Bosnian model example of Muslim, Christian coexistence: Tariq Ramadan

SARAJEVO

Prominent professor of Islamic Studies at Oxford University and one of the most modern Islamic thinkers in Europe, Tariq Ramadan, said in an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency that the Bosnian model of Islam can serve as an example for the coexistence of Muslims and Christians worldwide.

The expert on Islamic issues claims that Bosnian Muslims should be aware of their Islamic and European identity, which are not in conflict.

"It is vital that the Muslims in Bosnia and Herzegovina clearly say that they have a Muslim-European identity, which is a combination of their faith and European culture. So you can reconcile religious and cultural sentiments and live in peace and harmony as Europeans," said the professor.

He pointed out that Europe is not only a Christian, but also a Jewish and Islamic, society.

"Europe is a pluralistic society, no matter that from time to time on this continent appear populists and right-wing extremists. But that's not the European reality, because Europe is multicultural because people from all over the world live in it. The European perception of the world can not be only Western European, it must include the East and West. The future of the world is in pluralism in terms of skin color, culture and religion," said Ramadan.

Commenting on the conflicts in the Middle East, he said that the US and Europe did not want to interfere in the Syrian conflict because they did not know whether the opposition will work in their interest.

"At the beginning of the 'Arab spring,' which began about two years ago, America, Europe and Israel did not want Bashar al-Assad to leave, and they asked for the reform of Syrian society and then they realized that the Syrian people were unhappy and wanted changes. But the West then looked at who is the opposition in Syria and with whom they could cooperate. There were the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamists, secularists and extremists, so the Western countries wanted to organize the opposition that suits them", Ramadan expressed in his assessment of the ongoing civil war in Syria.

Ramadan noted that he thinks that the United States would now intervene in the Syrian war, because they had found in the country a "reliable opposition that will do everything that Washington commands."

"In recent months, we see that French and US intelligence provides information that the rebels were trained by people from the USA, Jordan and Israel. They worked behind the scenes to find the right people and to prevent the danger that threatens them from Islamists. Now they have reliable people in the opposition to implement their own strategic interests", he said. 

However, he noted that a military attack on the Syrian regime will not help the Syrian people in attaining either democracy or freedom.

He said that the scenario from Iraq will repeat in Syria, because the country will be divided while US economic interests are protected.

Ramadan indicated that the West's objective in the Middle East is "to fragment the political system, protect the Western economic interests and destabilize the entire Middle East." He said: "You see what is happening in Iraq, Libya, Syria, Egypt, Tunisia... This is the new Middle East, destabilized Middle East that has nothing to do with democracy. The aim is that the USA and Europe open their markets, protect the flow of oil and divide the political system." 

He pointed out that the USA is hypocritical and insincere to the Egyptian people, but also to the entire Arab world, because it does not want real democracy in this part of the world.

"Americans did not say that there was a coup in Egypt because in that case, according to their constitution, they would be forbidden to help the Egyptian army. Now they say they want to cut off aid but still claim they will send $1.3 billion to Egypt. That is hypocrisy. It is clear to everyone that the US and Europe continue to support the Egyptian army. Also, Egypt received help of $14 billion from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, nondemocratic countries, but Americans continue to cooperate with them in the best way", explained Ramadan.

He expressed that the divisions among Muslims are a great threat to Muslims in a political sense.

On the future of the Muslim Brotherhood and the situation in Egypt he said:

"I do not know whether the Muslim Brotherhood will be closed, but now terrible repressions on its leaders and members are made, many are in prisons, and we do not know where Morsi is. While they release Mubarak, on the other side they throw Islamists into prison. I believe that the military wants to close the Muslim Brotherhood, but they will continue to operate from the underground for some time. However, I am sure that in Egypt and the Middle East, we will not see democracy or a civil state. Egypt will be a country led by a military regime behind the scenes, and I think that difficult times are coming for Islamists."

He believes that the US does not want to see strong and active countries in the Middle East such as China, Russia and Turkey.

"The US. wants to destabilize the region because of its economic interests and to prevent China, Russia, and even South Africa, Turkey and Brazil for being active in this part of the world."

He expressed the view that the current circumstances and a destabilized Middle East nevertheless fit the strategic interests of Israel.

"The Muslim Brotherhood is connected with Hamas in Gaza and it has bothered Israel who supported Mubarak, and now General Sisi. Israel told the Egyptian army to convince America not to suspend help to Cairo. Now Israel is in a position where everything is going in its favor. The Middle East is destabilized, Syria is hopeless, Hezbollah has no support from others, Egypt is in a mess, and the colonization of the region carried out by Israel continues. They build Jewish settlements. There is nothing of the two-state solution for Palestine and Israel, because everything related to the progress of Palestine, Israel destroys. Israel isolated Iran as well to dominate the Middle East," concluded Tariq Ramadan in an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency.