Kofi Annan - Embrace Our Differences

"...an embrace of differences—in opinion, in culture, in belief, in way of life—has long been a driving force of human progress.

"During Europe’s Dark Ages, that was how the Iberian peninsula flourished, through the interaction of Muslim, Christian and Jewish traditions. Later, the Ottoman empire prospered not only because of its armies, but because it was an empire of ideas, in which Muslim art and technology were enriched by Jewish and Christian contributions.

"Some centuries later, our own globalized era is regrettably marked by rising intolerance, extremism and violence. Closer proximity and improved communications have often led not to mutual understanding and friendship but to tension and mutual mistrust. Many people, particularly in the developing world, have come to fear the global village as a cultural onslaught and an economic drain on their way of life. Globalization threatens their values as well as their wallets.

"The terror attacks of 9/11, war and turmoil in the Middle East, ill-considered words and drawings have all helped to reinforce this perception, and have inflamed tensions between different peoples and cultures. They have especially strained relations between followers of the three great monotheistic faiths.

"Demonization of the “other” has proved the path of least resistance, although healthy introspection would better serve us all. In the 21st century we remain hostage to our sense of grievance and to our feelings of entitlement. Our narratives have become our prison. Many people throughout the world, particularly Muslims, see the West as a threat to their beliefs and values, their economic interests and their political aspirations. Evidence to the contrary is just disregarded or rejected as incredible. Many in the West dismiss Islam as a religion of extremism and violence, despite a history of relations in which commerce, cooperation and cultural exchange have played at least as important a part as conflict. It is vital that we overcome these resentments. We should start by reaffirming, and demonstrating, that the problem is not the Qur’an, not the Torah, nor the Bible. The problem is never the faith; it is the faithful and how they behave towards each other."