As people create 'spaces of trust' they will be able to fight the common enemies of ignorance, marginalisation and injustice, says leading Muslim academic, Tariq Ramadan

Leading Muslim academic, Prof. Dr Tariq Ramadan, believes it is vital that people ask questions to build trust. Those may sometimes be difficult questions. Perhaps that's why, on 25 April at the London centre for Initiatives of Change, he made it clear that he was launching a discussion, eager to hear the concerns of his Greencoat Forum audience.

Getting straight to the point, Dr Ramadan, who is Visiting Fellow at St Antony’s College in Oxford, spoke of the fear which exists in our societies today. Whilst we are all against the theory of the clash of civilisations, he said, in Western and Islamic countries alike, there is a feeling of 'us' versus 'them' in the atmosphere.

Europeans are asking, what will my country be like in 50 years? And fearful Muslims are asking, 'How, in a secular society, can I transmit my values to my children?' With rising fears come rising emotions, he noted. And when we are 'colonised' by an emotion such as fear we do not listen.

It is no good telling people not to be scared, he said. You have to face the problem. He cited the recent cartoon crisis where emotions were met with emotions. The missing ingredient was reason.

(Photo: John Leggat)alling people of all faiths and none, his starting point is: do we really know and believe that we have common universal values? All are needed to bring about a reformed society, he said. This means non-Muslims speaking out about the cartoon crisis, for example, and Muslims speaking out about issues like restrictions on Christians in Islamic majority countries like Sudan and Malaysia.

He spoke enthusiastically of a 'silent revolution' which is taking place amongst new generations of Muslims who regard Europe as 'home'. For them there is no contradiction between being a Muslim and a European. 'You have to listen to these people', he urged, 'because they are not as noisy as the suicide bombers'.

Referring to the war in Iraq (which he was against), he said it was not so much a Muslim issue as a citizenship issue. Millions of people of different faiths opposed the war in Iraq, and yet when Muslims did, their stand was seen as 'questionable'. Advocating the need for a 'critical loyalty', he argued, 'To be critical of your country when what it is doing is unjust is the best example of citizenship you can get.'

Looking to the future, he envisages 'a sense of belonging based on multiple identities'. Young British Muslims are not 'just Muslim', nor 'just British'. This needs to be reflected in the teaching of history. For example, official recognition ought to be given to the contribution of all those from other continents who came to Britain after the war.

Calm and eloquent, Ramadan questioned those who call themselves 'open-minded' whilst talking to people in their own sphere. The challenge for each of us, he stressed, is 'to go out of our respective intellectual ghettos'. In the last week, he asked, how many people from a different cultural or religious background have you met?

Living together takes effort, he concluded. Both sides need more knowledge of the other, hence the need for questions. 'To ask the questions out of trust will build a strong society; to avoid them out of fear will not'. His hope for Britain is to see a national movement of local initiatives. As people create 'spaces of trust' they will be able to fight the common enemies of ignorance, marginalisation and injustice. They will also be able to stand up to those whose narrow understanding of religion means, 'I am who I am because I am against you'.

It won't be easy, he acknowledged. History has shown that 'it is easier to be together against, than together for'.

Laura Boobbyer