Discovering the common ground of world religions Interview with Karen Armstrong by Andrea Bistrich Karen Armstrong, the British theologian terrorists, but this is rarely reported and author of numerous books on the great in the Western media. Terror is a religions, has advanced the theory that fun- political act, which may use (or damentalist religion is a response to and abuse) the language of religion, but product of modern culture. A Catholic nun it absorbs some of the nihilistic viol- for seven years, she left her order while ence of modernity, which has cre- studying at Oxford University. She is one of ated self-destructive nuclear the 18 leading group members of the Alli- weapons and still threatens to use ance of Civilizations, an initiative of the them today. An important survey former UN General Secretary Kofi Annan, showed that every single suicide with the purpose of fighting extremism and bombing since the 1980s was po- furthering dialogue between the Western litically rather than religiously mo- and Islamic worlds. Andrea Bistrich inter- tivated: the main grievance was the viewed her for Share International. occupation by the West and its al- lies of Muslim lands. Share International: 9/11 has become the symbol of major hostilities between Islam SI: The sense of polarization has photo: Jerry Bauer and the West. After the attacks many Amer- been sharpened by recent contro- Karen Armstrong icans asked: “Why do they hate us?” And versies – the Danish cartoons of experts in numerous roundtable talks de- the Prophet Mohammed, the Pope’s re- tury. There is fundamentalist Buddhism, bated if Islam is an inherently violent reli- marks about Islam, the issue of face-veils Christianity, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism and gion. Is it? and whether they hinder integration. Confucianism as well as fundamentalist Is- Karen Armstrong: There is far more violence Harvard-Professor Samuel Huntington in- lam. Of the three monotheistic religions – in the Bible than in the Qur’an; the idea that troduced the notion of a “clash of civiliza- Judaism, Christianity and Islam – Islam was Islam imposed itself by the sword is a West- tions”. Are the “Christian West” and the the last to develop a fundamentalist strain ern fiction, fabricated during the time of the “Muslim World” fundamentally incom- during the 1960s. Crusades when, in fact, it was Western Chris- patible? Fundamentalism represents a revolt tians who were fighting brutal holy wars KA: The divisions in our world are not the against secular modern society, which separ- against Islam. The Qur’an forbids aggress- result of religion or culture but are politi- ates religion and politics. Wherever a West- ive warfare and permits war only in self- cally based. There is an imbalance of power ern secularist government is established, a defence. The moment the enemy sues for in the world, and the powerless are begin- religious counter-culturalist protest move- peace, the Qur’an insists that Muslims must ning to challenge the hegemony of the “Great ment rises up alongside it in conscious re- lay down their arms and accept whatever Powers”, declaring their independence of jection. Fundamentalists want to bring God terms are offered, even if they are disadvant- them – often using religious language to do and religion from the sidelines to which they ageous. Later Muslim law forbade Muslims so. A lot of what we call “fundamentalism” have been relegated in modern culture back to attack a country where Muslims were can often be seen as a religious form of na- to centre stage. All fundamentalism is rooted permitted to practice their faith freely; the tionalism, an assertion of identity. The old in a profound fear of annihilation; whether killing of civilians was prohibited, as were 19th century European nationalist ideal has they are Jewish, Christian or Muslim, fun- the destruction of property and the use of become tarnished and has always been for- damentalists are convinced that secular or fire in warfare. eign to the Middle East. In the Muslim world, liberal society wants to wipe them out. This people are redefining themselves according is not paranoid: Jewish fundamentalism SI: Despite such interdictions in the Qur’an to their religion in an attempt to return to took two major strides forward: one after some Muslims have become murderers. How their roots after the great colonialist disrup- the Nazi Holocaust, the second after the can people be religious and yet be willing tion. Yom Kippur War of 1973. In some parts of to blow themselves up and kill others in the Middle East, secularism was established the name of Allah ? SI: What has made fundamentalism so ap- so rapidly and aggressively that it was ex- KA: To kill a single human being violates parently predominant today? perienced as a lethal assault. the principles of every single religion, in- KA: The militant piety that we call “funda- cluding Islam. Terrorism is an unreligious mentalism” erupted in every single major SI: The fact that fundamentalism is also a act. Muslims have repeatedly disowned the world faith in the course of the 20th cen- phenomenon in politics was stressed re- SHARE INTERNATIONAL 19 VOL. 26, NO. 7 — SEPTEMBER 2007 cently by former US president Jimmy the target of Western greed. In the West, in in the Holy Land) and others regard it as Carter when he voiced his concerns over order to preserve our strategic position and purely neutral and hold aloof from it as far the increasing merging of religion and cheap oil supply, we have often supported as they can. Many Jews too see Israel as state in the Bush administration, and the rulers – such as the shahs of Iran, the Saudis rising phoenix-like out of the ashes of element of fundamentalism in the White and, initially, Saddam Hussein – who have Auschwitz and have found it a way of cop- House. Carter sees traits of religious fun- established dictatorial regimes which sup- ing with the Shoah [holocaust]. damentalists are also applicable to neo- pressed any normal opposition. The only But for many Muslims the plight of the conservatives: “... they are led by author- place where people felt free to express their Palestinians represents everything that is itarian males who consider themselves su- distress has been the mosque. wrong with the modern world. The fact that perior to others; they believe the past is The modern world has been very vio- in 1948, 750,000 Palestinians could lose their better than the present; they draw distinc- lent. Between 1914 and 1945, 70 million homes with the apparent approval of the tions between themselves, as true believers, people died in Europe as a result of war. We world symbolizes the impotence of Islam in and others; those who oppose their should not be surprised that modern reli- the modern world vis-à-vis the West. The position are seen as evil; ... their self- gion has become violent too; it often mimics Qur’an teaches that if Muslims live justly definitions are narrow and restricted; they the violence preached by secular politicians. and decently, their societies will prosper isolate themselves; ... they view negotia- Most of the violence and terror that con- because they will be in tune with the funda- tion and efforts to resolve differences as cerns us in the Muslim world has grown up mental laws of the universe. Islam was al- signs of weakness ...”, Carter writes. in regions where warfare, displacement and ways a religion of success, going from one There seems to be a major conflict be- conflict have been traumatic and have even triumph to another, but Muslims have been tween, on the one hand, the hard-liners or become chronic: the Middle East, Palestine, able to make no headway against the secu- conservatives, and on the other the Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir. lar West and the plight of the Palestinians progressives. Is this a typical phenomenon epitomizes this impotence. Jerusalem is also of today’s world? SI: You have said that for Muslims the Arab- the third holiest place in the Islamic world, KA: The United States is not alone in this. Israeli conflict has become “a symbol of and when Muslims see their sacred shrines There is a new intolerance and aggression their impotence in the modern world”. on the Haram al-Sharif [the Noble Sanctu- in Europe too as well as in Muslim coun- Could you explain? ary, also known as Temple Mount] sur- tries and the Middle East. Culture is always KA: The Arab-Israeli conflict began, on rounded by the towering Israeli settlements – and has always been – contested. There both sides, as a purely secular conflict about and feel that their holy city is slipping daily are always people who have a different view a land. Zionism began as a rebellion against from their grasp, this symbolizes their be- of their country and are ready to fight for it. religious Judaism and at the outset most leaguered identity. However, it is important American Christian fundamentalists are not Orthodox rabbis condemned Zionism as a to note that the Palestinians only adopted a in favour of democracy; and it is true that blasphemous secularization of the Land of religiously articulated ideology relatively many of the Neo-Cons, many of whom in- Israel, one of the most sacred symbols of late – long after Islamic fundamentalism had cline towards this fundamentalism, have Judaism. Similarly, the ideology of the Pal- become a force in countries such as Egypt very hardline, limited views. These are dan- estinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was or Pakistan. Their resistance movement re- gerous and difficult times and when people secular – many of the Palestinians, of course, mained secular in ethos until the first are frightened they tend to retreat into ideo- are Christian.