The path of reform and reconciliation has to be a two-way process with mutual reinforcement. The spectacle of one party being constantly on the defensive and being asked to explain, creates a false presumption that the other party is better or, even worse, right and hence, beyond the need for self-analysis or self-reproach. If this pattern continues, the much-touted dialogue would, in substance, remain a monologue. If current trends are not checked, then there won’t be much of a dialogue nor even much of a civilization left to speak of.
While facts are changing, opinions cannot remain static.
In an information age, the party that is weaker and less resourceful and less public relations savvy, is more likely and liable to be tarred and tarnished by the nomenclatures and labels used by the power wielders, who often frame the issues and control the context under which discussions are conducted.
An acceptance of the clash theory means, in effect, giving up. It also impliedly conveys that the overtures of peace and goodwill toward the world of Islam is mere verbiage and substantively false. This may be at the policymaking level. At other levels, 9/11 is instilling greater awareness of Islam and renewing interest in the faith. 9/11 does not prove the clash of civilizations; it proves the opposite - a compelling need to coexist. The alternative is unthinkable: despair, darkness, and death.
Then there is the caliber of men who matter. On great occasions, great men rise to the top, riding their talents, experience, wisdom, and courage. Here, the principles of 9/11 have been found wanting. Osama bin Laden seems incapable of distinguishing combatants from noncombatants; Bush does not have the depth to rethink his loose over-simplification of good versus evil. Arafat seems incapable to acknowledge the harm his inept leadership has caused the Palestinian people, and Sharon’s hands are too bloodied for him to be a credible peace interlocutor.
The existing approach, instead of identifying what unites, constantly highlights what divides. It is a recipe for endless conflict and prevents a confluence of agendas. Also, it invokes and provokes the destructive power of the utterly frustrated. In a globalized world, exploding bombs and bullets do not and will not discriminate between victims on the basis of their religious beliefs. While the folly of hatred is amply documented, the path of healing and reconciliation remains to be adequately explored. Nations who have great strength want to enjoy the strength. Lost in that hubris is the humble capacity of self-examination. You can ignore the fire, but the fire won’t ignore you.
September 11 is a reminder about the illusory nature of worldly omnipotence. The sole remaining, enduring, and indestructible superpower is the Almighty. If we focus on similarities rather than overplaying differences, clash - the worry of today - can become coexistence - the hope of tomorrow.