This week (May 4) Professor Malory Nye, Principal of the Al-Maktoum Institute was asked to write for the Dundee Evening Telegraph as part of its coverage of the death of Osama bin Laden.
Professor Nye was pleased to be asked and duly wrote this considered and thoughtful article. Here is the article:
“GIVEN the political turmoil worldwide and the ever-present fears of extremism and terrorism, promoting intelligent debate and understanding of Islam and the role of Muslims in the contemporary world is increasingly vital.
Following the death of Osama bin Laden, the effort to open the world to new understanding and reconciliation must be maintained if not increased.
The route of hatred followed by bin Laden helped no one, least of all Muslims across the world: he will be remembered by history for his profoundly negative impact on the world.
The Al-Maktoum Institute has been arguing for many years that the best way to combat extremism, in all its forms, is through education. People from all backgrounds need to understand each other – this is not always easy, and it is always challenging. But it is necessary, particularly in today’s world.
Education promotes multiculturalism. It is through education that we open minds and widen our horizons to grasp different religions and cultures. A good education does not mean that we agree with everyone all the time, but we can learn to accept others, not fear them. This is why understanding Islam matters.
The Al-Maktoum Institute was established in Dundee in August 2001, the month before the 9/11 attacks in New York, before Osama bin Laden became a household name for all the wrong reasons.
The opening decade of this Millennium has been dominated by the tragic events of 9/11 and beyond, and our work has been in the shadow of this. I believe we have responded robustly to become a centre of understanding for Islam and Muslims, and Dundee has proved itself a tolerant and accepting city.
Students at the Al-Maktoum Institute soon learn of the importance of diversity within Islam and amongst Muslims. The majority of Muslims do not think the way Osama bin Laden did – his was a radical, minority perspective.
The majority of Muslims today – both in Dundee and far beyond – believe in acceptance of one another, in peaceful co-existence, in tolerance, and want to build bridges.
At the Institute, we have spent much of the past ten years promoting the values of multiculturalism through intelligent debate and understanding of Islam and the role of Muslims in the contemporary world.
Students and staff from all over the world, and from many different backgrounds, have come to Dundee to experience not only the Al-Maktoum Institute but also the heart-felt welcome extended by the people of this fine city.
If that ideal can be fostered and upheld, then the range of challenges faced around the world, especially in the aftermath of this week’s events, may not be so apparently insurmountable.
Tolerance and acceptance are the by-words of the people of Dundee, not hatred, not violence. They are keen to engage with the work we are doing.
The headline story of this week, I am sure, will persuade us all to be even more vigilant for peace and understanding everywhere through learning about one other in a considered way.”
