International seminar examines so-called clash of civilizations

Blontank Poer, The Jakarta Post, Surakarta

Prominent Catholic thinker Franz Magnis Suseno told a seminar on Wednesday misperceptions about Western culture and the perceived arrogance of the U.S. had led to a general unease in the Islamic community toward the West.

Magnis was speaking at the international symposium, "From the Myth of Clash of Civilizations toward Partnership: Building a Culture of Peace", at Muhammadiyah University in Surakarta, Central Java.

The two day event is co-organized by the university and the German Embassy.

He said the relationship between Islamic countries and Western nations had gradually improved, with the U.S. somewhat distancing itself from Israel and establishing a mutually beneficial relationship with Saudi Arabia.

"The reason behind this change is simple; the politics between states is ruled by pragmatism -- by political and economic interests," he said.

Amien Rais said U.S. arrogance was the primary cause of uneasy relations between Islam and the West.

He also said U.S. action in Iraq was motivated by the simple desire to gain control over that country's vast oil resources.

"If there hadn't been any oil in Iraq, if that country only had vegetables, surely the American invasion would not have taken place," he said.

The deputy rector of Sunan Ampel State Islamic Institute, Nur Syam, said Islamic fundamentalism was largely triggered by the economic hardship that affects a large majority of Muslims.

"Globalization, with its capitalism and principles of materialism, has placed the Islamic community in a difficult position," he said.

"On the one hand Islamic communities want to strengthen their religious practices. On the other hand, they have to face the challenges presented to them by a global economic system that they deem unfair."

That is the reason, he said, fundamentalist Islamic organizations shared the same trait: anti-globalization and anti-Westernization.

This is seen in their opposition to Western products, which they claim do not accord with Islamic values.