Cultural Dialog and Religious Tolerance: A Truism Or A Fantasy? The Holy Sites and the Clash Of Politics in the Middle East

Abstract

This article looks into the relationship between Islam and the West, focusing on the political barriers to a true dialog between Muslims and Arabs on the one hand and the West on the other one and locating this troubled relation in its historical context. In the Middle East, it is assumed, religious tension and political turmoil are intertwined. However, the present debacle in Western–Islamic relations is, we argue, first and foremost political rather than religious. The foreign policy of the U.S. in the Middle East is foremost among the issues that aggravate, and constantly exacerbate Western–Islamic relations. It is our contention that a true, mutual cultural understanding would significantly contribute to sociopolitical and religious tolerance between Muslim Arabs and the West and thus mitigate the threat of terrorism. By contrast, it is the absence of this authentic cultural dialog that is not allowing for familiarizing each party with the thought of the other and thus paving the way for more terrorism and prejudice. The recent turmoil in Jerusalem over the religious sites in al-Quds (in the summer of 2017) is but one instance of such political and cultural gaps hindering real communication and bringing about more violence. The conclusion draws attention to the nature of dialog between Israelis and Palestinians regarding the current conflict, whose roots are historical, suggesting that a political compromise would allow for a peaceful coexistence among the different religions in the region

Keywords

• Cultural Dialog, Middle East, West, Islam, al-Aqsa Mosque, Israelis, Palestinians, U.S. Foreign Policy