrorism, these underlying ills must be addressed urgently.
With the growing interdependence among countries and the emergence of new and multi-dimensional threats, the concept of dialogue among civilizations has assumed even greater importance than ever. As a response to the threat of terrorism, Turkey took the initiative and gathered together the Foreign Ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the European Union member countries. This joint forum, which met in Istanbul on 12 and 13 February 2002, under the title ‘Civilization And Harmony: The Political Dimension’ demonstrated the determination of the European Union and the Organization of the Islamic Conference to enhance the international harmony between different cultures, religions and concepts.
The latest Conference of Alliance of Civilizations was in Madrid, Spain in the middle of January, 2008. The enterprise of the conference was to promote intercultural dialogue to bridge the cultural and religious division or gap between the west and the muslim countries. The objective is formulate resolutions to prevent or avert the predicted clash of civilizations in the wake of the September 11 and other acts of terrorism. We are now living in an increasingly polarized world. There is a breakdown of trust and escalating tensions among many communities and countries. It does not augur well for our future peace.
It is obvious that the current clash of civilizations is the clash of human egos and ignorance. One of the causes of the current political conflicts and division between the west and muslim countries is the adherence of dissimilar religious faiths accompanied by misinterpretations of the religious faiths. In this sense, it mirrors that the correct teachings of different religions have proved to be a great failure in the modern civilization. All religions are supposed to promote and foster the unity of brotherhood of humanity. All human frictions, disputations and enmities boil down to one common source – the lack or absence of strong faith in God owing to the deficiency in proper religious comprehension of the scriptures of one’s own religion.
Another contributing factor is the lack or absence of comprehension of Theosophy. Theosophy is the advocate of the universality of all religions. All esoteric religions are preached to instruct and train the adherents or believers to develop morally, mentally and wisely into final human perfection called the Perfect Man in wisdom and conduct. At the summit of all major religions, such as Judaism, God and Allah, the saved believers discern intuitively a common Truth through Self-realization of God-realization. The realization or awakening pertains to the one and the only Truth – the Spirit of Unity by which all religious discriminations or denominations are abandoned. The highest absolute Truth is ineffable and beyond all religions. In this sense, I recommend that faith education should be made available in all schools, colleges and universities throughout the world.
It is a sheer logical paradox that in the modern education systems throughout the world, there still exist globally many schools in which pupils or students do not receive religious instructions formally. Schools in the modern world today emphasize IQ development heavily to the extent of neglecting the development of EQ. Religions are excellent expedient devices to develop EQ. Just imagine the danger of educational imbalance : What would occur to the human society when human beings are trained excellently in IQ but their lives are directed by illusive Self or Ego ? This is the dilemma confronting and challenging the parents, employers, leaders and policy makers of the world today. Esoteric religions annihilate Ego or Self which make human beings sinful. It is like the tissue of cancerous cells which must be removed as soon as possible. Religions remove the mind disease of Self or Ego.
Many religious people of a certain faith only socialize among the fellows of the same faith. They stay aloof from people of different faiths thinking that they are different spiritually. But in actual faith, salvation cannot be found in the name of a religion. It is found only in the inner heart. It can be found only in being self-awakened to the same truth – the annihilation of Self or Ego and the discernment of the eternal Truth. Esoteric religion A can remove Self or Ego. Esoteric religion B can also eliminate Self or Ego. Eventually, they arrive at the common destination – the Centre of the Heart which is purified by the eradication of Self or Ego . Hence, inter-faith understanding plays a vital role to bridge the religious division or separation. It is the ignorance of the universality of religions that we live in disharmony and discord.
“Truth is neither Hindu nor Muslim, nor Buddhist nor Christian. Truth is one homogeneous, eternal substance. The follower of the religious Truth walks on the path of light, peace, wisdom, power and bliss.”
Therefore, may I suggest that the United Nations should focus on the universality of religions or the philosophy of Theosophy to construct world peace and harmony. There should be more international interfaith dialogues or forums sponsored by the United Nations. Religious education enhances or perfects human character formation and conduct. There is only one common taste of religious teachings – ascending morality invigorated by wisdom . Religious education and training do not lead to moral degradation and degeneration of civilization.
Religions should be utilized to promote and foster the alliance of civilizations but not the collision of civilizations. Religious education is meant primarily to destroy selfishness or egoism to accelerate moral and wisdom development so as to rectify the shortcoming or weakness of secular education and training. The education of the mind and that of the heart should be undertaken simultaneously. Salvation is a matter of the heart but not of the intellect. God is located in the Centre of the Heart of all human beings. Seek it and you will be saved. Religion is actually knowing your Original Self. Whoever knows his or her Original Self knows God. God is the one and the only Eternal Truth. We are all brothers and sisters. Why are we fighting among ourselves ? If we truly love God, we do not fight as God does not recommend fighting one’s enemies through violence.
