"Cross-Cultural Encounters" Conference Opens at the BA
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The BA witnessed on Wednesday, 18 May 2011, the opening of the “Cross-Cultural Encounters” Conference with the participation of researchers and academia from different countries.
Representative of Al-Azhar ‘s Grand Imam Dr. Mahmoud Azab, gave the opening speech in which he talked about Islam as a common heritage between Muslims and the preceding nations. He believes that the philosophy of Islam rests on organic unity with other cultures and civilizations. He highlighted the role of Al- Azhar as a source of inspiration throughout the ages, and stressed that Al-Azhar shall not indulge into arguments on the civil state versus the religious state.
In the first session, entitled “Cross-Cultural Encounters: Establishing the Idea”, Dr. Zaki El-Milad explored the concept of “dialogue among civilizations” as seen by the French Philosopher Roger Garaudy, the first one to advocate the concept, and Former Iranian President Mohamed Khatami who called for an international year for dialogue among civilizations. El-Milad presented his views concerning the adoption of “cross-cultural encounters” as a window on the world and a way leading to progress.
Dr. Seif El-Deen Abd El-Fattah tackled the methodological and cognitive dilemma of this concept. He spoke about the challenges facing cross-cultural encounters, such as ignorance, underestimation, clash, prejudice, stereotyping, among others. He also traced the concept in the Quranic verse number 13, Chapter 43 (Al-Hujurat), “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most righteous (God-Fearing). And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted”. The verse presents the concept of “cross-cultural encounters” in a wider sense moving from the individual, to the community, to humanity at large.
Medhat Maher reflected on the concept and posed several questions, such as how far can we depend on one single verse from the Quran to develop this concept, for Prophet Muhammed’s Biography gives the concept a vivid meaning; the methodology of explaining the concept, for it could only refer to the minimum level of acquaintance, not encounters; and the relation with the variables and the invariables. Maher stressed on the importance of moving to practical thinking, and he believes that this concept would also pave the way towards understanding one’s self.