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Muslim Democrats from Tunisia Declare Their Commitment to Work Towards
A Better Understanding and Relations with the United States of America
June 24, 2003
The
relationship between the Islamic and Arab world on the one hand, and the United States of America on the other, is facing serious challenges, particularly in the light of the current situation in Iraq and the
continuation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. This may also be attributed to the suspicion, distrust and hatred that pervade the writings of many of those who are concerned with this subject.
In the
light of the importance of this issue, the Tunisian writers signatory to this document wish to stress the following:
1. It is in the interest of Arabs and Muslims to maintain friendly relations as well
as close co-operation with the United States of America. Equally, it is in the interest of the United States of America to forge a bridge of co-operation with the Arab and Islamic World. This should be achieved in a
way that would enable both sides to be at ease in discussing their differences concerning important issues from the standpoint of friends, rather than as enemies.
2.
Real, powerful values already exist that form the basis for friendship and a common ground between the Arabs and Muslims on the one hand, and the United States on the other. At the forefront of these values are: the firm belief in freedom; respect for human rights; equality; rule of law; tolerance; respect for religious beliefs; freedom of worship; the protection of the rights of women and minorities; and also a strong commitment to encouraging entrepreneurship and a free market economy.
3.
We reject totally all forms of writing or action that are designed to ignite a war between the United States of America and Islam. We wish to stress here that those values listed in paragraph two above are firmly ingrained in the Islamic and American civilisations. We also wish to acknowledge in a positive manner the assurances given by American officials concerning the determination of the United States of America to respect and protect the rights of American Muslims, as well as to welcome and recognise their contribution to the betterment of American society. As for the aggressive pronouncements and violent actions of certain groups and individuals, we believe that Arabs, Muslims and Americans should join hands to co-operate in isolating and fighting those elements.
4.
We share the concerns of the American people regarding the increasing phenomenon of terrorism. We are on the side of the vast majority of Arabs and Muslims who not only totally reject terrorism and condemn it, but also regard it as a common enemy of humanity, regardless of whether it cloaks itself in the guise of Islam or any political issue. In this regard, it is with a sense of sorrow that we must put on record that Islam itself is facing a grave attack at the hands of a minority of extremist Muslims who propagate acts of terrorism and incite hatred against people who do not share their beliefs, whether Christian, Jew or others, and who are trying to put themselves forward as the official spokespersons for Islam.
We emphatically condemn - with absolute clarity and without reservation - the behaviour of this minority. We remind all people that Islamic principles demand respect for Christians and Jews on the basis that
they are People of the Book (i.e. recipients of divinely-revealed scriptures). We are also pleased to set down on record that the vast majority of authentic Islamic references categorically condemn these isolated
terrorist standpoints.
In this context, we would like to call upon our American friends to condemn equally those extreme elements who seek to take advantage of the crimes committed by the renegade terrorists
so as to do wrong to Islam and Muslims.
5. We accept that different points of view exist on how best to resolve the Palestinian problem and to deal with the Iraqi situation. However, we call upon the
American administration when addressing these two issues to ensure that its actions have international legitimacy, and to respect the resolutions of the United Nations by working to end the occupation that flies in
the face of all charters and international norms, and which is both historically and currently the chief cause of the cycle of violence.
We also appeal to the long-held American tradition of helping
oppressed people to gain their freedom, by standing against ethnic cleansing, oppression and the violation of human rights. We wish in particular to recall here America's noble stand in defending the Muslims in
Bosnia and Kosovo.
Having reaffirmed the above principles, the signatories to this statement wish to announce publicly, as Muslim democrats from Tunisia, our undertaking and commitment to work tirelessly -
both as individuals and collectively - to help forge better understanding and relations between Arabs and Muslims on the one hand, and the United States of America on the other. Furthermore, we seek to encourage
dialogue and maintain contact between the two sides, and to resist and oppose the culture of hatred and resentment that is being promoted by extremists in both camps.
We also wish to announce publicly our
readiness to work with our American friends towards creating a world in which freedom, democracy, peace, justice and the respect for human rights will prevail: a world in which religious freedom for all mankind,
without any discrimination, would be guaranteed.
The signatories to this statement:
Dr. Mohamed Elhachmi Hamdi
Chairman of the Human Rights Club in London; and the founder of The Diplomat magazine
for the dialogue of cultures and civilisations
Dr. Khalid Chouket
University Lecturer, and Chairman of the Tunisian Forum in Holland
Dr. Ahmad Kedidi
University Lecturer at the
University of Qatar, and a former Member of Parliament in Tunisia
Abdulhamid Hamdi
Teacher of Islamic Sciences; and a member of the Islamic Council of Denmark
All four signatories are
members of the Executive Board of the Tunisian Centre for Democracy and Development.
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