The late Professor Edward Said, in a critique of Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations, wrote that such a clash should be more aptly named “Clash of Ignorance”. In today’s world Jews, Christians and Muslims are sadly uninformed and ignorant of their own faith and with tragic consequences are ignorant of each other’s faith. This despite their common lineage from Abraham (pbuh) and prior to him, from Adam and Eve. Such pandemic ignorance arises from fear of the “other”. Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (RA) captured the essence of this fragility of human nature when he said: “We fear what we don’t know.” Thus the cure for this “fear” is to “know” one another as Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an:
“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).”
(Qur’an: 49:13)
Please click the UNESCO world illiteracy chart and then continue for Dr. Khodr's critique ...
(Qur’an: 49:13)
Please click the UNESCO world illiteracy chart and then continue for Dr. Khodr's critique ...